Re-evaluation

Above is a painting I did almost three years ago. Oil on linen, 9 x 12 inches. I didn't think much of it at the time but came across it recently and, looking at it fresh, felt better about it. My wife, Renee, does not care for the odd assemblage of subject matter, but when I did it I was thinking about how much I admired the work of mid-20th century artist and art director Walter Murch.

Murch did some wonderful paintings that one might call industrial still-life. As an illustrator he did covers for magazines like Fortune. In his fine art, Murch was not afraid to combine disparate objects into a painting that left people wondering what the odd combination meant. His seemed to be a representational artist's response in the conversation about surrealism.