Merger

18" x 36"

acrylic on canvas

2007

Private Collection, Los Angeles, California

Merger was created in 2005. It is one of my favorite canvases. The theme of the canvas is one of union, specifically marriage. The damask pattern seen in yellow and blue on the far left of the canvas is one that has been used many times in my works. The pattern is derived from wallpaper that was in the entry hall of the house I grew up in, so it has very personal connotations of home to me. The second area in earthy greens is a scene from a Francois Boucher painting. These types of paintings are called fete galantes and are thick with symbolisms of seduction, romance and sexuality.  In any marriage, there is a courtship and a romance. The central two images of the Saturn V rocket and the Shiva Nataraja represent the male and the female.  The Shiva is a more complicated and multi-layered image.  Shiva can be depicted as male or female, but in this traditional personification she is a goddess.  The dancing Shiva stands on the god of ignorance located at the bottom of the ring of flames. The pink/red field behind the Shiva contains a portion of the floor plans for the Forbidden City in Beijing, the greatest palace in the world. The aspiration of all couples is a home that is their very own palace. Running through the Shiva and to her right are color bars that represent DNA. The combining of which will ultimately create a new member of the family. Finally, the farthest section to the right is a diagram of the human heart, which I think explains itself. Merger was purchased as a wedding gift for a beautiful couple who have been happily married for many years. It hangs in their home in Los Angeles, California, as a constant reminder of the power of romance, love and their promise to each other.