About the artwork

Global Warming is part of my Southwestern Landscapes series. The series embellishes on the visually abstract nature of primordial terrains: the forms of the rocks, rivers, and bushes, the unparalleled palettes, and the various surfaces, from scruffy to lush, craggy to velvety, gushing to billowy.   The subject matter naturally lends itself to being expressed via contemporary abstract art techniques of color, geometry, texture, shape, line, form, and pattern. As the old can look new to the discerning eye, the series easily falls under the umbrella theme of my works, Ancient is Modern, Modern is Ancient.   Global Warming is my abstracted interpretation of an already abstract view: the horseshoe-shaped rugged rock coves of LaJolla, California.  And what started as a cool-colored painting evolved into a hot concept.  To achieve a stunning minimalist look, I decided to change the natural neutral-tone rock colors to something more memorable like the contrast of a Greek seaside's rich phthalo blue sea and reflective white cliffs. During the painting process, however, an undercurrent of deeper meaning flowed forth.  The rock morphed into looking like Greenland's melting ice, its craggy texture achieved via an impasto painting style with palette knife.  The water channel began to take on the shape of a giant sperm, suggesting that testosterone-driven greed has been fertilizing the assault on the environment.