The Binary Bovine

Happy new year! Here is my first painting of 2018 I finished recently.

This painting was inspired by learning more about the history of domesticated cattle.

Two of the three biggest economies in the world (the United States and India), have cattle derivatives infused in their diets in opposing ways. India is the country with the most populous vegetarians, who flex Lacto-vegetarianism (dairy products are nourished, but not eggs or meat). In the United States (the second most meat consuming country in the world), both dairy and the animal itself are also eaten. 

What struck me was the contrasting treatment of the animal between these two cultures: while one has chosen to praise the animal for the gifts it's brought humanity, the other has chosen to enslave it.

Agriculture is the very thing that has allowed human beings to no longer be nomadic.  (Some Environmentalists would say that was the beginning of the end.) An omnivorous diet has long been customary to human existence and livestock practices were adopted shortly thereafter. So while consuming meat has historic longevity, it's a fastidious topic because the efforts required to satisfy our demand for it now are compromising our environment.    

 The cow apparition denotes the often incarcerated reality of the animal. The markings on the cow, common on North American breeds, take the form of the world's landmasses representing our global rapacious appetite for beef. 

Clarabelle cow in the image is dressed as a Hindu deity and represents an ahimsa path. In her upper left hand she holds a bitter melon and her other left hand retains mustard flower (common ingredients in Indian cuisine). 

General Mills' Hamburger Helper mascot arrives with no garment to revealing his raw meat appearance. He wields a devilish prong force feeding his hamburger itinerary. 

The popular burger chain mascot, Big Boy, sits under a shadow of fear at the sight of the ghostly cow above while undecided on the two paths he has been presented with. 

'The Binary Bovine'
acrylic on masonite
13.75" x 21.75" (19.25" x 27.25" including frame)
$ Available! (Contact me if you are interested)

'Parade of Imbeciles' - final reveal!

'Parade of Imbeciles', acrylic on wood panel, 36"x24" (40"x28" including the frame)

Unlike real life Homers such as NASA engineer, Homer Hickam, activist, Homer Plessy, or much further back, Homer, the great Greek author and poet of The Illiad; the fictional cartoon character, Homer Simpson, is not readily associated with wisdom. His mental alertness is quite the opposite. (Attributing that, along with his massive pop culture notoriety, it is no wonder there have been few males born named 'Homer' since the animated family's 1987 television debut.)

However, there is a moment where he spouted something quite profound on an episode of THE SIMPSON'S I will always remember. It is an episode in season 2 called 'Dead Putting Society'. To feel better than his well liked neighbor and rival, Ned Flanders,  Homer trains his son, Bart, to win a mini golf tournament against Ned's son, Todd, to so he can feel superior than Ned. When prompted by his wife, Marge, about how serious he's taking Bart's training, he proclaims:

"Because sometimes  the only way you can feel good about yourself is by making someone else look bad. And I'm tired of making other people feel good about themselves."

In his moment of fleeting wisdom, he unearthed something fundamentally human: it is empowering to feel better than others. This mindset is still adopted by many today when we disparage someone widely known to behave stupidly in an effort to feel superior and bond with others over the fact that we're not stupid.

Thus, the primary function of cartoon characters is to make us feel better about ourselves. Since cartoon characters don't actually exist, they are permissible and ideal targets of ridicule. This is a form of vicarious living. Seeing characters perform unintelligent acts that would be fun to participate in, without us having to live with compromised egos. (Albeit, if you do take things to the extreme, you can always posthumously earn yourself a Darwin award. An esteem for individuals who inadvertently lose their lives from acts of stupidity.) A cartoon characters actions, however outlandish, are inspired by reality. A reality inhabited by people. People do stupid things, but it's inaccurate to call someone stupid because nobody is stupid 100% of the time. Yet, everyone is inept at something. The idea of combining so many cartoon characters designed for stupor into a united visual felt like something I needed to tackle. In the world we reside in today, the theme seems increasingly relevant.

The word imbecile belongs to a classification system of grading intelligence. On the scale, the word ranks second last. 'Idiot' being the lowest possible entry. A new born baby, with it's insufficient comprehension, is technically an idiot by this measure. These classifications have become derogatory over time. The offense occurs when you feel authorized to treat people immorally who fit into lower cognitive levels than you. I remember having a conversation with my Mother, who works with special needs children, if she thought the Disney Dwarf, Dopey, was an exploitation on the mentally challenged community. (His very name - the only one he's ever referred to - is pejorative.)  Individuals in this demographic certainly do not exist for the objective as comedic marks, but such an idea would have been more permissible during the film's contemporary release.

