Description:

Partially conceptual, and partially reflexive, My Early Encounters with the Irrational is a metaphorical depiction of the psychological fixtures and effects that once tormented me in my inexperienced pursuit of affection.

Whether my intentions were motivated by a genuine desire for meaningful connection, or an unfulfilled yearning for physical indulgence, the undercurrent of previous rejections became the root of a long-suffered insecurity that only perpetuated the anguish, causing me to create an ideal that I could never attain or measure up to.

As a result, my only recourse in those moments was to seek consolation in the receptiveness of my canvases, where the intimacy expressed in each stroke of my brush could pacify the all-consuming and debilitating flame (often referred to in these painting descriptions as infatuation).

As an intriguing side note:

This painting is a more insightful and honest re-telling of an earlier iteration, An Involuntary Blindness, and was painted over that original. Thankfully, however, because I happened to photograph the first iteration of this piece, a single Collector's Edition Print of the earlier version (along with a Certificate of Authenticity) is included with the purchase of this artwork.