FRUIT SALAD AND BODY BAGS

Click picture for larger view | From Mats

The military have all of these ribbon bars on their chest indicating that they, the company, or battalion were in a combat situation somewhere in some country, campaign, or war. This is sometimes called "fruit salad".  We're still sending bodies home. Soldiers are still getting killed every day, it never ends. I had to make a statement so I painted my own version of fruit salad except I added the black fields to represent body bags. Fruit Salad is such a pretty name for something that represents death.

FATHER NO FARTHER

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I shot this with a telephoto lens from behind the bar (Terminal Bar) looking out the side window. The guy drinking worked at the bar as a bouncer. He was a wino named Kojak. The other guy was 86ed because he was a troublemaker. I never let him in the bar.  Same with that woman...she was a pain in the ass. If these people are out on the streets drinking wine, I guarantee there were parental shortcomings along the line.

SPIRAL STAIRCASE

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This is a 6th floor walkup in Paris that was my 64th birthday present. My wife rented this five hundred some odd year old historic landmark with no fire escape. Our first shlep up we were shown how to unlock the apartment door because the last couple couldn't figure it out. That night we had to call the landlady because we got locked in.

CHILD'S PLAY

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I shot this photo of the Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial during a visit to see my eldest son at American University in Washington DC. I set up to take the picture when this woman rolled up, dressed in red, white and blue. A year later I was inspired to do the mat using the Jacks (or really the Jerks) as the leaders, led by the king and queen who are ultimately led by the Joker. Next to the Joker is a Fetus which is what the leaders are destroying.