Agents of Manipulators

oil on birch panel

It is true parents manipulate their children’s behavior for good and bad reasons with the mythological characters depicted. The real reason for this painting is that the artist believes there has never been a serious painting using these characters. When was the last time you saw a serious painting of Santa Claus or the Boogieman? Fenton chose to try it for himself.

1965 Ohio State Buckeyes

oil and aluminum leaf on birch panel

This painting was inspired by an Ohio State University yearbook. The twenty-two-year-old graduates, including the artist with their flat tops, bouffants, and flips, were optimistically ready to leave their student realm and enter the real world to make their mark. These graduates are now parents, and their own children are optimistically facing life as the graduates once had done. How quickly time passes and how speedily lost is our youthful idealism.