“Song of Innocence” — 72”x60” oil on canvas, with mixed media
In Diego Velázquez seminal painting (the most critiqued painting in all of art history) “Las Meninas,” there is a pose and gesture of the artist in a state of pause—a wondering tilt of the head which acts as an invitation from the artist to stop and consider from a place of unknowing. This “Song of Innocence” is a stripping of our preconceived perceptions of whatever reality the viewer is facing. It the make-up of our complex and enigmatic life-making composition, we raise questions about reality and illusion, which creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figure represented.