Luxembourg art note 2023

As with most of my work this piece evolved over an extended time and is an attempt to describe an ever more complex world that most of humanity is not equipped to deal with.  A more recent graphite piece, included in this application has the title "Smart But Not Smart Enough" which, I think, is central to my belief, that we, as a species, though clever, and even capable in many ways, cannot overcome our negative impulses.  Greed, self-interest, sociopathy, neurosis, demagoguery and aggressiveness when abetted by an unfettered technology, in my opinion, far outweigh our better impulses.  The oft-repeated maxim about old men decrying the excesses indiscretions and stupidity of the young no longer applies.  Evolution of technology without concomitant maturation of our ability to control our negative impulses is a disastrous stew.  These are not new ideas, but I do think the rise of fascism, enhanced by a "weaponized" news media and web make the future increasingly uncertain.

I have mentioned sources and inspiration in describing previous entries in this application.  A few I might mention are Bosch, Bruegel, Goya, and more recently Bacon, Beuys, Graves, Bontecou; but many others.  Yeats' "The Second Coming" and Arnold's line "were ignorant armies clash by night" resonate.