Look Elsewhere, Orlando. 6/11/2014

Look Elsewhere, Orlando.
36x44"
Acrylic on canvas.

Inspired by the sudden and somewhat mysterious death of a friend, Look Elsewhere, Orlando is a portrait of those lost addressing or confronting that from which they are attempting to overcome.

The title speaks to the attempt to escape that issue through a change of location, ultimately realizing that the issue, not the place, is the problem. Symbolized by the Lion, the subject gazes backward, finding the "issue" driving them forward. In a state of shock, the subject realizes that "issue" continuing to follow, despite them having turned their back before. This is not meant to display someone running away...to show a weak or strong character...but to acknowledge the constant presence of our vices, despite our best efforts.

Rather than laying blame, showing anger, hoping to change the future or denying the current state, the piece memorializes a vision of the person lost simply living alongside that which drove them, for better or worse.

L.E.O. is not a piece celebrating life, damning vices nor glossing over reality, it simply shows the state of things.

Wren Boys. 2/24/2016

Wren Boys.
40x30″
mixed media on canvas.

Wren Boys is inspired by the many traditions and practices of “Wren Day” and, more generally, the somewhat contradictory methods of remembrance we’ve come to treasure. 

Celebrated in a number of cultures around the world, Wren Day is largely meant as a symbol of rebirth and the coming renewal of spring. To symbolize the renewal, a group kills and present a wren as an offering, hoping to bring luck, life, and a good new year. 

Interestingly, the wren is seen as a positive symbol in most traditions and is considered an animal of nobility, cooperation, innovation, and progress. Somewhat ironically, celtic traditions even consider the bird as a reminder to be kind to others because of its caring nature. Despite this and the honor often bestowed upon the bird, its namesake day revolves around their ritual stoning and eventual killing.

In a more general and modern sense, we as humans ignore much of the life around us, only “honoring” that which has been driven from existence. A certain bird in your backyard may be a nuisance until it makes an appearance on the endangered list, then, instead of scarecrows you’re setting up bird feeders. Even an animal with cultural and symbolic attachments becomes a more important icon when dead in many instances. 

Do we, through our traditions and memorials, actually remember and honor those that have been lost or are we simply hoping the life that we value so much for ourselves doesn’t leave us as well?

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http://www.dflemingart.com/

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