Another Year

This 12×12″ is an interrogation of the meaning behind birthdays, symbolised by the cake and the harsh spotlight from the lamp. The eerie feeling in the colors of the painting represent the realization that each birthday is just an anniversary of one year closer to death. Paradoxically the warm colors of the cake and candle are a celebration of making it to another year of life. A bright “cherry on top.” The painting comes together to represent multiple contrasts such as warm vs cold, vanilla vs chocolate, free form (smoke) vs straight edges (table). This painting explores the negative and positive of celebrating birthdays, using the guise of a scientific investigation. There is no one right way to interpret birthdays, so enjoy a slice of cake while you think.