Abstract
Welcome to the Dov Art Gallery. I hope you enjoy perusing my work. If you see something that you would like to have, please go to the "Purchase Dov Art" page where you can purchase prints and some originals. In most cases you will have to email me for pricing on originals
Sadie
313
16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas. This is purely abstract piece. I see flowers in it. You can see what you wish. I finished painting it at 3:13 a.m..
Arbortangulum 417
Arbortangulum 493
Arbortangulum 562
Hope Blood Turandot
In Unity Is Hope
"24"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas In this work, the intertwined bodies (modeled after myself and my partner) represent the unity of souls achieved by lovers. The rising sun represents hope."
Yearning For Salvation
24" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas. In this painting, on the left we see a solar eclipse over a Church, on the right the City of Philadelphia, with an implied reference to the movie that bears the City's name. Dominating the top of the painting is Christ crucified on a golden cross, and in the foreground, set against landscape colors reminiscent of the flames of hell are six figures Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, the traditional rainbow of Gay Liberation. They stretch forth their arms to Christ at the very moment of His Sacrifice, as symbolized by the Eclipse, in order to be brought within the embrace of His love. As He was rejected and despised, so too have they been. In Him they seek healing. The Church, the City, and the gold of the cross are all symbols of a Society that attempts to close itself off to the suffering of the gay minority.
And The Spirit Of God Moved Upon The Face Of The Waters
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas There is nothing gay about this painting, save that the artist is gay. The title is taken from Genesis 1:2b. We see the chaotic waters of primordial earth swirling below God. He too is swirling, but with power emanating from him in a blue aura. The sky is starless because at this point in the creation story, the stars had not yet been formed by the hand of God. The act of creation here is seen in two gestures -- the left hand, in the position of laying on of hands, the giving of the Holy Spirit, as it is The Holy Spirit in this biblical account who is depicted here. The right hand is in benediction, recognizing that all of Creation was a gift from God, a blessing."
Avec Hommage A' Vincent
"20"" x 16"" Acrylic on Canvas The title of this work means ""with homage to Vincent"". I refer to my style as Neo-Post-Impressionist. The greatest of the Post-Impressionists, and a tremendous influence on my work was Vincent Van Gogh, who habitually signed his paintings simply ""Vincent"". In this work, I have two visual elements that specifically recall two of Van Gogh's most famous works, the stars of ""Starry Night"" and the cypress trees of ""Cypress Trees"". The third Van Gogh element is the stylistic reference to the late Van Gogh self-portraits which used increasingly vibrant brush strokes and bold colors to depict a bearded man. Finally, I make my reference explicit with the incorporation of the title into the work itself, at the lower right hand corner, above and as part of my signature to the work. In the selection of the blues and purples to represent the flesh tones of this work, I make the man in the picture part of the environment he occupies. "
DSC00697
DSC00699
Freedom
A celebration of male assertion of the right of beauty, depicted on the canvas in neo-impressionist technique is a man of indistinct and therefore universal ethnicity with his face turned upward, his hair flowing behind him, decorated with metal ornament. He basks in the joy of his self-proclaimed liberation.
Grand Odalisque Après Ingres
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas This work is a conscious parody of the Grande Odalisque painted by Ingres in 1704. In the other work, one sees a woman reclining on a chaise longue, her head on the right, her hips and breasts voluptuously displayed, about her various oriental items. The word ""Odalisque"" means harem dweller. And so, the gentleman in this painting is a ""kept man"" as it were. In certain details, the painting is a self-portrait, most importantly with the background of books."
Intimacy: Passion And Aftermath
" Two panels framed together, each 16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas . Painters generally refer to paintings as being self-portraits. I prefer to think of these as autobiographical. I am the figure on the left of each of the two panels. In each panel, the background reflects the mood of the character on the left and is drawn from the same color family as his depiction. 'Nuff said."
Invitation To Dance
Two figures explode on to the dance floor of an old fashioned ballroom in joyous celebration of movement and life.
