Event on September 17, 2011
Location: St Paul the Apostle cathedral @ Columbus and 59str, NYC
The work for this show relies heavily on the interaction of ideas inspired by classical painting and contemporary sensibilities. “The Genesis: Round III” is a commentary on personal conflicts that we humans may face daily as we struggle to find balance between our passions and empathy for another human being, desires to possess objects and ideas, and aspiration to the guiding power of reason. Our experience teaches us that passion can make us look foolish, that material possessions can make us seem irrational and that cold headed reason can make us appear emotionally dull. The innate shortcomings of our own abilities to navigate and strike a balance between emotions and reason are illustrated by the perpetual formula of inequality that reads:
IQ > ♥ > $ > IQ >♥ > $… ad infinity,and appears repeatedly through the installation. The stylistic language combines images from the murals of the Genesis by Michelangelo and references to more contemporary art vocabulary such as abstractions, running signs and T-shirt prints. This juxtaposition symbolizes the idea of visual arts as an eternal endeavor that continues to examine and reflect on the human condition in all its forms. The human figures represent different phases of anyone’s personal struggle between emotions and logic, whereas the printed images can be interpreted as epitome of parental love (Creation of Adam), the desire to possess (Expulsion form Paradise), and the triumph of reason (The Flood). The circular structure suggests the never ending nature of these internal conflicts that have descended from the heavens to enrich and animate our existence.
