Spocks

This series was created in 2021 for The Mini, an annual juried exhibition at the Michael and Noémi Neidorff Art Gallery in San Antonio.

I was a junior in college, coming back to school in person for the first time. I’d fallen out of contact with everyone but my brother, so my ex girlfriend was my only friend in San Antonio. So naturally, I spent a lot of time thinking about Spock.

Despite being half-extraterrestrial, Spock struggles with feeling things and being human – perhaps the most human thing there is.

Spock displays kindness, a deep concern for ethics, and an admirable dedication to cross-cultural (and often cross-species) understanding. At the same time, I was studying Caravaggio, who, despite his own terrible temper and penchant for violence, mainly painted saints. And Spock was a sort of secular icon to me.

There is a long tradition of using characters from popular culture to talk about deeper concepts in art – just think of all the famous paintings based on Classical myths. I wanted to use Spock in a similar way. He represents the inner conflict between logic and emotion that we all feel. It was a fun challenge to paint his subtle expressions.

This series was about giving in to an obsession, loving something dorky without shame. It was also about the emotional attachments we form with fictional characters when we feel very alone. I was surprised by how many different kinds of people felt a connection with these portraits, especially men.

A final note: Originally, there were 14 paintings on display in this show. I currently only have photos of seven. I’d stored them at a friend’s place after the exhibition came down, and then she moved, and I think a few got lost. I’ll be coming back to update this page with the rest soon. I am still hunting the photos down. (I warn you, young artists … always mind your documentation backups.)

Psssst… If you made it to the end of this page, you must really like Spock. Here are some bonus drawings just for you. Live long and prosper, my friends! 🖖