Street / Urban Art
I generally try to avoid getting into the weeds of modern politics because I think we can all agree it is a complete shitshow regardless of which way you lean. We can and must do better as a whole. The recent wave of shootings and violence along with the toxic rhetoric we see every day is pushing us toward a critical tipping point that will only lead to greater division or even the tragedy of a civil war if left unchecked. We have transitioned away from trying to understand each other and accepting our differences to a dangerous mindset where you are either with me or against me.
The great Gandhi once said that an eye for an eye only serves to make the whole world blind. Whether you are Republican or Democrat or Black or White or American or Hispanic or Gay or Straight we are all Americans at our core. We are all human beings trying our best to survive and raise our families as best we can. We need to do better than the forces of social media and partisan politics would have us do. The algorithms are specifically designed to promote discord just to push views and generate profit. It is vital to ask yourself who actually benefits from your anger while you find yourself fighting with people who were once your beloved friends and neighbors.
In my latest painting titled Armed with Love I wanted to capture the power of empathy in the face of overwhelming force. The work features a central figure wearing a blue cap and a jacket who stands with their back to the viewer while holding a vibrant red heart up toward the sky. Standing directly in front of them is a squad of soldiers dressed in green tactical gear and holding weapons which creates a stark visual contrast between peace and aggression. I applied a dense and gritty stippled texture across the entire canvas to give the image a weathered and historic quality which is a consistent element of my personal style as an artist. Rather than meeting hate with hate I hope this piece encourages people to reach out and ask why instead of simply reacting with anger.
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Private Collection