Daydreams and Memories:

Beauty, Advancement, and the Unforeseen Casualties of Progress.

Humankind's need to organize and improve seems to be almost instinctive, yet with our continued advances there are often unforeseen casualties. This series of paintings is about the relationship between time and memory in a rapidly advancing world. Rarely-looked-for and, therefore, rarely-truly-seen, the abandoned homes, automobiles, warehouses and other by-products of progress litter our contemporary surroundings and provide the settings for this series of paintings. Perhaps unexpectedly, even these abandoned and dilapidated shells possess an element of simple beauty and solitude for those who are willing to look. The delicate and meticulous elegance and grandeur of the late 19th and early 20th century figures contrasts with the elusive, yet compelling aesthetic of the backgrounds. Yet, even though it is obvious that these women do not belong in the modern age, these figures inhabit their world with assurance, as if they know something about their particular reality that eludes us. Many of them stare out at us knowingly, beckoning or even challenging the viewer, as if daring us to explore the quiet, mysterious, and occasionally beautiful settings which they occupy so casually and confidently.

For all purchase inquiries please contact the artist: michael@rathercurious.com