Descriptions

Zelensky Slays The Dragon

36" x 48" Original Oil Painting

Similar to Rubins' St. George Slays the Dragon, both St. George and Zelensky represent the triumph of good over evil.  In Zelensky's case it is the triumph of world freedom and democray.  The dragon's form represents a serpent as found in the classic tale of Genesis where Satan appears in the form of a serpent.  The darkness at the base of the painting is occupied by those evil creatures of recent history: Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and Mussolini. In place of the Virgin in the original work is the statue of a woman in traditional Ukrainian dress, orininally given by Russia to the city of  Kiev as a symbol of  Ukrainian-Russian friendship, surveys the present day desruction of the wheat fields beyond.  This statue is controversial today  as it has symbols related to Russia that are hidden by Zelensky's unfurling yellow and blue cape.

Making The Cut: After The Progress of Love: A Proposal" (1771-73) Fragonard - Frick Museum

36" x 48" Original Oil Painting

The tree pruner has just clipped off a branch in the remains of the 18th century garden.  How far will he go?  Will the garden and statue itself be destroyed in the prcess of comtemporary landscape tidiness?  It is all symptomatic of the insensitive intrusion of our age into a world long gone.

After The Progress of Love: The Meeting  Fragonard (1771-73)

36" x 48" Original Oil Painting

The leaf blowers arrive to rid the 18th century garden, scene of the meeting in "The Progress of Love,' of leaves and debris. The Hideous noise produced by this contemporary tool obliterates the calm and repose of the remains of a world from two centuries ago. And, alas, obliterates the tranquility of most American neighborhood today as well.
 

Take That, You Bastard!

30" x 36" Original Oil Painting

Edgar Degas' Dance Class (1874) was the inspiration for this piece. Here we see that the ballerina, shown in ghe foreground of the original work, fling down her fan and confront her sexual preditor, the dance instructor. She's yelling "take that, you bastard, as she kicks him in the groin.  "Me Too" moment imposed on the Dance Class.

Miro, Miro on the Wall

20" x 30" Original Oil Painting

After Joan Miro, this work uses the color palet of one of the pioneers of Surrealism.  Looking carefully at this canvas, one finds the famous artist's name rendered in the same fashion as many of his well known pieces.  The letters seem to be floating in space reminding one of the internet security code one needs to copy to gain access to a secure website.

Biden Slays The Dragon

40" x 48" Original Oil Painting
 

Biden Slays The Dragon is based on the orgina Rubens' St. George Slays The Dragon. Biden, in his aviator glasses wielding a dagger on a triumphant steed, represents the victory of democracy over lies and evil.  The darkness at the base of the painting contains images of those who conspired with the devil: Giuliani, Bannon, DeVos and the skeletons of many others.  The statue of Liberty is shown with a slight smile looking down at the throngs of immigrants who have built America into what it is today.

Smoggy Night
 

30" x 40" Original Oil

The work speaks for itself.  Van Gogh never experienced air polution. Lucky guy! We, on the ohter hand, are wrecking the planet and a polluted atmosphere now hands over much of the land including Saint-Remy-De-Provence.  God save us!

"Opps!"

18" x 24" Original Oil

Oil on canvas, framed

This work refers to Piet Mondrian's Tableau (1921).  What could be more challenging than a recreation of a Mondrian?  The slightly off lines are bad enough, but not realizing the paint was still wet, my thumb slipped and left a lasting image that is unforgivable. 

Switched - Ladies in Charge

48" x 36" Original Oil

After Manet's LeDejeuner sur l'herbe

A contemporary take on the two couples: girls are fully dressed and boys are nude! The take out  lunch is from McDonalds. *Note that the girls are in charge and the guy on the right may have lost his penis.
 

Savior of the World At Wick's End

12" x 18" Original Oil

Modeled after Da Vinci's Salvador Mundi (1505) this work sold for MEGABUCKS!  Steeped in controversy and thought to be a copy fo the lost original, Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia paid $450,312,500  to put it in his den!

