Continued. . .

I made this painting, after a visit to Flint, MI, where I met Quinn Tyler, who agreed to be my model. There are many features that convey the important story which needs to be told, and which are expressed in this painting. The coat is a reference to the biblical Joseph (multi-colored dream coat), who's visions were not believed and who was thrown into a pit by his family and sold into slavery. The Evian bottle (did you know Evian spelled backwards is naive?) represents the absurd attempts to "fix" the problem by Governor Rick Snyder. The only fix is to remove all those responsible for this catastrophe, and replace them with our best minds and resources to correct the problem and prevent similar problems in the future. The Powerball ticket in his pocket represents the dashed hopes of an entire people. The bus, which appears on the verge of running over Mr. Tyler, represents the failures of a corrupt system to protect its people. The water tower and cracking pavement are more symbols of the breakdown in the system in place to protect its citizens.

Yet, as with all my work, there is always hope, represented by the sun setting quietly in the background, along with the cleansing properties of snow and clear skies. And, of course, our greatest hope is found in the generosity and kindness of people like Quinn, who offers a bottle of pure water to anyone who needs it. May God bless the children of Flint, Michigan.

Overcome is part of The Quench Project