HARBINGER (2015) by Michael Whelan
Acrylic on Linen - 36" x 54"
The essential composition of HARBINGER came to me many years ago, and it has always centered on the wasp nest surrounding a stoplight—an omen of something running out of control, a slippage into chaos.
My initial inspiration, I believe, grew out of concern for the destabilizing and immense effects of global climate change, a sense of nature out of control and giving birth to unnatural and cataclysmic phenomena. I realize that it is not the happiest of subjects to dedicate a painting to, but the idea just wouldn’t let me go without painting it.
It remains to be seen whether the catharsis of this painting will suffice or if I will have to revisit the idea again in the near future.
View this painting at infra:REAL - The Art of Imaginative Realism on display at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in NYC from August 5-22, 2015.