Male Curves #1
Due to a few weeks’ hiatus in my painting caused by some major upheavals in my life, my paint got kind of thick. For certain techniques, this can prove a major advantage – notably in the creation of highly textured palette knife work. By now, the viewer of these pages has no doubt concluded that I am fascinated, if not obsessed, with the male form, particularly the curves of the male form. When my commission for Les Messieurs d’Afton necessitated my growing comfortable with color work using a restricted palette, I began to appreciate the power such restriction accords. So, I decided to do a series which spoke to my favorite subject, the male form, took advantage of my thick paint, and also took advantage of some particularly nicely dimensioned models I happened upon. These paintings are meant to be in dialogue with each other, no one of them being the complete statement, but each being a complete work in its own right. Balzac did something similar when he christened his entire output of novels as La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). So, all of these pieces are celebrations in their own right of male curves, but bear simple numerical titles like the Bachianas Brasilieras of Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Male Curves #2
Due to a few weeks’ hiatus in my painting caused by some major upheavals in my life, my paint got kind of thick. For certain techniques, this can prove a major advantage – notably in the creation of highly textured palette knife work. By now, the viewer of these pages has no doubt concluded that I am fascinated, if not obsessed, with the male form, particularly the curves of the male form. When my commission for Les Messieurs d’Afton necessitated my growing comfortable with color work using a restricted palette, I began to appreciate the power such restriction accords. So, I decided to do a series which spoke to my favorite subject, the male form, took advantage of my thick paint, and also took advantage of some particularly nicely dimensioned models I happened upon. These paintings are meant to be in dialogue with each other, no one of them being the complete statement, but each being a complete work in its own right. Balzac did something similar when he christened his entire output of novels as La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). So, all of these pieces are celebrations in their own right of male curves, but bear simple numerical titles like the Bachianas Brasilieras of Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Passage To Infinity
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas As I look at this work, I am drawn in to it, drawn to the center of a vortex of color and light. There is a sense that if one follows the pathways, they will lead to infinite space and time. But, as this is an abstract work, I can only present you with my own reactions to it. Ultimately, the meaning of this work can only lie in the reaction of each individual observer."
Pieta
48" x 48" (Irregular) Acrylic on Wood. In the center is Jesus after the cross, held in the arms of Joseph of Arimethea. Around the piece are a number of figures from widely separated times. On the figure of Joseph, there is a pair of eye glasses. In the upper right hand corner of the piece, there is an airplane. On the left side of the piece, there is Matthew Shepherd, tied to a fence. Under the airplane, a roadside medieval ruin. In the lower left hand corner is the empty tomb. Behind the cross, is a Palestinian village. In the lower right is an emblematic representation of arrogance, who, although wearing a cross, is ignoring the man who gave the cross meaning. Behind all is the Garden of Gethsemane. The mixture of images from various times is meant to tell the viewer that the crucifixion was not a mere historical event, but a daily occurrence. It is timeless. Christ’s sacrifice is timeless, but also is our sin that necessitated it. Christ is crucified on a cross made of hatred, like Matthew Shepherd on the barbed wire fence. The overall shape of the piece is meant to be reminiscent of a gothic church window. The central models for this piece were both models who have appeared in numerous other pieces of mine. My son Andrew modeled for Matthew Shepherd. I had no particular model for the figure of arrogance, although I am told she strongly resembles a former relative of mine.
Resplendent Emerged The God
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on canvas With a conscious bow to comic book art, I portray a figure of power. "
Rewards
28" x 36" x 1.75" apx. (irregular) Acrylic on Foamboard (sculpted painting). In a view of the afterlife, one sees an androgynous angel embracing a loving couple as they look upon a demon and a bible thumping hypocrite returning each other’s embrace. In this piece the artist has eschewed the dominant rectangular form of the bulk of Western Art in favor of an organic form dictated by the image.
Sacrifice
"16”x 24"" Acrylic on canvas Suspended over a blue planet, set against an eternal sky, a thinly veiled man sacrifices all."
Seated Nude
16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas – My partner says this is from the mud series. Well, at least I know that when he says he likes a piece, he really means it.
Souls United
"24"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas This is another painting in what I refer to as my autobiographical series and my former Partner refered to as my Mangled Body Style, his professed favorite of my techniques. While using some of the most classic elements of Western Art in this work, I use as well the loose intertwined limbs of my more abstracted work. While there is nothing more classic than love, the feeling associated with love is expressed for me by the intertwined limbs representing the intertwined souls of two lovers."
Tears & Tears
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas Done by commission. The central figure in this piece, whom I have yet to meet was partnered with a young man for a number of years. One night they went to bed with the younger man complaining of a jaw ache. During the night, that jaw infection spread to his heart and killed him silently. The following morning, the elder man awoke to find a dead body lying next to him. He was devastated and asked me to capture his feelings in a visual image. I note first that the English letters “T-E-A-R-S” allow for two different pronunciations which means that this piece may have four different titles. I have never divulged which is the correct pronunciation. The bald spot is on the figure to indicate both his maleness and age. The tattering of his clothing represents how torn apart he feels. The broken column represents the young man. The willow bent in the storm represents resilience. The two trees in the background represent the former partnership. The lyre represents Orpheus, known in Greek mythology principally for being a widower. The blue sky in the upper left and the shaft of light working behind the column both represent hope, which the principal figure cannot see because his face is buried in the column."
