This sculpture relates to my Rise Fall Rise series which includes sculpture and painting, mixed media, with abstract and representational elements. I enjoy how artworks together can be part of a greater whole, carry a central theme, mirror or oppose each other and create a dialogue, while also standing alone as individual pieces. A good example is how a two-dimensional element in a painting can be rethought and recreated as a three-dimensional sculpture that viewers can walk around.
This lion represents struggle, conflict, isolation, resistance... I deliberately created it to have cracks and chasms. Lions have always been symbols of strength and power. They are kings of the animal world, revered by people since forever. Yet, despite this exalted status they have in our minds, their status in the physical world is endangered. Beyond this literal interpretation, this sculpture is a metaphor for our own struggles. We face conflict and fight on, crack, struggle, rise and fall, survive...
Other artworks in the series are Untitled (girl with cat and doll), Penguin (2014), Dirty Business, Manufacturing Consent, Intermission A, and Intermission B. I am currently working on several others, including of course a painting with a lion element; stay tuned for updates!
11" x 17" x 8" sculpture: acrylic paint, clay, epoxy resin, canvas, paper, foam, sand, steel wire and aluminum armature, wood, 2015.