Where The Heck Did This Image Come From?

by Alexandra Molotkow

For many years I’ve had an issue, and my issue is this image. I first saw it on the back of a guy’s T-shirt: he was sitting in front of me on the streetcar, and he was really, really into whatever his earbuds were blasting, and he got more involved as the ride continued until he got out of his seat and started leaping in a circle with his hands in the air and an expression of terrifying ecstasy on his face.

I’ve only just sampled the music because, to be honest with you, I’m scared. I’ll get there, because it’s inside me now, and because I’m interested in art that demonstrates technical savvy and a total vision but has no relationship to what I’d consider good taste. This image is the most tasteless thing I have ever seen. And every time I look I get totally lost in whatever world it comes from.

The artist is one Tim Slowinski. From his gallery bio:

Slowinski’s work is self reflective, but not only for the sake of personal analysis. He uses personal psychological exploration as a tool to explore contemporary social and political issues. A lover of the comic and absurd, his humor presents messages with a humor that lends objectivity to both himself and the viewer.

Slowinski’s work has not been placed in a contemporary category. Completely self taught, he intentionally avoids all outside influence and works only from his imagination. He refuses to work from real objects because he believes, “every technique and style of painting has already been perfected, the only remaining frontier to be explored is the one inside the mind.”

I hear ya.