ABOUT THIS PAINTING

The Swimmers is a new painting made for my solo show opening in a few weeks. I am sending out a sneak preview of it: it’s the largest painting of the show.

The paradox in the painting.

All the elements of the painting, except for the towels, indicate a dangerous time and place to swim. The whole painting is set up so that you would not expect to see swimmers at the beach. Yet there are towels hanging which suggests people are out swimming despite the obvious danger. There is also beauty and vitality implied along with the danger that the swimmers encounter. It exposes a paradox where human beings are drawn to the beauty and power of nature but our survival in it is not guaranteed. This painting is also meant to be a metaphor for humankind’s troubled relationship with nature.

I’ve painted lifeguard towers for many years now. I always use the same lifeguard tower drawing from my studies and I use them in different contexts to elicit certain emotional states and ideas. I love the way subtlety makes the big picture.