A Steady Living © Justin DeGarmo (2006)

Best Interpretation: “The blue gorilla of our own circus, escapee of the zoo of surreal loneliness. A ringmaster smacks red stars into our backs, the sting a plump asterisk of emotion, and nothing to the weeping wrung from the accordian’s plaintive breath. We are primitive in our pain, painted with a child’s palette of primary colors, we are primal, we are prime for the last act where three rings spin with burdened beasts: the defeated lions, the kneeling elephants, the joyless motions of a dancing bear.” -S. Kartsonis

The Artist’s Secrets: “I once worked for a decorative art company, where I had to design paintings in various styles, under a fake name. Occasionally, my boss would stand behind me, arms folded, shaking his head. He couldn’t articulate what I was doing wrong… ‘No, don’t paint it like that…or that.’ I did my best to make him happy, which usually meant painting something that went completely against my personal aesthetic. Every now and then, the art reps that worked downstairs would invite up some new potential buyers, with whom we artists weren’t allowed to speak. They would parade through, and we’d just have to look creative at our easel/cubicles. I learned a lot there, but it was a soul-sucking and humiliating experience. I think there are some traces of that experience in this painting.” -Justin DeGarmo

Issue Apr 2007 Submit an Interpretation (3) Posts »

Future © Tomer Hanuka (2006)

Best Interpretation: “The future is here… death, destruction, hunger, poverty….. this is what we were planning and preparing for all along… every safety gadget and tool, to protect us from mother nature’s revenge and to protect us from ourselves…we are prepared and safe… through our bubble headcases and through sealed houses which ensure the safety of our flesh and through our INDIFFERENCE which blind our souls… to all feelings of empathy and compassion.”-Mia

The Artist’s Secrets: “In this all inclusive project for Stanford Medicine Magazine, I had the opportunity to create images for the entire magazine. Given the subject matter, it became a crash course in environmental disasters and the implications on human lives. (…) A cry from a Sick Planet.” -Tomer Hanuka

Issue Mar 2007 Submit an Interpretation (7) Posts »