I originally started this painting as a depiction of the crab bucket mentality, but it changed with the aftermath of Katrina. I think the hurricane challenged me morally in my response. Part of me says the victims should have known and left, and prepared in advance. Part of me says the stranded suffer as a result on their reliance on government to save them, waiting for Godot to send a raft. Part of me sees the looting and violence as a manifestation of the crab bucket mentality. The other part of me knows how hard it is to just leave one's home, to find the strength to make it through another day, let alone plan for a potential devastation. The people who want to escape and simply don't know how, wandering in circles of confusion, trying to do right and just fall short. Nature doesn't care about any of this. It just is, it just does, and when all's said and done, the sun shines down on all, good and bad. So the figure of hope extends one hand to the fallen and the other to the light of reason for guidance. May those who help keep their own heads above water, and those who survive conquer their fears of surviving this nightmare.
Hazards and Benefits of Benevolence
