Surrounded on all sides (by dogs)

Surrounded on all sides (by dogs), 2009. 36" x 36". oil, oil pastel on canvas.

This painting depicts a protagonist assailed by open-mouthed monsters. The swirling band of "dogs" block off any path of escape for the childishly drawn hero. Given that dogs can usually have a friendly connotation; "man's best friend", it seems that these beasts have turned on their friend and by doing so have degenerated into devil, bear and pig-like apparitions. The bodies of these betrayers (in brown) are broken down to base icons - hoof and claw, snatching at the central figure who must dodge their biting teeth.

The yellow of the background is meant to convey cowardice, deceit, and betrayal. The color yellow has also been used when depicting Judas. Wrapped in his treachery; the yellow cloaked Judas kissed Jesus to mark him as the priest to arrest. The 3 columns of silver circles to the left of the protagonists head are a clue to the 30 pieces of silver Judas received for his unfaithfulness to Jesus.

One of the two phrases written on the work are from the top right "EaTT yoU" which is being said by one of the dogs. It is a visual play on "et tu" as attributed to Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and is an epitome of betrayal. Also from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a line taken from Marc Antony's funeral oration in which he states, "thou art fled to brutish beasts". This fit pretty convincingly into the themes needed to get the point across. That which is 'fled' to the beasts, so says Antony, is judgment and in this painting's instance judgment had been devoured. Unless the protagonist here, turned upon by his friends and entirely alone, finds some means of escape he sees to suffer the same fate.

Color schemes and layout copied from this Camuccini painting.