As I have said, it was not my plan to paint peonies in January of 2022. These blooms wanted to be painted now. They are so hopeful and represent something of a spring collection being released in winter. They have been built up in small bits of time yet are trying to get at something infinite. Many titles riff on the Camus quote, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”
The whole collection reminds me of the on the Yayoi Kusama quote, “Polka dots are a way to infinity.” I saw an installation of hers at the Rice University Gallery when I was in college. It made an impression that has lasted a long time. It really put me in her world. And I hope these paintings give you a glimpse into another world.
Another influence on these paintings was Andrew Bird’s Live from the Great Room with the Handsome Family. Their respect for each other and discussion were simply a joy to me over the last year and change. I had to save it for the most special (read: difficult) of days.
Did you watch the Beatles Get Back? I was struck by the lyric, “It's a love that lasts forever.” Isn’t that so dreamy and hopeful in These Times? It’s part of what I want to transmit with these original paintings.
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