We are big fans of the abstract here at artradio.tv. We love art that is loaded with hidden meanings and subtext. The greatest enjoyment we get out of art is when we are able to attach our own meanings to a piece through our individual and unique interpretations.

It should come as no surprise then that we absolutely love Marco Pascalis's portfolio of work. Check it out and get lost in each painting, trying to decode its message. It’s rare to find an artist, whose work is so impenetrable, challenging yet so rewarding.
                                                                                    
http://www.artradio.tv/marcopascalis/

This dark and atmospheric piece is called ‘The Decline of Human Wisdom’. At first glance, there is something nightmarish about this painting. The pitch black sky, the horrific imagery, off-kilter proportions and askew angles create an unsettling feeling. But after closer inspection and deep analysis, certain details seem to stick out. The finger like extensions at the end of the branches, the damaged books, the mushrooms, the old man’s face; what does it all mean?

From my perspective, the key themes are age and isolation. The old man is an embodiment of human wisdom. Through age he has accumulated experience, which he can pass down to future generations just as it was passed down to him by his elders. But here he is, old and forgotten at the top of a cliff. He has been there so long that his roots have become one with the cliff. He has knowledge and wisdom exploding from his head, but even the branches representing this wealth of experience have decayed. All that remains of the fingers are bones and the old books are worn away and damaged.

In our modern times, our generation and our parents’ generation have progressed so far and made so many advancements in technology. But at the same time, our wisdom has slowly been vanishing. Our treatment of our elders and the elderly has become increasingly dismissive and we refuse to look back and take on the wisdom of those who have come before us, instead choosing to stubbornly look forward but with no compass to guide us.

The look of sadness and regret on Old Man Wisdom’s face is clear. The pale tinge of blue throughout this picture perfectly captures a sense of being lost in time and forgotten. But then again, that’s only my interpretation, what’s yours? Whatever it is, you can’t deny that this piece of art is dark, moody, gorgeous and endlessly thought-provoking, nothing short of genius!