that's how the world begins

A few years ago there was this guy on one of those reality singing shows on TV. He was apparently unaware of just how terrible he sang and seemed just as unaware that everyone around him was laughing at his complete lack of talent. This guy - with no discernable talent at all ended up making a very large sum of money by landing a recording contract. He released 3 albums and appeared on numerous TV shows, commercials and movies. Essentially he became famous for nothing.

This idea of turning the usual expectations on end seems to be gaining steam in contemporary American culture. If you're willing to undress, curse, cheat or beat someone up you too can be idolized by the masses. A quick look at the news or magazine stand will make it very difficult to distinguish the serial killers from the pop stars. Each is readily awarded with celebrity status overnight.

I find this odd.

The Halo Series began there. Realizing that our culture rewards and glorifies things that in the past would have been considered unmentionable in mixed company, I began to deal with this duality. Each idea began with the historical context of the illuminated Christian manuscript use of the circular halo and ran forward to deal with contemporary images and ideas. These images and ideas remain mostly abstract but each panel is loosely based on one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

These are all ink on wood panel and each one has a clear gloss candy coating. Here's all seven in order:

Halo 1

Halo 2

Halo 3

Halo 4

Halo 5

Halo 6

Halo 7