Object(s) Of Obsession

Oil & Vinegar II (Revelation)

ł​I had always thought that our nested oil and vinegar flask looked kind'a nice, but ever since I first noticed the variety of stunning shadows and light (both transmitted and refracted) that it casts, I have been mesmerized by it. Under many lighting conditions the cast image is even much sharper and brighter than the object itself. What I find most striking is the way the flask seems to interact with its image (or vice versa), turning what might have been a rudimentary still life of a trivially single object into a dynamic exchange between two entities. This has compelled me to produce numerous drawings, paintings and other renditions of the myriad scenes induced by the interaction of these two beings.
While I often project anthropomorphic social narratives onto inanimate objects (such as, say, a bent Coke can and a potted flower), discovering the powerful Noh drama performed by this featureless singular-dual character fascinates me.
At times, the interaction is one of diffidence where one or the other is willfully unaware of the other. Sometimes they appear to be proffering desperate mutual respite against the strange world threatening to engulf them. Under certain lighting and angles there is a glorious sense of awe as this conjoined pair suddenly become aware of the other's existence. That is what I saw and tried to capture for this iteration (my second watercolor rendition). Hence the title.
I hope to be exploring and learning from these two many more times in the future.

---