The Family Tree

32" x 48"
acrylic on masonite

Part one of a series I am slowly building. The theme is different interpretations on how the outside world views America. Some might say it's cliché, but how I plan on approaching it might make up for face value opinions. This particular painting is not finished, as I plan on adding several oil glazes for depth, and some scumbling for both detail and color. The history behind this piece is a conversation I had with a Russian guy not too long ago, and something he said about American family values spawned a mental image of this. I deliberated painting this for a while, because I am in college and such dark imagery can make or break certain facets of shows, opinions, money, etc. However, I've decided to never again spoonfeed my work to the public, so enjoy. Comments appreciated.

Edit:
By request of many, the story behind this piece: I once had a conversation with a Russian foreign exchange student about the things they value in his country. He said that he and everyone he'd ever known from his home valued family above all else. I nodded and agreed that I personally shared a similar viewpoint. To this he said "No no no, I don't think a lot of you Americans feel that way. Seems like you forget about your family right when you leave the home to become an adult. It's like you might as well hang your family out to dry." What he meant was that we hang them out to dry like laundry, but his tone and context sparked this imagery in my head and was the primary inspiration for this piece.