Helena Blavatsky

from Genomic

30" x 36"

acrylic on canvas

2022

It is rare that I go into details about the meaning of an artwork that I have created. My most recent work, Helena Blavatsky from genomic is going to be an exception to that rule. I have been asked by some why I have chose to go back to the genomic works for this one. The easiest answer is that it is the visual vocabulary that I feel most comfortable expressing non-linear ideas in. This work is a direct influence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We've all seen the news and what's going on over there. For some reason, it bothered and continues to bother me. When that happens, sometimes I turn to art to express the things I can't express in any other language. Helena Blavatsky begins with a tarot card over a field of black and grey handprints. The card is the twentieth card in the Major Arcana, Judgement. This card refer to a time when a period of our life comes to an absolute end, making way for dynamic new beginnings. The handprints represent the human aspect. The second bar is a blank gray field. Blank bars refer to things that are missing, forgotten or destroyed. The third bar contains Chinese calligraphy over scrolling lines. The lines represent a confused path. The calligraphy is derived from a late 17th century Chinese poem by Jiang Shijie. The verse of poetry relates fond memories of happy times that have past because of upheaval and change. The fourth bar is a pattern that represents repetition and also an inability to see something clearly. The fifth and largest bar is the "portrait bar". The majority of works in the genomic series contain a portrait. The person is representative of the painting's namesake. In this case, the woman is a friend of mine. She is rendered in a vibrant red that is reminiscent of the Soviet flag. Her gaze is direct and intense. Helena Blavatsky was born in Russia, but her birthplace today is the city of Dnipro, Ukraine. The sixth bar refers to the land through topographical lines. It is a reminder that borders and countries are man-made concepts. The seventh bar is another recurring motif of the genomic works. The blended color bar represents our DNA, both shared and unique to each of us. The eighth bar is an abstracted image of barren tree branches. It could also be read as an arterial system of water or blood. There are patterns in nature that echo between the land and the body that remind us that we are a part of it, and it is a part of us in the grand design. The ninth bar is an uncontained "loose bar". It consists of small green dots dissolving the two bars that border it. These bars represent a disruption or anomaly. In this case, it is disrupting the blue and yellow bars which represent the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The final and brightest bar is covered in a beautiful swirling pattern of growth and design. This represents the power of thought and reason to battle chaos and uncertainty. Each bar contains an abstract idea or reference and the only way to understand a work like Helena Blavatsky is to weigh those ideas on your own and combine them in a way only the viewer can understand. When this work is sold, a percentage of the money will be donated to help the people of Ukraine.