Quest for Religious Freedom/Independence

"Artistic expression in and of itself denotes freedom and diversity.  In this painting, I took the opportunity to juxtapose some ironic symbols in an all-American smorgasbord of cultural and religious irony.  The open tent flap into the cliffs and the welcoming gesture by a foreign surrogate all suggest a question is being asked.  The painting's title is an algebraic formula which also is a form of question.  The brain and the tornado underline the intensity of the question.  The Afro-American Santa holding the flag also references the first George Washington, our founding father.  The Pope, of course, is another religious and father symbol.  The totem should make us remember whose father-land this country really is.  If questions aren't obviously raised yet regarding what is and is not true, independence and diverse freedom, you won't seek the light inside our great land.  The painting is dark and perhaps foreboding because it only asks the question.  Instead of our many religious outlooks being divisive, add them all up and divide by independence itself.  When we see we're all on the same side of the equation maybe we'll come up with the right answer.  Well?"
- Gary Van Gorp
$640

Lend a hand as you travel
Let the candle-light unravel
The one-eyed riddle
Of the tribes of five

"I did this painting when I was teaching Creative Writing and was seeking an open-end stimulus for a class writing assignment.  The title of this painting, a short poem, more or less summarizes the general impression they had as a group.  If we work together, if we assist each other---like five fingers, five toes---in unison, all brothers will succeed.  Freedom can be achieved by sharing.  The value of our difference is better perceived when we join together versus being alone."
- G. Van Gorp
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