- This Surreal Mask Painting, "Hidden
Emotions," an original oil on panel, is the Third in a Four-Set
of "Geo Political Surreal Paintings" of Mask Images.
Once again I found subject matter while watching-listening to
the news program on television where they were suggesting that
the Japanese Businessmen were collectively veiled behind traditional
customs and strict social protocol even in business relations
which had the effect of a poker face which could not easily be
read by American Negotiators and as a result Japan was always
winning at the bargaining table during Automobile Trade Negotiations
with America (I drive a 1968 Chevy Pick-Up that I paid $700.
for in 1978 and still can't afford any new car) and they showed
filmed images of Japanese Businessmen shaking hands with American
Automotive Business Leaders and one of the Japanese Automotive
Businessmen making a statement in Japanese which was gibberish
to me since I don't speak that language. I turned the volume
down as the Nightly News showed a group of American Businessmen
shaking hands and making speeches. It struck me that with the
sound off it didn't matter what gibberish or language they spoke,
I still couldn't understand it regardless of facial expressions
and emotions. Sadly enough one of the popular clichés
of the day was " read my lips."
I got off the couch and turned off my high quality Taiwan made
television set and started sketching this painting, No.119, Hidden
Emotions. The symbol in the image is the I-Ching of the Well
(container), ironically the opposite of the Well is Revolution
as I understand it, which I felt would help support unity in
the series since the LA Riot is where I found earlier subject
matter in the first of this Four-Set.
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