Texas-World

TEXASWORLD Plan

Acres in Texas: 171,904,640 

World Population: 6,602,224,175

If the world was turned into a Monopoly® Game. How long would it take to become unbalanced again? Can we make everything even? Is equality a possibility? Let's give everyone the same access to food, shelter, etc., what would happen?

I mapped the 150 most populated world cities into the map of texas at 1:20miles. I found that so many cities have such a small footprint, while the largest cities in China occupy such large swatches of land it overwhelmed some of the space in the map. It was quite a contrast to see in front of me.

The exercise of connecting the cities with the white constellation reminds me of an internet that doesn't have to follow any particular geographical order, but can jump randomly in any direction.

The idea of having the iconic shape of Texas as the first thing you see give an impression of one type of mindset. In many ways the shape of Texas is as recognizable as the U.S. map. Texas also is an strange representation of a “typical American” so it seems appropriate to use this shape as a generalization of our society.

Also, Texas having flown under six different country flags also seems to be a kind of reminder of the history of the state.

Refugees of Eden

Refugees of Eden. Those escaping a now dead tree. This is a "serious doodle" based on an idea I had while all of the debates regarding the Syrian refugees were trying to find new countries to escape to.
A land that was once home, is now no longer hospitable. Now their new reality is a cold, hard land of un-receptive people that see them as inconveniences.

Hidden Decoy

An oxymoron. A decoy that would lead an unsuspecting duck to its demise. The surface now being camouflaged obscures its intent. This being both something to attract and hide is a curious combination.
It's a mixed-metaphor and begs a question of the purpose. Many times we are attracted to dangerous situations and do not see them coming.
The camouflage style being of the digital style adds another layer to the idea and the hand-painted application can bring yet other layers of questioning.

Math Lesson, A Tale of Two Cities

pyramids.

Math Lesson, A Tale of Two Cities

If I loose my grip, will I take flight?

“If I loose my grip, will I take flight?”

“If I loose my grip, will I take flight?” a lyric from a Bruce Cockburn song called Strange Waters.
This is quite wonderful double entendre regarding holding on to things that either hold you down or potentially keep you safe vs the idea of hanging on to a branch on a cliff, or an airplane wing that once you have let go, you will surely die.
The imagery here is about hands, arms, etc. They are also of different colors. This is intentional and supposed to call you to compare.
Both scenarios are different intentionally too.

Sisyphi

I have this thought that has been progressing and I am starting to get more of a positive feeling about the combination of figures. A lot of talk with this work has been centered around the contrast of the two scenes. Thoughts about location and activity. How we are not naturally able to coexist. While there’s the aspect of work and war, there is also the concept of how work vs. play can be derived here too.

Triggers Murmuration

This canvas is a work in progress utilizing some of the symbols from my “anti-flag” which I am now considering more of a “trigger” flag. Flags tend to be some thing people are for - this flag is about what people are against.

The murmuration is a way of capturing an initially beautiful image that gets progressively less beautiful when looked at closer.

I still have quite a bit of work to do on this.