Lunch started it all. In 1972 I was a freshman at Ball State and an art student. Ed Shay, our painting instructor, was a realist who had adopted photorealism techniques. His first assignment was to paint a still life. All the students brought in the traditional stuff - bowls, fruit, found objects, etc. I brought in my lunch, ate the contents, and then proceeded to paint the logo infested paper remains.
This academic work is included in the catalogue because of its conceptual ness. Still life paintings are usually non conceptual art. For me, if you're going to paint it - it's got to have a strong idea. Take the viewer behind the surface.
At first "Lunch" appears Pop but the painting is concerned about pollution and the wastefulness of throwaway packaging in America's runaway consumerism. McDonald's had turned packaging into a science.
The second significant note about this painting is it is the last painting I ever painted from life.
What's ironic is I created advertising commercials for McDonald's in the 1980's.
Please forgive me...
