Age of Discovery (Blue Boat), oil on linen, 80 x 75 cm, 2018
One of my newest paintings. I found a book of old ship engravings at a flea market in Berlin and I love the romance and longing in these images. Pieter Breughel has especially wonderful images of ships with long penants flying from the top masts. When I see them I automatically think of the Narnia book, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which I only read once when I was about ten. IMHO we are in a dark era today, despite our information overload. The world is under siege from climate change, war and economic instability. So looking at these ships with their huge sails, I thought of the age of discovery and how we need that kind of curiosity about the world again today. We feel like we know everything, but we are wrong. With all our knowledge and Enlightenment, look how civilized we really are, as we tear the world apart in the name of greed. I've been depressed for a while, but I'm seeking a sort of simplicity in these works, a child-like wonder. It's both joyous and melancholic. I want to live in an age of discovery. It's never too late to look at the world anew. Every day is a new day, so what will I discover today?
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