The Mystery of the Park

I have always been fascinated by Forest Park at night. Growing up in the small town of Richmond Hill, Queens I would see all sorts of stuff. On many occasion as a child I would see figures in the dark on the playground. Naturally as a kid I always asked my parents what possibly could be going on at the playground so late at night. Everytime I asked my parents the question the answer was always the same:

"Teenagers."

I think I'm finally going to take up the project that I've been wanting to do since college.

Norman Rockwell became a famous illustrator for portraying the all American family. He captured the essence of good values, strong male figures such as fathers, soldiers, athletes, soft loving women such as mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and a humorous take on not so loving women and their incompetent husbands, and of course your All-American wholesome kids.

Imagine if Rockwell were still living and captured the America we live in today. I think it would be hilarious. Black kids, spanish kids, ghetto white boys, emo kids, hipsters, spoiled children, teenagers getting their first car, texting, sexting, internet junkies, video game addicts, people smoking pot, coke heads, strippers, mafia, gang bangers, politicians and their scandals, abusive fathers, struggling single mothers, dysfunctional families, divorce, muggings, economical hardships, teenagers in a world of shit, rape, drugs...just to name a few subject matters non-existent in Rockwell's work.

I want to be the anti-Rockwell.

So this is a color sketch for my first painting in the series of America's youth.

Teenagers at the Park: Drinking, Making-Out, and Up to No Good.

Sometimes I miss being a teen....eh, not really.