This body of work
supports pedagogical inquiry into contemporary figurative abstraction, and
societal issues related to violence, consumerism, gender and imperialism. Painted
on commercially produced paper gun targets, this series becomes a manifesto of
sorts. Collaged images of Uncle Sam, soldiers from past wars and religious
iconography mingle with the profane. Flowers, books, and small vignettes of
Classical Greek sculpture peek through richly impastoed and colorful
surfaces. The ambiguity of these
juxtapositions is intentional. For violence can be beautiful and seductive,
when tied to righteous cause.
Geronimo’s’
Target for example, has vaguely familiar images of the US
founding fathers opposed to an image of the Indian Chief. Storm clouds brew in the belly of the man,
and disappear into abstract darkness. A
target strategically placed on the genitals emasculates in a humorous way. Why is this funny? Other targets are less didactic- Sebastian’s Target harkens by title and
arrow to the revered saint. But martyrs
can be contemporary, too. On a purely
formal level, the targets present us with semi-nude torsos. Most are male. The forced frontal stance is confrontational,
and yet the featureless faces allow for a more voyeuristic approach. A row of these figures can suggest an army
standing at attention, waiting. Some
targets are decidedly female, while others contain text boxes that tabulate
scores based on hitting vital organs.
It’s unsettling to imagine who engages in this type of practice. Surely hunters don’t use human forms? We can be secure believing that the unseen
shooters are our protectors, until the gun faces us.
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