Well, after several months of diligent painting, I have finally finished my latest work. The photos here don’t do it justice since this piece is insanely detailed and a fairly good size, so check out the larger pic on my website at www.AmyGuidry.com. This painting is from my “In Our Veins” series and is acrylic on canvas, 36 inches wide by 18 inches high. I almost forgot- the title is “Survival of the Fittest.” I’ve always been interested in the notion that one species will harm their own kind in order to survive. In addition, humans will use other species for their own survival, hence the cows. The cows that are falling (or jumping or floating- that’s the viewer’s call) are injuring the cows below them. They are reminiscent of the images from slaughterhouses I’ve seen of cows hanging from large hooks, while the cows below mimic those that have been skinned or butchered. To summarize, the entire image is surreal and maybe even a bit absurd, but I think many times the reasons we kill, be it animals or humans, are absurd.
If you would like to see this painting in person, it is currently at Wally Workman Gallery and will be part of their 30th Anniversary exhibit. The opening and blowout party is August 7th from 6-8pm at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX.