Title: Care for Another Bite?

Dimensions: 12' H x 17' W

Medium: Chain, oil & paper on canvas (33 apple paintings)

Year: 2021

What is the definition of Innocence? 

Ever since the concept of sin was introduced into consciousness, the belief that innocence can be ruined has persisted.  The belief in good and evil and its effect on innocence has been practiced over the eons and mostly humanity is blamed for sin, whereas the abstract of God has been assumed to be perfect and pure. This divisional imbalance is something I find troubling because it procreates the belief in an enemy and a belief that Innocence is a victim.  -

In my installation here I present Innocence as a relationship with itself rather than a destiny of purity.  The chains symbolize connection and inescapability and are shaped in the form of a tree. Trees for me are symbols of friction: rooted to the ground, but reaching for the sky; like the heart is rooted to innocence, but is challenged with curiosity that stretches the imagination. The apples each have a bite that reveal questions that start a conversation with consciousness. The consciousness is given the name of "God" to present it as a separate  person being discussed.  The bite of each apple represents consumption and nourishment.  3 of the apples have fallen. Were they bitten before they fell or after? Some of the apples require a ladder to be seen and read making the installation interactive and forcing the viewer to mobilize their body in order to see the art. Questions, mobility, falling, walking the 17' width of the installation suggest that the relationship you have with innocence depends upon where you stand with innocence, what you know about innocence and where you travel with innocence; and that your relationship with innocence can change, repeatedly.