theartofmichaelwhelan

KAIROS (2007) by Michael Whelan - Acrylics - 24" x 36"

I didn’t want to just call this PRUDENCE 3, so I looked all over for a word that captured the idea of the painting and KAIROS is the only one that fit. The ancient Greeks had 2 words for “time:” “chronos” referring to chronological or sequential time and “kairos” meaning a more undetermined period in which something special happens.

The leaf comes from a Gingko, an ancient tree which has survived from prehistoric times. I often use Ammonite fossils as symbols of extinction, or a gentle reminder of the vast span of time, and sometimes a memento mori on a global scale. The woman in my picture is choosing to contemplate survival, so I guess you could label this painting as a “Memento vivendi”, if you want to put in a snooty art term label to describe it.

It’s a positive statement, but conditionally so. The choice is there for each of us. Let’s hope we choose to move forward and realize the potential for good that lies within us. The painting is about humanity at a vastly important turning point, and whether we go the way of the Gingko [still around thru many mass extinction events] or the ammonite [didn’t make it] is an open question.

Source: michaelwhelan.com