The Dawn Of Freedom
20" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas. Closeted gays have all kinds of fears about the process of coming out. My own relatively recent experience with coming out has proven those fears unfounded. Strangers, when presented with the reality of my orientation, shrug. Old straight friends continue to embrace me. My very conservative fraternity continues to confer honors on me. My standing has apparently risen in my rather conservative Church. Rifts in my family were healed by the revelation of truth. We live in an era when it is acceptable to be gay in those very sectors where we have wrongly assumed homosexuality would never be accepted. The golden stemmed flower of Gay Liberation is thus seen at a glorious dawn, realizing that although societal acceptance is by no means complete, the glorious age in which people are judged by what they do and not by an immutable characteristic of their birth is truly coming upon us.
Destruction Of Sodom, The
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas This painting is based on the story recounted in Genesis 18:16 -19:29. It is popularly understood that the great sin of the inhabitants of the City of Sodom was that they engaged (or wanted to engage) in gay sex. However, a closer reading of the story indicates two other sins. First, the gay sex in question was not to be consensual, but rather was to be in the form of a gang rape. Second, the rape would itself be a breach of the law of hospitality as these were strangers in the City. In ancient times hospitality was a value held in the highest esteem, as shown in the biblical story immediately preceding this, that of Abraham feeding the angels. Yet, I shall admit I derive wicked pleasure from a gay artist and a gay model working together to tell the story that has been thrown in the face of gay men to point out their alleged sinfulness. Incidentally, in order to pose the model, I had to put him in several shifts of position and composite his body parts so as to achieve that floating effect. Absent suspending him from cables, it would not be humanly possible for me to depict him as I actually saw him and achieve the effect I sought."
Eruption Of Chaos
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas In a purely abstract work, particularly one without details, the message must always be in the eyes of the viewer. However, I believe it clear that the chaos in this work is represented by the red and yellow families, exploding forth from the blue and purple families. The touches of red amidst the purples may well depict the reflection of chaos in the world of harmony. Perhaps not. Anyone who may happen to be familiar with my first spouse's ""Icarus"" will undoubtedly see some resemblance between that work and this one. I acknowledge this, but I have taken the painterly work represented in that work to new places in order to express different ideas."
Tree
Sadie
313
16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas. This is purely abstract piece. I see flowers in it. You can see what you wish. I finished painting it at 3:13 a.m..
Arbortangulum 417
Arbortangulum 493
Arbortangulum 562
Hope Blood Turandot
In Unity Is Hope
"24"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas In this work, the intertwined bodies (modeled after myself and my partner) represent the unity of souls achieved by lovers. The rising sun represents hope."
Yearning For Salvation
24" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas. In this painting, on the left we see a solar eclipse over a Church, on the right the City of Philadelphia, with an implied reference to the movie that bears the City's name. Dominating the top of the painting is Christ crucified on a golden cross, and in the foreground, set against landscape colors reminiscent of the flames of hell are six figures Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, the traditional rainbow of Gay Liberation. They stretch forth their arms to Christ at the very moment of His Sacrifice, as symbolized by the Eclipse, in order to be brought within the embrace of His love. As He was rejected and despised, so too have they been. In Him they seek healing. The Church, the City, and the gold of the cross are all symbols of a Society that attempts to close itself off to the suffering of the gay minority.
And The Spirit Of God Moved Upon The Face Of The Waters
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas There is nothing gay about this painting, save that the artist is gay. The title is taken from Genesis 1:2b. We see the chaotic waters of primordial earth swirling below God. He too is swirling, but with power emanating from him in a blue aura. The sky is starless because at this point in the creation story, the stars had not yet been formed by the hand of God. The act of creation here is seen in two gestures -- the left hand, in the position of laying on of hands, the giving of the Holy Spirit, as it is The Holy Spirit in this biblical account who is depicted here. The right hand is in benediction, recognizing that all of Creation was a gift from God, a blessing."
