Description

“Procession” is a subject I have painted before. One that I will paint again. Through each work I endeavor to better convey the energy and atmosphere following the atrocity. The Procession of 172 Souls to Heaven unveils a peace and beauty that outlives barbarity. It is my second visualization of the ether as innocence passes after the loss of lives by an act of terrorism. This act of terror is personal to me. “On April 19, 1995 a bomb rang out, a bomb so tragic it was heard around the world.” Procession of 172 Souls memorializes the lives tragically taken as a result of the bombing of the Federal Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I have added additional souls of significant people in remembrance of their tragic deaths as they join the massive procession.
The composition of the work offers the division of the plane by multiple figures interacting within a geometrical plane divided as such to enable a disassociation of the figures and to progress the forms from the bottom of the painting to the top. The painting launches from shadowy puddles as figures extend out and emerge from the fragmentation. Bodies become slightly recognizable as they arise from crouched head low to fully erect. Color and light transitions with the progression further emphasizing the release.