Addicted To Power

Description

Addicted to Power, oil on canvas 36″ X 36″. This one covers a host of “soft” addictions. These are addictions that most people don’t think of as life threatening addictions. For example, money, technology, cell phones, opioids, cigarettes, sports, power, oil, etc. Often times it can be in your DNA or sadly, it can be self inflicted. This painting jokes about a robot that is doing back alley deals to feed his “power” (battery) addiction, but it is really about us, our world, and the power addiction has over us. Some of the details and clues pop of the canvas quite readily. Others are a bit more obscure and require a “walk through” of sorts. Here are some details you may not notice easily. The “O” in “Power” (written on the wall) is an “ON” button icon. But a closer look reveals the numbers 10/325 on the pill shaped part of the icon… that is the number you would find on a percocet. The over the counter pain killer that has become an addiction to so many stars. It was reported that Prince’s untimely death, on tax day 2015, was due in part to the pain killer percocet. Prince was anti-drug of any kind, but a prescribed drug, wasn’t thought to be harmful. On the sewer pipe you’ll notice a DNA Strand, this is because DNA is made up of 23 chromosomes (this is painting 23). Above the DNA strand you will see 3 stickers: Apple, GE, and the NFL… very powerful companies, yet they pay little or no taxes. I thought this would be appropriate to mention since people are always saying death and taxes can’t be avoided. This may be true for you, and I, and Prince… but for Apple, GE, and the NFL, things work a little differently. I chose them out of a host of companies that are guilty of the same crime, I just didn’t have room for them all in one painting. And I must say, I love Apple… it is my addiction. Anyway, this lead me to scribble in a revolving circle behind Darth: Power=Money=Power=Money. You may also notice that in the foreground there is a dent in the asphalt, this is purposely in the shape of the Shell Oil logo (think fracking). On the wall behind the Monopoly man graffiti (a tribute to Alec Monopoly) you will notice a G shaped logo… this is the logo of Gazprom, one of the largest oil companies in the world. This one is said to be controlled by the Kremlin. Both of these Oil icons represent the world’s on going struggle with the addiction to fossil fuels. I also cover cigarettes (lower left, back by the wall), love, money, power, sports, cell phones, and pop culture. I also give a nod to the Gen X and Y generations which are sometimes referred to as “Millennials”. The Banksy graffiti on the wall is painted over top of a white X and a Y. The words “Laugh now but one day we’ll be in charge” is purposeful in both meaning and satire. There are many other little things to pick out of the details, but it would not be fun if I didn’t leave you finding and guessing at some of them on your own.  So for now, that’s all I have to say about this one.

Sorry, the original of this piece has been sold (01.28.17 – Boca Raton, FL)