Avec Hommage A' Vincent
"20"" x 16"" Acrylic on Canvas The title of this work means ""with homage to Vincent"". I refer to my style as Neo-Post-Impressionist. The greatest of the Post-Impressionists, and a tremendous influence on my work was Vincent Van Gogh, who habitually signed his paintings simply ""Vincent"". In this work, I have two visual elements that specifically recall two of Van Gogh's most famous works, the stars of ""Starry Night"" and the cypress trees of ""Cypress Trees"". The third Van Gogh element is the stylistic reference to the late Van Gogh self-portraits which used increasingly vibrant brush strokes and bold colors to depict a bearded man. Finally, I make my reference explicit with the incorporation of the title into the work itself, at the lower right hand corner, above and as part of my signature to the work. In the selection of the blues and purples to represent the flesh tones of this work, I make the man in the picture part of the environment he occupies. "
DSC00697
DSC00699
Freedom
A celebration of male assertion of the right of beauty, depicted on the canvas in neo-impressionist technique is a man of indistinct and therefore universal ethnicity with his face turned upward, his hair flowing behind him, decorated with metal ornament. He basks in the joy of his self-proclaimed liberation.
Grand Odalisque Après Ingres
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas This work is a conscious parody of the Grande Odalisque painted by Ingres in 1704. In the other work, one sees a woman reclining on a chaise longue, her head on the right, her hips and breasts voluptuously displayed, about her various oriental items. The word ""Odalisque"" means harem dweller. And so, the gentleman in this painting is a ""kept man"" as it were. In certain details, the painting is a self-portrait, most importantly with the background of books."
Intimacy: Passion And Aftermath
" Two panels framed together, each 16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas . Painters generally refer to paintings as being self-portraits. I prefer to think of these as autobiographical. I am the figure on the left of each of the two panels. In each panel, the background reflects the mood of the character on the left and is drawn from the same color family as his depiction. 'Nuff said."
Invitation To Dance
Two figures explode on to the dance floor of an old fashioned ballroom in joyous celebration of movement and life.
Male Curves #1
Due to a few weeks’ hiatus in my painting caused by some major upheavals in my life, my paint got kind of thick. For certain techniques, this can prove a major advantage – notably in the creation of highly textured palette knife work. By now, the viewer of these pages has no doubt concluded that I am fascinated, if not obsessed, with the male form, particularly the curves of the male form. When my commission for Les Messieurs d’Afton necessitated my growing comfortable with color work using a restricted palette, I began to appreciate the power such restriction accords. So, I decided to do a series which spoke to my favorite subject, the male form, took advantage of my thick paint, and also took advantage of some particularly nicely dimensioned models I happened upon. These paintings are meant to be in dialogue with each other, no one of them being the complete statement, but each being a complete work in its own right. Balzac did something similar when he christened his entire output of novels as La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). So, all of these pieces are celebrations in their own right of male curves, but bear simple numerical titles like the Bachianas Brasilieras of Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Male Curves #2
Due to a few weeks’ hiatus in my painting caused by some major upheavals in my life, my paint got kind of thick. For certain techniques, this can prove a major advantage – notably in the creation of highly textured palette knife work. By now, the viewer of these pages has no doubt concluded that I am fascinated, if not obsessed, with the male form, particularly the curves of the male form. When my commission for Les Messieurs d’Afton necessitated my growing comfortable with color work using a restricted palette, I began to appreciate the power such restriction accords. So, I decided to do a series which spoke to my favorite subject, the male form, took advantage of my thick paint, and also took advantage of some particularly nicely dimensioned models I happened upon. These paintings are meant to be in dialogue with each other, no one of them being the complete statement, but each being a complete work in its own right. Balzac did something similar when he christened his entire output of novels as La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). So, all of these pieces are celebrations in their own right of male curves, but bear simple numerical titles like the Bachianas Brasilieras of Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Passage To Infinity
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas As I look at this work, I am drawn in to it, drawn to the center of a vortex of color and light. There is a sense that if one follows the pathways, they will lead to infinite space and time. But, as this is an abstract work, I can only present you with my own reactions to it. Ultimately, the meaning of this work can only lie in the reaction of each individual observer."
Pieta
48" x 48" (Irregular) Acrylic on Wood. In the center is Jesus after the cross, held in the arms of Joseph of Arimethea. Around the piece are a number of figures from widely separated times. On the figure of Joseph, there is a pair of eye glasses. In the upper right hand corner of the piece, there is an airplane. On the left side of the piece, there is Matthew Shepherd, tied to a fence. Under the airplane, a roadside medieval ruin. In the lower left hand corner is the empty tomb. Behind the cross, is a Palestinian village. In the lower right is an emblematic representation of arrogance, who, although wearing a cross, is ignoring the man who gave the cross meaning. Behind all is the Garden of Gethsemane. The mixture of images from various times is meant to tell the viewer that the crucifixion was not a mere historical event, but a daily occurrence. It is timeless. Christ’s sacrifice is timeless, but also is our sin that necessitated it. Christ is crucified on a cross made of hatred, like Matthew Shepherd on the barbed wire fence. The overall shape of the piece is meant to be reminiscent of a gothic church window. The central models for this piece were both models who have appeared in numerous other pieces of mine. My son Andrew modeled for Matthew Shepherd. I had no particular model for the figure of arrogance, although I am told she strongly resembles a former relative of mine.
