I just learned that two of my more overtly political painting will be a part of the 16th Annual 2021 California Open at TAG Gallery in Los Angeles. The show will run from August 4-21. And there will be a reception on August 7, from 7-10 pm.
Last year, I was accepted in about a dozen juried shows but, thanks to COVID, there wasn’t much of a celebration. This is the first show I’ve been to where there will be a reception. If I can help, I will be there. If you’re in LA, stop by and say hi.
I made both paintings last summer when everything seemed overheated in more ways than one. The first painting is Metaphor (above). This is based on a photo taken in the Central Valley in the mid-'60s. I started painting this in August just before a spate of wildfires turned the skies over the Bay Area a hellish red-orange.
The second painting is Routine Traffic Stop (below), which I started not long after the murder of George Floyd. This is my most controversial and popular painting. The competition is the fourth show it has appeared in.
