Contemporary Antiquity

The Charge, 24" x 36", oil on canvas, 2011-2012.

Part of the inspiration for this painting was derived from my recent experiences revisiting ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. There is a certain inexplicable quality about the ancient art that every artist strives to replicate. I don't mean that every artist is attempting regurgitate what has already been created, but there is a quality to the ancient art that moves people. It moved the ancients, it moved people five hundred years ago, and it continues to move people today.

The ambiguity as to why these ancient works "move people" may be precisely what makes them so magical. Some have lost limbs and crumbled, only leaving us to imagine what they looked like when first created. Their mysteriousness seems to build as time goes on - a deeper connection to the human soul as society advances.

In a sense, part of the inspiration for this painting was to try to understand the mysterious, timeless quality of the ancient art. I do believe I have failed in coming anywhere near that quality. But that won't deter me from trying again, whether it be in a realistic portrait, landscape, or abstraction.

Thank you for following the paintings, creations, sculpture, drawings, works in progress, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark :) To see older blog posts click HERE.