Love

Love, 2009. 36" x 48". oil, oil pastel on canvas.

In this oil painting I tired to depict the way in which love changes through different stages in our lives. The painting actually sat for years around my various apartments with just the red orb, a few stars and black background applied to the canvas. From this it had gathered quite a bit of dust on its surface, which I wanted to preserve. Before I started work again on it I sprayed matte finish over it to lock down the hair and dust. It has given a napped / nebulous feel to the surface.

To create the idea of love's odyssey I used the symbolism found in the burial mound and the Milky Way. I liked the dichotomy of earthly/heavenly forms of the two linked metaphors. The protagonists could have their feet on the ground, but still be depicted as in space. Created over burial sites, mounds were made to look like ships, water, or wagons in various cultures. All of these bring with them the idea of a journey to the afterlife. The bones of a dead loved one lay buried underneath the mound shown in the painting. The Milky Way is a symbol for many cultures; it is seen as a road or path for the dead to travel to the afterlife. The mound and the belt of stars create a stage upon which our three lovers can play out their acts.

The first set represents the love we have in youth. They are childishly drawn depictions and in this way so is the love they share. It is easy and uncomplicated; it is the simple love of childhood friends. The primary color of yellow binds them to the yellow "X" in the sky. They are the star crossed lovers.

In the middle ground two forms float above the horizon line with their heads in the stars. This shows love in its adolescent stage. The two forms have their genitals closer than any other part. The male form has a hole in his chest, exposing his heart for everyone to see. The red represents passion and lust. It is also the color or Ares/Mars, the lover of Aphrodite/Venus.

The final depiction of love is through the loss of it by death. The female form is kneeling at the grave site of her deceased love. The blue represents the Aphrodite/Venus when she was born from the sea. It shows the sadness/penance of a grieving love.

The star coordinates show, in the top Vega which is located in the Lyra constellation. Lyra is a vulture which is a sacred bird of Ares. The lower coordinate is for the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation. Cygnus, the swan is a sacred bird of Aphrodite. Together these two stars play a major part in the Chinese mythic love story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, the Qixi Festival.