VIEW IN MY ROOM
theologic recontitution (Lessons In Ego) Drawing
United States
Drawing, Pencil on Other
Size: 48 W x 78 H x 0.5 D in
About The Artwork
"Lessons in Ego" is the first in a series of paintings that explores the concept of updating, and modernizing the imagery that was commonly associated with greek, renaissance, or medieval period prose. Often, when we think of biblical imagery (Mary with Jesus, Joseph with Mary, Jesus eating here, Moses burning that), we see it in a setting that was put forward by a classicist like Peter Paul Reubens, or Leonardo Da Vinci. My concept for this larger body of work is to co-mingle the old arguments that required these giant, dramatic illustrations, with ultra-contemporary design components and media, rather than a more customary oil-on-canvas. The idea behind the exploratory painting "Lessons In Ego" points directly to the greek poetry of Ovid, and more specifically his book, Metamorphosis. In the text, we find Ovid investigating the possibility that their idols and gods were at times human-like, but were prone to sudden transformations of the flesh and spirit. Often, these transformations revolved around, or were caused by a significant physical situation or behavior that the poet merited addressing. Adultery, theft, and murder were usually the order of the day, but Ovid would also attempt to explain natural disasters, land formations, and even astronomy. As in other forms of idolatry, if they couldn't directly explain an occurrence or circumstance, it turned into a fantastic story totally devoid of any scientific reason or sense. Gods would mutate into centaurs and man-eating foliage would suddenly animate and conspire to gobble up small, vulnerable mortals. All because there was a full moon. You know, that kind of thing. Ovid fabricated these tales and then illustrated the scenes through his poetry. In "Lessons", I similarly took a "snapshot" from an arbitrary situation of my own invention, and using a few common characters of the time period, I conceptualized a scenario with similar drama and gravitas. In this particular example (Lessons), we find our heros in equal states of pain, suffering, shock, and awe in a stark landscape. These characters are passing through this spatial vacuum towards the viewer smoothly and quickly while many (or, at least five) things are taking place at once. Lets explore. Immediately we see four children, two of which are writhing in pain and struggling through the installation of long, horizontal, wing-like protrusions, colored both red and green. These two uncomfortable children represent Apollo, the god of art and music, here with green wings, and the warrior god Mars in token red. These deities are laboring through a near simultaneous birthing into this natural world from Mt. Olympus, and also the installation of these protrusions they're required to have in our world of gravity and flight dynamics. They are deities to wit, and they do require flight mobility. Here, we see the end of a clearly painful installation procedure involving our little guy Mars, as the third armature that is descending from the atmospheric mechanism above is beginning to retract upward from his spine. Beneath these two figures, we find two other intact children placed delicately on platforms provided by a surrounding atmospheric mechanism. These two are Narcissus, and the blonde Adonis, from left to right. They are unable to digest this miracle lesson of humility and ego provided to them by Mars and Apollo, and in their own stories, it will prove to be a component in their own downfalls. This will be the only time in which these minor heros are this close to their much more powerful counterparts, and the gist of this lesson is clear, - even the most powerful and sovereign of entities can take on or become saddled with characteristics that provide great benefit, but at significant cost. Everyone must display wisdom with the gifts or adoration they receive. In the middle of this quiet chaos we find the fifth character Mercury. Racing towards the viewer in 18 divided portions, he's the only character to appear within the confines of an elemental apparition. Mercury, in this depiction, has found that by forgoing the arduous process of actually becoming human, he can better serve to educate the public he intends to come into contact with by outwardly displaying physical characteristics that would plainly illustrate volatility and efficiency. Everything else is just for decoration.
Details & Dimensions
Drawing:Pencil on Other
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:48 W x 78 H x 0.5 D in
Frame:Not Framed
Ready to Hang:No
Shipping & Returns
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
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United States
Shannon MacGregor is a conceptual painter / graphic artist who has been living and working in the NY metro area for over ten years. MacGregor first grasped the aesthetics of contemporary design through exposure to street art in the American Northeast. Learning design fundamentals like symmetry and line definition, Macgregor rehearsed these skills in a wildstyle graffiti format that was prevelant in New York during the early and mid-ninties. . In the later half of the decade though, experimentation was beginning to occur in graffiti as the culture spread overseas. The artform had matured past its domestic containment; and new styles emerged from artists who had been previously excluded geographically. These artists had the benefit of "looking from the outside in", and more character driven, three-dimensional lettering appeared. When magazines began to emerge with evidence of this turning point from artists like Erni and Daim, it had a lasting effect on the painter. Eventually, the concept of using negative spaces and three-dimensional structures led MacGregor to the creation of larger, complex landscapes that were similar to what he found in his own cursory research of the surrealists. Having at this point in his late teens taken easily to the concept of autodidactic learning MacGregor delved further into art history, absorbing art work that was created to illustrate the poetry written during Greco-Roman period by realist Renaissance painters like Titian and Reubens, prints from the Vorticists, and WPA, and paint-centric pop artists like Rosenquist, Wesselman, and Lichtenstein. . Once the decision had been made to bypass art school, the opportunity to explore other mediums surfaced. Stepping away from fine art and diving into the world of culinary arts not only as a means to support himself but also to retain a creative outlet, MacGregor found that many aspects of cutting edge New American cuisine appealed to his detail oriented sensibility. He embarked on a 10 year career that involved cooking around the country, stopping in some of New York's top kitchens. It was in these fast-paced, high-end kitchens in the city that he adopted the critical thinking needed to create beautiful, immediate pieces of art that relied heavily on timing and execution. . Ultimately though, the culinary world is finite in it's medium, and in 2001 MacGregor opted to return to the greater creative flexibility of the visual arts.
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