Impossible Tasks, a series shown in a solo exhibition at the College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery in 2020, represents the beginnings of a taxonomy of the human experience of love. Inspired by Roland Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse (1977), each of the 17 paintings describes a particular aspect of love or desire. “Impossible Tasks” refers to a standard folklore trope in which a hero or heroine, in order to prove his or her love, is asked to perform tasks that seem utterly impossible. These tasks are then miraculously completed, reaffirming love’s value despite its trials and terrible odds. The original intention of the series was to dissect the experience of romantic love, but as the series unfolded over the tumult of 2020, the work shifted to become a holistic meditation on love’s role in society—its function as a moral principle that can positively impact policy and the social contract, but also the tribalism, discriminatory hierarchies, and vengeful actions that often claim love as their cause. Ultimately, the series invites the viewer to reflect on the sometimes fraught relationship between love and ethics.
The Night Illuminated the Night (Nuit), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
49 x 49 inches
Original in private collection. shop prints >
The End (Errance), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
17.5 x 27.5 inches
Original in private collection.
Engulfment (S’Abîmer), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper
21.5 x 27.5 inches
Original in private collection. shop prints >
Overcast (Nuages), 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
17.5 x 27.5 inches
Original in private collection.
Impossible Tasks (Affirmation), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
36 x 78 inches
Original in private collection. shop prints >
Ritual Union (Comblement), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
52 x 26 inches
Original in private collection.
Tendresse, 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
42 x 76 inches
Original in private collection. shop prints >
Simulacra (Images), 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
37.5 x 27.5 inches
Original in private collection.
Salt Mines (Pleurer), 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
52 x 38 inches
learn more >
Knots (Comprendre), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and crayon on paper
37.5 x 27.5 inches
Original in private collection.
Text Feed (Declarations), 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
37.5 x 27.5 inches
learn more >
The Trap (Catastrophe), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
52 x 26 inches
Original in private collection. shop prints >
The Marionettes (Dépendance), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper
27.5 x 17.5 inches
learn more >
Overexposed (Écorché), 2020
Watercolor and gouache on paper
27.5 x 21.5 inches
learn more >
The Argument (Scène), 2020
Watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper
30.5 x 23 inches
learn more >