I was inspired to paint this series shortly after the sacrifice of many animals as a result of the devastating spread of disease in European livestock. I wanted to portray a kind of “animal consciousness” that our contemporary society has forgotten. The so called “farm production” breeds, particularly in the Midwest, represent a large part of the heartland’s economy. Nearly all of us consume these animals in some part. The domestic breeds have a long history dating back to the cave paintings of Altamira and Laseaux. I was fortunate to witness the intensity of these beautiful and mysterious images in Spain.

Joseph Campbell, who spent his life researching cultural tendencies throughout the world, noted about the relationship of the animals to society, “Earlier civilizations maintained a ritualized respect for the animals that supplied the basics for survival. The animals to be consumed had a status that today is lost and has little meaning in our society.”

There are nine separate canvases individually sized to portray a single animal in either profile or frontal display. A predella (an old-world device representing small scenes at the bottom of the canvas) contains a series of silhouettes of the animal. The center contains a diagrammatic illustration of the animal. The intent is to present a personification of this illustration. The individual portraits are scaled to size and have an intended chimerical presence. Each breed has a magical presence that seems to transcend the ordinary. These are not about documentation but affirmation of a spiritual connection all sentient beings share. The finished nine pieces should be presented as one unit in the manner of a polyptic.