Steve Winn's Near Loss

24" x 30" Original Oil

Picasso's Le Marin (1943), with a 2006 rip from Steve Winn's elbow before a sale at Christies, was valued at 70 million; this facsimile memorializes the priceless mishap.


 

More Modigliani

40" x 48" Original Oil

Modeled afte a painting by Modigliani, this painting is name "More" Modigliani becasue it shows what was happening beyond the confines of the original frame. Amedeo, in fact, had orderd a  pizza and was partying with his favorite mistress as he finished the masterpiece.

Sad, Sadder, Saddest

18" x 24" Original Oil
 

Picasso's Woman With Bangs (1902) 

Picasso was blue, I was blue and everyone was blue at the start of 2020.  While working on this painting, I added the calendar showing the dates maked off when the painting was completed. Was it a prophesie? Later I added the medical mask, indeed blue.  The woman has an intense, brooding expression of pain across her face.  Does she have or does someone she loves have COVID?

Franks Enthrall Her

30" x 36" Original Oil

This painting is a take on the characteristic palette of  Helen Frankenthaler, an artist from the turn of the last century. *Note: Helen loved  a good hot dog and here they are lovingly rendered in Helen's washes of color.

Lichtenstein

24" x 36" Original oil

This is not a "Roy" -  it's just Lichtenstein.  The map with Valduz, it's capital properly located in the middle of the neighboring countries of Switzerland, Germany and Austria are rendered with their native national flag motifs in Lichtenstein patterns.  The Rhein River is white with blue dots.  The scale in the lower right shows the boundries.

Basquiat Takes The Cake

14" x 14" x 8" Original Three Dementional Work with Clear Box Cover

Until a recent upstaging by an Andy Warhol sale of his Marilyn Monroe piece, this Basquait held the record for the most paid ($110.5 million) at auction for an American artist.  Of course, "Basquiat Takes The Cake."  But then, Warhol grabbed the cake at $195 million.  Time to catch up with a new work from the studio. Perhaps an Andy "Whore All."  In all honesty, among my pieces the Di Vinci is the most valuabe at $450.3 million; Leonardo will always take the cake!

Tree In Naples

40" x 60" Original Oil

After William De Kooning's  Tree in Naples (1960)

What could be more confusing than an abstract work of this nature?  This reworking clearifies the title with numbered outlines around the areas of significent subject matter: the tree, Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the Mediterranean. 

Reliquary To The Cell Phone

10" x 15" x 3" Original Sculpture

Most cultures historically have preserved those items most important to themselves for posterity.  Here, an ancient cell phone from our own era is contained within a bejeweled reliquary box.  The box is adorned inside and out with the baubles that once formed a bracelet on the hand of a Palm Beach society matron.  LIttle did she realize that her jewlery donation to charity would end up as it has.

Bankers' Triptych Altarpiece -Spring 2010

15" x 9" Original Sculpture

Center Panel: Llyod Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, emerges triumphant in his golden slacks standing on bags of newly minted US currency. Charging red Wall Street Bulls complete the symbolism of unrelenting financial power. A typical early rennaisance baldachino covers the savior of the financial system. 

Left Panel: Pandit, CEO of Citigroup, rises from the flames of a bank that was "too big to fail," holding out a tin cup to the American people to save his institution.  Was he a saint or did he just have no shame?

Right Panel: Moynahan, new CEO of Bank of America, rises out of the clouds to save his institution. This aspiring saintly figure, however, holds a chalice containing the blood of Merrill-Lynch. Did his bank pay too much for this financial grail?

DIY Burning Man Kit

7 1/2 " x 13" x 19 1/2 " Original Sculpture

What could be a better show stopper than having friends over to display your wealth and cutting edge art savvy than to end the party with real hundred dollar bills fueling a small inferno?  Ask your friends to throw more money on board as it burns; box the ashes after cooling and give them to the highest contributor as a party favor.