Sunday, April 06, 2008

"What's Up, Doc?"

Not original, I know, but kinda fitting. The painting is an abstract for a show we did at Austin Figurative Gallery this weekend. Never having done an abstract/deconstruction, I was wary of how it was going to turn out. I think, because I had a concept of the human body being dehumanized by medical procedures, it was easier to do than just saying I was going to do an abstracted figure.
I suffered through the first two weeks' painting and then had to go for a mammogram and Xrays of my back and neck. The whole experience of feeling like body parts instead of a human being is what helped pull the whole painting together. And then the last part was to make an incision down the spine to allow the glow of the human spirit to pour forth.
The final touch was the medical label at the top right, like you see on Xrays and charts.
If you don't know, I had a total hip replacement 3 years ago, which is included in the painting. Because of that piece of ceramic and titanium, I AM less human, but because I can now live a life free of pain (and pain killers), I am able to feel more human and alive.
And paint to my soul's content.

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