Inspired by a fatal backyard battle between my dog and a possum, the Bite Threshold paintings explore the capacity for evil and makeshift memorials. Many of the losses through the pandemic were invisible, and celebrations were altered by the limited circumstances. Moments of spontaneous community recognition deeply resonated, such as the hibiscus placed on the dead gator in a dumpster after Ida. The tumultuous political climate leading into the pandemic fostered a black and white worldview, good and evil. The phrase "bite threshold" comes from dog psychology, the concept that every dog has a point at which they are triggered to bite. These paintings reflect on the light and dark in all of us and memorialize our collective loss.
In Bite Threshold II, two Doberman snouts appear in a Rorschach formation mirroring out from the center, surrounded with acorns, squirrel feet and tails, blue thistles and white anemones. Iridescent glitter beams from the dog’s teeth and strings of saliva. Dobermans were bred to be working guard dogs, known for their attack and defense. They are often stereotyped as an aggressive breed, though they are loyal and affectionate. Squirrels are one of the more celebrated backyard critters, and if it weren’t for their fluffy tails, their reputation might be closer to that of a rat.
Inspired by a fatal backyard battle between my dog and a possum, the Bite Threshold paintings explore the capacity for evil and makeshift memorials. Many of the losses through the pandemic were invisible, and celebrations were altered by the limited circumstances. Moments of spontaneous community recognition deeply resonated, such as the hibiscus placed on the dead gator in a dumpster after Ida. The tumultuous political climate leading into the pandemic fostered a black and white worldview, good and evil. The phrase "bite threshold" comes from dog psychology, the concept that every dog has a point at which they are triggered to bite. These paintings reflect on the light and dark in all of us and memorialize our collective loss.
In Bite Threshold II, two Doberman snouts appear in a Rorschach formation mirroring out from the center, surrounded with acorns, squirrel feet and tails, blue thistles and white anemones. Iridescent glitter beams from the dog’s teeth and strings of saliva. Dobermans were bred to be working guard dogs, known for their attack and defense. They are often stereotyped as an aggressive breed, though they are loyal and affectionate. Squirrels are one of the more celebrated backyard critters, and if it weren’t for their fluffy tails, their reputation might be closer to that of a rat.