A curious optical thing is the case with ‘The Happy Family’ (painting finished on October 12, 2017).

Some paintings do better on the screen, some don’t. Some look bigger, some smaller.

In this case, when I look at the painting on the screen, it makes me wonder if it is ok. Seeing it on the wall it gives me faith.

Why?

This painting is very tightly constructed. The shown is quite violent and locked within circles and ellipses. Movements continue, jump from one to the other.

Seen on a small screen the movement might be too closed within itself.

In the photo where it hangs in the space (last square on the bottom right on the site) it works better.

Three heads on one canvas of this size is a lot. There is not much breathing space.

Looking back, I preferred to make a painting with a simular subject on a size 200 by 300 cm.

See ‘The Praying Mantis’, ‘The Kites’, ‘The Three Brothers’ and ‘The Untouchables’ (all much bigger in size than 'The Happy Family' and all painted in the late eighties and early nineties).

Another problem that occurs is that in the details I went quite deep. It’s like a double gin with cognac and whiskey…

I have an assignment and as a preparation I went back to these ‘subjects’ (in the commission movement will be an important issue).

At least, that is what I thought.

But is this true or is something else going on as well?

I consider the year 1989 a turning point in my painting life. Things that had shown up in works now and then, fell into place with the painting ‘From Tongue to Penis’.

Apart from me finding a path to walk on, a big event took place in 1990. I moved to New York not long after.

And here the shoe feels tight and a bit strange. 

For the ones who are interested, read the story:

The passing away of my mother and the great American adventure 

(click on the title and you go to the story)

So why am I painting ‘in this way’ again?

I have a half way my spine creeping up belief that my work illustrates my state of being and even announces future events of importance to me… Or am I just reliving a ‘Renaissance’ of an old period?

Let's zoom in on ‘The Happy Family’.

Here in Barcelona turbulence is felt with all the nationalistic uproar. I confess to have all but nationalistic sentiments.

Some time ago I was at a dinner where apart from the good food all was talk about this narrowminded seperatism. Sorry, I cannot think about this matter in a more uplifting way. Franco had to pass over the table between the main course and desert, as if he was still alife. Old wounds are kept alife very carfully, so we can move backwards. What about a better future for all?

What is happening to the ‘old Europe’ and elsewhere in the Western world? Will we split up in quarreling tribes like the Middle Ages?

It was a big surprise to see a friend of mine, who was very dedicated to the 'International Proletarian Course' feeling sympathy for this, what I consider, little bourgeois sentiment of ‘Blut und Boden’. Are even many so called left wing people turning into narrow minded separatists? Are we concentrating more on our own fat belly buttons instead of trying to make this world a better place for all?

The painting is the illustration of what I see happening.

And as how I see it, we will only loose (even if many of the involved believe that they will benefit from the sentiments like ‘we are the goodies and the others the baddies, so let's get rid of them’).

Here is the image of our 'Happy Family'; click on it for a better look.

Time to reconcider what to sing for a better future... (and read the text, Friedrich Schiller: An die Freude!)

Click on the video below and join in.