Gauguin painting attack brings back memories

I came across this article about a woman attacking a painting by Paul Gauguin at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., while screaming “THIS IS EEEEVIL!” The woman was clearly delusional, as she was also claiming to be in the CIA and have a radio in her head.

My first thought was that if my artwork was violently attacked by schizophrenics, I would feel flattered. Then I remembered that something like this actually happened to me once. Not by schizophrenics, but by a wrathful ex-lover who burned a painting of mine and left a fragment of it in my mailbox. The feelings I had at the time were mixed: Sadness that this person was trying to hurt me, but also excitement about the new experience of something I created suddenly not existing anymore. I held the fragment in my hand and knew that what I had to do was give it new life– let it be reborn after being burned, like a phoenix rising up from the ashes.

I glued it onto a new canvas and turned it into the painting below, depicting the tower of Babel. I picked the “Babel” theme, alluding to miscommunication + humans trying to connect but just being a little off so they can’t understand each other.

Now that I’m married and have a baby attached to me 24/7, the drama in my life is of a much different flavor. I sometimes miss the freedom I had as a wandering young traveler, but right now I am reminded of the sorts of craziness that go along with it and appreciating where I am now.

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