Flesh in Harmony


A rainbow of flesh defines this drawing, from sunburn red to pasty white to mahogany brown the colors portray the spectrum of humanity. Amongst all the shades of skin lies an embrace of curves, two figures clasping one another in an isolated island of peace amongst the realms of chaos. Sharp lines divide the picture into a multitude of shapes. Like confetti. They’re scattered. Smash. Another piece falls away. Crack. Another part gone. Snap. Another bit of sanity lost. Break… Break… Break… Yet somehow the two figures still cling to one another, holding on to each other, keeping themselves from falling completely apart. Some otherworldly force seems determined to tear them to bits but still they fight it, gathering strength from their mutual connection. The world is fraught with danger, catastrophe, disaster, and there is little anyone can do to change that. Little by little the tragedies, big and small, chip away at one’s strength, one’s heart, even one’s soul. One of the only ways to ease the pain is to share it, to find a shoulder to cry on, to seek a comforting embrace. Humanity has survived time and time again because they can find this link, because they are able to reach out to that helping hand, and with absolute certainty they will have to do so again in the future. This artist has portrayed, with his fleshy coloring and faceless figures, both any man and everyman. The ultimate message being perhaps that no matter what shreds our lives as long as we share our compassion, our mercy, and our humanity with others, we will survive.

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