"Tell me about this painting, what is taking place, what is this painting all about..."
Ron is often asked by viewers of his artwork to explain "what is taking place" or "what is this painting all about". I know that he has always been very interested to hear what his viewers think they are seeing in a painting, and he often lets them come to their own conclusions.
There is a good amount of action and energy depicted in Ron's figurative work, and each person who views his paintings has their own opinion about; what a character might be up to, what they are thinking, what action has just occurred, and what might happent next.
It is really a treat to talk to viewers of his work to hear what they think about a painting,and what feelings it creates when they view the work. It is interesting to hear what his viewers have to say as they describe how they interpret what a certain character is doing or what action they perceive as taking place. We even had one person tell us that they saw a figure of a ghost hovering over the stage in Ron's painting "Concert in Blue". Visit www.ronandersonstudio.com to see this painting. If you see a ghost, let me know : )
We recently received a request from an art enthusiast who wanted to know what was taking place in the painting "Voodoo Zoo". Sometimes Ron will give a good description of what he had in mind when he painted a piece, and sometimes he prefers not to describe in detail what the painting is all about.
With Ron's permission I am providing the information Ron gave me about "Voodoo Zoo".
Enjoy !
"Voodoo Zoo was inspired by Dante's Inferno. The oil painting represents the consequences of temptation. Figures in the scene have been lured by the "fruits" of temptation.
The setting is Hades or more specifically the gates of Hell. The figure holding the apple represents Satan. The figures around him do not realize they are in Hell.
There is a man shown with his hand out calling out to the viewer. He is the only one that realizes where he is. He knows that he is already in Hell, and he is warning the viewer that they are about to enter Hell. He realizes what has happened to him. He is trying to stop the viewer at the door so they won't cross over to the realm where he now exists. Maybe if they heed his warning they can be saved.
The woman with her hands up is being transformed into a demon with horns. Her hands are positioned to look like the shape of horns. It is too late for her to be saved. The rest of the figures have fallen into a trance, the dance is part of that trance."
Voodoo Zoo was included in the 95th Annual Spring Juried Exhibition sponsored by the Ohio Art League that took place at the Columbus Museum of Art 04/29/06-9/03/06.
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Posted by: shea | 01/08/2008 at 03:33 AM