Artist's statement

I am an exponent of the Vilde Chaya School of Digestive Expressionism. Vilda Chayaists believe that a painting should—indeed must—reflect the artist’s meal from the previous evening. For example, in this painting, even a casual observer will notice that for dinner the night before, I had a bowl of dolphin-safe tuna in spicy organic coconut sauce overbrown rice with a glass of cheap red wine. Less obvious, perhaps, but apparent to more astute observers, are the three double espressos that accompanied a breakfast of toasted gluten-free bread.

Vilda Chayism originated in Tukum, Latvia early in the last century. Also known as the “Starvationists,” the early Vilde Chayists produced many vivid expressions of sprouted potatoes and stale bread. Tragically, the narrow-minded critics of the day panned their work for its lack of both variety and protein. The artists’ mothers were even less impressed, calling the group “nothing but a pack of useless vilda chayas.” Defiantly, the
painters adopted this as their new name—the “wild beasts” of Tukum. Sadly, few examples from this seminal “potato period” remain as they were painted on burlap sacks that tended to get reused.

Long after the early Vilda Chayists had been forgotten—except by a few irresponsible academics, who confused them with a similarly named group of obscure French painters—the school was rediscovered and revived in Portland, Oregon after an especially fine brisket and onion dinner. The rest, as they say, is history.