Major Minor Discord

Oil on wooden door

30" x 95"

2008

$600

This piece merges the image of a piano with images of a city.  The missing piano keys on the left side form a major chord, while the missing keys on the right form a minor chord.  The skyscrapers in the foreground are simplified versions of famous buildings from around the world, and the structures in the background are modeled after a shanty-town in India.  

     The focus of the piece is the dichotomy between the "majority" and the "minority."  The majority is symbolized by the skyscrapers in the foreground.  The skyscrapers are white monoliths representing commerce and capitalism.  The background of colorful, pieced together homes represents the minority.  The juxtaposition, the coloring, and the relative scales of the buildings allude to the fact that "minorities" actually constitute a majority of the population in many cases, though their interests are generally overruled by the "majority."

     The skyscrapers/piano keys in the foreground have a layer of Galkyd  on them which gives them a glossy appearance.  From most angles, the gloss makes them stand out from the rest of the piece.  I chose not to show the reflection of light on the gloss in this picture, since it makes it difficult to make out the details below it.