MICHAEL WHELAN

EMIGRE (2006) by Michael Whelan

Acrylic on Panel - 12" x 12"

A study done at the time I painted END OF NATURE VII, later finished to become a new small painting in its own right. If only she indulged in a little self-examination, she would know that she carries the means to a new beginning on her own shoulders.

(via theartofmichaelwhelan)

EROSION (1999) by Michael Whelan -  Acrylic on Panel - 32" x 40"

The fourth of my End of Nature paintings. The figure is stranded on a pillar of human folly, looking up to a symbol of technology (the lamppost) for her deliverance from the perils signaled by the oncoming storm. Will Science light the way to the future?

(via theartofmichaelwhelan)

THE END OF NATURE III (1998) by Michael Whelan

Oil on Canvas - 14" x 44"

The shape of the trees was inspired by the peaks and valleys in an inverted cardiogram.

THE END OF NATURE VII (2005) by Michael Whelan

Acrylic on Panel - 25" x 40"

Up until this point in my End of Nature series, I had portrayed the people (who represent humanity in general) as somewhat oblivious to the support that nature was providing for them. When I began this painting I thought of the figure as a person mislead by folly, wasting energy with a gasoline-powered kite. Later, however, I realized that one could read that she is, through a playful exploration of technology, finding the means for her deliverance.

THE END OF NATURE V (2000) by Michael Whelan

Acrylic on Canvas - 36" x 24"

The title is meant as a double-entendre of sorts, something I enjoy doing with my personal work. It is meant to suggest that there may be more than one level of meaning in a work, whatever series it may belong to.