There's great tension in the United States right now due to the heated political and social situation we are experiencing. There's a feeling of fear and anger in the air. I am only an artist, I know, and I have no real answers for the social dilemma that we face. But I am a creator, an expressionist, and in my head I keep seeing Bernini's 'Anima dannata' a sculpture in which he used his own image to creates a figure which shows great pain, and perhaps fear. Some say he actually burnt himself to get the right expression of pain. With this image in the background of my mind and my desire to express the current tensions in the country I decided to do this mixed media piece on paper (below). An image that tries to show fear and anger all at once. For to me it would seem they are intimately linked always. I used my own reflection to show how personal this experience is to me and also to many but also to get the expression right. It is a work on watercolor paper where I used watercolor, ink, and pencil to add linear detail. The style is very expressionistic and I am open and hoping for accidents when using these medias.
The title, HOT COAL, is based off of words by Buddha,
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."
Well, that is a snapshot of what I've been doing recently. I truly hope there can be a way to unite this divided country. But meanwhile let's all be good to each other and I will continue creating.
Peace my friends.
Steve Barber
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