As we can see in the image, the characters are marching along towards an unknown mecca. In the distance looms a great storm that is making contact with a satellite dish on a perilous hilltop. The satellite dish represents the global reach of the internet and how frequently, the most widely shared content is delegated to the realm of stupor.  Solemn empathy does not enjoy the same scalable growth on the internet the way trivial videos of dancing cats do. Is that stupidity, displaced priorities, or both?

 A cartoon character's itinerary offer us instant gratification because their actions don't require explaining. We have the ability to think and exist in a world of increasing complexity. Perhaps we're searching for things to be simpler so we don't exhaust ourselves. Our cognitive energy is finite and must be recovered. Enjoying "stupid" material allows us to not expend so much of it and feel superior in the process.

A 'messiah' of sorts accompanies this cartoon formation via a parade balloon modeled after the mascot from the popular 'FOR DUMMIES' book series which simplify innumerable topics. Each character has also brought along an object with them on this trek to serve their disposition. (Some notable props include a hydrogen bomb, an old television, a protest sign forbidding thinking and a whoopee cushion.) As they march en masse, I'm reminded of a quote by mastermind comedian, George Carlin:

"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."  

The distant storm and eerie green atmosphere underscores this foreboding danger. What may seem innocent and harmless singularly, becomes collectively dangerous.  

I am a painter and what that means is I create images predominantly using the medium of paint. The objective of an image is to make you remember that you have seen it. If this image has communicated with another human, that is a success. I spend a large portion of my time trying to comprehend human nature. There is lots I still don't understand, but my bewilderment in the matter has provided me with an endless stream of ideas for paintings. Either way, the march continues. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a parade to attend to.

-Jono Doiron

Montreal, October 2017

Like this?? STILL want to know more??

Why not pick up one of the few remaining copies of the book to see the entire process of the painting from start to finish?

Pick up your signed copy here!

Chaotic Utopia Magazine

Online art publication, Chaotic Utopian Mag published an interview with me about the themes and influence of my art. Thanks for the kind words! You can read the interview here: 

The Memory Thief

LAST NIGHT was Gallery Abyss' 12x12 group show! THANK YOU to everyone who attended! 

It may not be a fun question, but let me ask you quickly:

What is the most valuable thing that someone can steal from you? 

Your signifigant other? Your children? Your pet? An heirloom? Your savings? Your mobility? ...Your iPhone?

What would you do if you lost all your memories? 

This was the inspiration behind my most recent painting, The Memory Thief, which I produced for Gallery Abyss' 12x12 group show. I would like to tell you about it.

The character in the lower left corner is a memory thief and a cerebral menace.

He breaks into the subconscious of the elderly whose aging immune system can no longer combat his advances. He steals their memories and sells the information. You may notice, he doesn't actually touch the memories encased in his lock box - doing so would infect and alter them. I also theorized that the more fond the memory, the more vibrant glow it emits as seen in the trail of his exit.

Sadly, the repercussions of his larceny are devastating. His victims are ushered into a state of dementia. 

I know it is not a fun painting... and is harder to place in a room than a basket of flowers, so why would I paint such a melancholy image to begin with? 

Well, the goal with my art has always been to connect with others in an honest manner. To create and present you with things I'm not invested in is disingenuous and unworthy of your attention. 

As I now watch some people in my life I care about very much undergo memory loss, it's made me search for reasoning. When none can be found, alternative narrations are sought (like the one theorized above).

I guess in some way I am hoping you will find something relateable. Maybe found in one of your own memories. Hang on to them.  

As an artist, you always hope that your work will resonate with people. But you really don't know unless someone goes out of their way to inform you. I received the E-mail below in response to the latest newsletter I sent out prior to the 12x12 opening last night. The facebook message was sent to me by a friend after I released the image online. (Some of the information has been withheld to retain their privacy.)

The painting is no longer available - it SOLD opening night. You can find more info about the exhibit and see some of the works available here.

-Jono

The Memory Thief - preview

ll done a new painting called 'The Memory Thief'. The‬ painting is for the 12x12 group show coming up at Gallery ABYSS opening August 6th (next Saturday). Hope you can make it!

Click here for the facebook event info.