An Abstract Exploration of Deferred Solutions and Societal Fragmentation
In Broken Tables, I wanted to express the troubling reality of today’s world, where problems are not solved but postponed, dealt with at a later date rather than right away. The title itself hints at this tendency, a reflection of how modern society acknowledges its fractures but fails to take immediate action. Through abstract forms and muted colors, I’ve aimed to capture the essence of this procrastination, the way we defer critical decisions and responsibilities to some unknown future.
The Circular Canvas as a Symbol of Time and Fragmentation
The circular canvas plays a symbolic role, representing the containment of time, almost like a clock that is running out, enclosing within it the fragmented pieces of our world. The shapes inside are broken, disjointed, and never quite connect with one another, like issues we continuously push forward, refusing to engage with them directly. The tables, traditionally seen as places where people gather to discuss, solve problems, or break bread, are no longer intact. Instead, they’ve shattered into abstract pieces, sharp, jagged forms floating in a state of unresolved tension.
Contrasting Colors to Reflect Calm and Crisis
The use of soft pastels, greens, lavenders, oranges, creates a strange sense of calm against the sharpness of the shapes. I deliberately chose this contrast to highlight how, on the surface, our world often appears tranquil, but beneath that calm, we are surrounded by cracks that grow wider every day. The color palette softens the visual impact, but the shapes remain broken and incomplete, symbolizing the disarray we are in but prefer not to face.
Tables as a Metaphor for Deferred Solutions
I’ve used the metaphor of "tables" to speak to the many pressing problems of today: climate change, economic disparity, political divides. These are the “broken tables” of our time, spaces where solutions could be found but aren’t because we choose to push those discussions into the future. The tables in this painting are symbolic of that postponement, where the urge to solve our problems is overshadowed by our reluctance to engage with them now.
Intentional Separation as a Reflection of Societal Avoidance
In constructing the composition, I was mindful of how the shapes don’t quite meet. This intentional separation mirrors how society today identifies issues but avoids resolving them, leaving gaps, voids, and disconnections. The circular format serves to reinforce this concept, a symbol of cyclical postponement, where we are trapped in a loop of deferred solutions, endlessly acknowledging problems without addressing them.
A Critique of Procrastination in Addressing Global Issues
In thinking about the phrase “deal with it later,” which was central to my interpretation of these tables, I wanted to highlight how this delay is often deliberate. Our systems and structures recognize the cracks, yet we look away, hoping the future will somehow fix what we’ve chosen not to handle now. It’s a passive decision, reflected in the hovering, suspended geometry of the painting, where nothing is resolved, and everything is on the verge of collapse.
A Call to Action Through Visual Representation
Ultimately, Broken Tables is a critique of our collective tendency to push issues away, to recognize, discuss, but ultimately delay. The jagged shapes don’t simply represent broken objects; they reflect the disassembled nature of our contemporary life. And yet, within this disassembly, there is a strange sense of balance and beauty. I wanted to suggest that even in our fragmented world, there remains potential for reconstruction, if only we stop delaying the hard work of mending these cracks.
The title, Broken Tables, is a challenge to all of us: How long can we continue postponing the inevitable? How long will we let these fractures widen before we finally act? In creating this work, I wanted to visually capture this critical moment in time, where problems linger unsolved, but the possibility for healing is still within reach, if only we stop pushing it to tomorrow. Here the link to my webpage
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