I wanted to make a piece that could be an embodiment of all my work at the time of the showing, for the archive. So my Art would live on after my death. This is not a protest piece, or an artwork directly connected to any protest group or politically activated organization, even though it may be viewed as such. It is a moving animated collage of an acrylic painting on canvas photographed and digitally edited in Photoshop. It is a GIF, short film, and digital composition of a painting, with digital assets rendering my persona(s) representing my place in this world, along with memes, mixed with those from the media, emojis, and popular culture, that I as the artist find relatability towards the meaning of what was, and is happening, what has happened, and what is to come (Past, Present, Future, & Meanwhile). There are multiple images of me. Two digital self-portraits and one edited photograph. The moving angel from the background and foreground. My spiritual avatar bounced back and forth through space. Jarring the audience in contrast to the music and mood on the scene. The original physical painting no longer exists and has been since painted over. Only photographs remain as an artifact of its existence for documentation, or for further manipulation of this moment. In some sense a reference to uploaded consciousness connected to creation during destruction, a false recreation of observation while involved in actions mimicking that of “my reality”.
In the end, it is a commodity capitalizing on the commercialization of characterization. This is not a reactionary piece. “We” the people watch the News every day of what has happened, or while it is simultaneously happening, and can directly act towards it while consciously remaining outside of the phenomenon, sharing and communicating “opinions”, whether valid or invalid, intelligent or ignorant. A culmination of “Individuals”, and “Individuality”. The sound of humans and (in)humanity. Which all add to the collective identity of the moment.
As a personal note, I also paint while watching the news with captions on and the sound off, while playing music, and following stories on Twitter, and other forms of internet media as part of my practice to keep me focused and keep the mind-door open to allow all the creative juices to flow. Which I am also doing simultaneously as I write this piece.
This is not graffiti, in my opinion, or inspired by the medium directly, although I have, as an artist, participated in the medium in the past this is not it at all. The brick wall is used as a metaphor for labor and civilization structure. A built border between what is in and what is out. The audience view is the “in” while the main focus of the work is the “out” being broadcast or projection of the out, a “false real” being born in the metaverse. The brick is a synchronicity for repetition, like code, bricks are the literal building blocks of our foundation (i.e. society). This intensifies the fact that this work was made for a digital show being hosted on the internet being shared and broadcast via the internet, figuratively speaking to the entire world. Where all had “free” access to enter freely for a fixed time and opportunity, and time. Layers upon layers stacking upon each other to create a visual representation of patterns, of human behavior, that keeps humanity separated, meanwhile giving us all a similar experience. Creating walls and boundaries to create a false sense of safety, while we safely observe the world from a comfortable distance.
This is a visual work of historical fiction. Accurate to a fault. A piece where the multiverse was real and those from created characteristics were not harnessed by white hands. Artists are not omnipotent, but sometimes we “See” the “Future”. Under the constraints of “Lockdown,” I heard many referring to it as being a prison. Which I guess shows their own greatest fears, while also their weaknesses. They would rather die than lose their apparent choice to stay inside with their families and not have common encounters with strangers. The dangers the foresaw we wildly opposite to my own. This “painting” is of my greatest fears mixed with my own socio-political “joys” and “beliefs” I have collected over my entire life coming together in one place, at one time, on one piece. Expression only not searching for a statement, response, or reaction. Happiness is extruded by a spoiled raucous child making 100% risky decisions all to fulfill their immediate pleasures, careless without regard for others, or their benefit. Wants grossly overshadowing needs. Chaos is pleasure incarnate. The fraction of cultures the numerator, popular culture, and subculture as the denominator, and what happens when that “problem” is inverted, and do you come to the same solution? Life as Math. Mathematics of Life? Artist as an unreliable narrator. All characters are proxies of pop culture for real things curated by me. The political android beheaded by the villainous Black Manta, while riding a pink unicorn, with a barechested woman holding a sword was my crude attempt to show the fight for racial, LGBTQ+, and feminist civil rights working together to strike vengeance on their oppressor. Politicians are always the ones to blame even if they do not hold the shame, except when they do. The crying Kanye wearing a bulletproof vest of insecurity during a catastrophe while the song “Love Lockdown” ironically plays in response to something once loved turned to hate. I enjoy challenging my audience creating groups of knowing and unknowing, asking, answering, and questioning while making connections, or not.
“The tourist vs the purist.” Perfectionism doesn't advance anything ironically. The “quotes” gives the ability to say two things at one time. -Virgil Abloh
This work is me separating my internal thoughts about the outer struggle. Art is (not) “Real”.
An alternative title was “CaCoughany Covid 19 Circa 2020”. The CA is California.
This piece is a Riot!
Riots are a threat to the police and political power.
The Government will use whatever means necessary to bring “peace” and exact power and control to form law and order, which are the backbones of society. So as an Artist why not do the same?
Any Medium can be a means to an end of any goal you want achieved to speak your voice. Use your “talent(s)” to be heard. Art is the only job where you can use everything you know.
Things never look the same on the internet as they do in person.
This piece is fake news. Twitter is not a real place.
Artistic expression is often a reaction to oppression. Drawing inspiration from childhood imagery, remembering the time you were most free, Artistic Liberty. We are not gods we are all bound by the forces of nature. Even though we pretend like we don’t have to.
The past never dies. The future is for the youth.
Gaps between expectation, inspiration, and reality.
Misunderstandings create huge emotional payoffs…
“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”― Cesar A. Cruz
It is easier now to create (deep) fakes in art than real truths.
This art needs the computer and the real-world to function.