Once again Sam presents an ambiguous mixture of “HOPE” with “HOKUS POKUS” simultaneously allowing the letter grouping to convey two “OK”s and a large “US”. The letters and supporting structures are painted in the colors of the rainbow. Is this HOPE the biblical covenant between man and god or a concept constructed with HOKUS POKUS? Is it “OK”? Are we “OK”? Certainly it applies to “US”!
The lower half of this painting depicts someone holding blood-red cloth over an apparent head covered separately with similar cloth. There seems little HOPE for the person to whom this head belongs. Is this a final viewing to acknowledge a loss before wrapping and burying the individual? Is there a magic trick beneath the cloth which can revive this person? Not likely!
As the man holding the cloth lives on, so too will the memory of the crimson shrouded head. Is there HOPE in this image or does HOKUS POKUS simply allow US to feel OK? Will we endure or must we endure? What does enduring really mean?
Dr. Carl M. Herbert (Guest Writer)
BAK a Day, May 17, 2022
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