Signs of the Times

"My senior project addresses three contemporary issues through landscapes and animals: racial injustice, the importance of unity in the Catholic Church, and the ravages of COVID-19. In the piece addressing racial injustice, the burned forest represents the racial injustice the Black community faces, while the carved names reference the call to remembrance of those lives taken expressed through the phrase “Say Their Names.” This piece serves to continue to raise awareness to this issue, as well as honor those lives which were taken due to racist actions and ideas. The piece dedicated to the church primarily focuses on the ideas presented in Matthew 18:20: “where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” This piece addresses the fact that even in times of destruction, whether it be due to internal or external forces, when people in the church unite around God, He is present among us. The COVID-19 painting uses masks, discarded on the side of the road to create a commentary on the use of masks which have become an important accessory throughout the world due to their help in slowing the spread and will be linked to COVID-19 for a long time. The mask covering the dog’s eyes alludes to many different aspects of the pandemic, but mainly the improper use of masks and the confusion regarding conflicting information spread by news outlets, shared on social media, and discussed by those in positions of power."

 

Mask Up, 2021
Oil on Canvas, 72 in x 96 in