Resplendent Emerged The God
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on canvas With a conscious bow to comic book art, I portray a figure of power. "
Rewards
28" x 36" x 1.75" apx. (irregular) Acrylic on Foamboard (sculpted painting). In a view of the afterlife, one sees an androgynous angel embracing a loving couple as they look upon a demon and a bible thumping hypocrite returning each other’s embrace. In this piece the artist has eschewed the dominant rectangular form of the bulk of Western Art in favor of an organic form dictated by the image.
Sacrifice
"16”x 24"" Acrylic on canvas Suspended over a blue planet, set against an eternal sky, a thinly veiled man sacrifices all."
Seated Nude
16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas – My partner says this is from the mud series. Well, at least I know that when he says he likes a piece, he really means it.
Souls United
"24"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas This is another painting in what I refer to as my autobiographical series and my former Partner refered to as my Mangled Body Style, his professed favorite of my techniques. While using some of the most classic elements of Western Art in this work, I use as well the loose intertwined limbs of my more abstracted work. While there is nothing more classic than love, the feeling associated with love is expressed for me by the intertwined limbs representing the intertwined souls of two lovers."
Tears & Tears
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas Done by commission. The central figure in this piece, whom I have yet to meet was partnered with a young man for a number of years. One night they went to bed with the younger man complaining of a jaw ache. During the night, that jaw infection spread to his heart and killed him silently. The following morning, the elder man awoke to find a dead body lying next to him. He was devastated and asked me to capture his feelings in a visual image. I note first that the English letters “T-E-A-R-S” allow for two different pronunciations which means that this piece may have four different titles. I have never divulged which is the correct pronunciation. The bald spot is on the figure to indicate both his maleness and age. The tattering of his clothing represents how torn apart he feels. The broken column represents the young man. The willow bent in the storm represents resilience. The two trees in the background represent the former partnership. The lyre represents Orpheus, known in Greek mythology principally for being a widower. The blue sky in the upper left and the shaft of light working behind the column both represent hope, which the principal figure cannot see because his face is buried in the column."
The Dawn Of Freedom
20" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas. Closeted gays have all kinds of fears about the process of coming out. My own relatively recent experience with coming out has proven those fears unfounded. Strangers, when presented with the reality of my orientation, shrug. Old straight friends continue to embrace me. My very conservative fraternity continues to confer honors on me. My standing has apparently risen in my rather conservative Church. Rifts in my family were healed by the revelation of truth. We live in an era when it is acceptable to be gay in those very sectors where we have wrongly assumed homosexuality would never be accepted. The golden stemmed flower of Gay Liberation is thus seen at a glorious dawn, realizing that although societal acceptance is by no means complete, the glorious age in which people are judged by what they do and not by an immutable characteristic of their birth is truly coming upon us.
Destruction Of Sodom, The
"36"" x 24"" Acrylic on Canvas This painting is based on the story recounted in Genesis 18:16 -19:29. It is popularly understood that the great sin of the inhabitants of the City of Sodom was that they engaged (or wanted to engage) in gay sex. However, a closer reading of the story indicates two other sins. First, the gay sex in question was not to be consensual, but rather was to be in the form of a gang rape. Second, the rape would itself be a breach of the law of hospitality as these were strangers in the City. In ancient times hospitality was a value held in the highest esteem, as shown in the biblical story immediately preceding this, that of Abraham feeding the angels. Yet, I shall admit I derive wicked pleasure from a gay artist and a gay model working together to tell the story that has been thrown in the face of gay men to point out their alleged sinfulness. Incidentally, in order to pose the model, I had to put him in several shifts of position and composite his body parts so as to achieve that floating effect. Absent suspending him from cables, it would not be humanly possible for me to depict him as I actually saw him and achieve the effect I sought."
Eruption Of Chaos
"16"" x 20"" Acrylic on Canvas In a purely abstract work, particularly one without details, the message must always be in the eyes of the viewer. However, I believe it clear that the chaos in this work is represented by the red and yellow families, exploding forth from the blue and purple families. The touches of red amidst the purples may well depict the reflection of chaos in the world of harmony. Perhaps not. Anyone who may happen to be familiar with my first spouse's ""Icarus"" will undoubtedly see some resemblance between that work and this one. I acknowledge this, but I have taken the painterly work represented in that work to new places in order to express different ideas."
Tree
