Path
My current artistic path focuses on expressing my concerns about our environmental impact. While my work varies from symbolic representation to abstract forms, my intent remains the same: to engage viewers in a dialogue about the pollution of the land, sea, and sky.
The Dream Black Sun - Acrylic Paint on Canvas - 36” x 72” Diptych
CONTEXT
This diptych painting, The Dream Black Sun, reflects my recent drawings and paintings inspired by the migration of Starlings. These works stem from the birth of my daughter and the gathering of Starlings on our fire escape outside the window in the Bronx. I've explored this theme in other pieces, such as "Dream - Starling," the tradigital monoprint "Dream - Starling Night," and the "Black Sun - Murmuration drawing."
Lately, I've been having dreams centered around the imagery of a black sun, which is connected to the European Starlings' mesmerizing formations during migration, resembling acrobatics or an undulating organism in the sky. The density of the birds creates a poetic visual of them seemingly blocking the sun's light.
The narrative of my work doesn't pinpoint a specific visual from the dream; rather, it's an interpretation of the ever-changing montage of the dream. Personally, I find dreams visually stimulating yet frustrating because the memory of the dream quickly fades upon waking.
Broken Water - Acrylic on Canvas - 36” x 72” Diptych
CONTEXT
Broken Water artwork's inspiration is drawn from two distinct sources. The first is the concept of water or river baptism and its significance in different religions. The second is the ongoing environmental crisis, where we have ignored the importance of this life-sustaining resource. This is why the artwork is titled "Broken Water." It aims to make the viewer ponder upon the dichotomy of science and religion and the role of water as both a spiritual symbol and a necessity for the continuation of life on our planet.
Humans bring unique perspectives and emotions to everything we experience, including art. It's fascinating how we can see shapes or patterns in random or ambiguous visual patterns and find meaning in them, and the term "*Pareidolia" perfectly captures this phenomenon. However, the definition of Pareidolia does not fully capture the depth and complexity of what we experience when we look at art. Our emotional and psychological responses to art are unique and personal to each of us. This phenomenon is not limited to our vision or engaging art; we interpret everything through our emotional prism, be it religion, science, society, or politics.
Storm Warning - Acrylic on Birch Panel - 18" X 24"
Sun Block - Acrylic on Canvas - 36” x 72” Diptych
CONTEXT
The painting "Sun Block" is my vision of the "Coral Reef Death," caused by manmade waste floating in the world's oceans, blocking the sunlight from reaching the coral reefs. Without the sun, the coral dies. At this point in our history, fifty percent of the ocean's coral is dead. This living organism is vital to the ocean's and biosphere's balance and health.
Sailing the star dome above
on azure blue sea, I loved,
beckons maidens tears of scorn
for fading coral life, they warn.
--- EAB
I divided the picture plane into two —the top representing the sky and sun and the bottom representing the ocean and coral. The simple geometric shapes represent a manmade object. Beneath is a representation of a brain coral. I like the shape of its curve against the rectangular form above it.
A Cornell University study found diseases on coral reefs are impacted by plastic. Plastics carry pathogens and act as a vector for diseases to flourish on coral reefs. Floating or submerged hard debris can also damage corals by blocking sunlight from reaching them, leading to low-oxygen conditions that allow disease-causing bacteria to thrive and damage or kill the corals.
The name "Brain Coral" is given to the Muscidae and Merulinidae coral families due to their resemblance to the human brain. These coral species are found in shallow water reefs in most of the world's oceans. These corals are living animals, "Anthozoa" or "flower animals," and are a vital part of reef-building as a habitat for sea life. The life span of Brain Coral can be nine hundred years if not destroyed by humans.
I completed this painting for 2023 for a solo exhibition, "Searching for Ballance," at the Martin-Mullen Gallery, SUNY Oneonta, NY.
Somewhere Beneath the Sea. - Graphite Pencil on Paper - 15" x 21"
Lady of the Snow - Acrylic on Canvas - 60" x 48"
This painting was inspired by Terry Lennon's poem of the same title.
Excerpt from the poem:
"…We are drawn to her
peering through small white drifts
on a mullioned grid
into the faint ice blue of her belly,
until, with cold chortle
she blows our world black…."
Plastic Sea - Acrylic on Canvas - 60" x 48"
CONTEXT
The pictorial content and composition of “Plastic Sea”* evolved from a documentary video detailing the serious impact of ocean pollution. The video with Anna Cummins, Executive Director and co-founder of 5 Gyres Institute, describes the massive amount of garbage that is floating around in the world’s oceans. Although they are not obvious massive islands as suggested by some media sources, the problem has become increasingly serious. The materials, mostly plastic, break down into plankton-size particles, many of which are then consumed by sea life. The destructive impact of this pollution is not restricted to sea life alone; we are now consuming our pollutants and the resulting toxins in seafood. The environmental problems we have created, as reported by Cummins (5 Gyres Institute),** continue to have a major impact upon the focus of my recent paintings. Plastic Sea is one of them.
* This work was selected for the Katonah Museums Biennale Exhibit 2016.
** Anna Cummins, Executive Director and co-founder of 5 Gyres Institute (Greater Los Angeles Area, April 2010).
Untitled Drawing - Graphite Pencil on Paper - 10.5" x 13"
Plastic Spring Water. - Acrylic on Canvas - 30" x 40"
Landfill - Graphite Pencil on Paper - 10.5" x 13
Untitled - Graphite Pencil on Paper - 10.5" x 13"
Untitled - Graphite Pencil on Paper - 10.5" x 13"
