Holy Icon

"Walt Disney Music Hall", Acrylic on canvas, June 2013

The main subject of the painting is the music hall. The metal exterior of this architecturally unique building, with its characteristic lines that collide, is offered in pictorial form. Because within this building is the temple of music, we have the anthropomorphism of music as a woman. The building appears as a type of boat within which this woman stands, and which is headed toward us.

The woman has a mysterious face that is both attractive as well as peaceful, with red hair, and holding in one hand a lyre, the symbol of music, and in the other a mask, the symbol of the theater, of the ancient tragedies. The background includes planets, which revolve around the symbol of music. There are also circles that surround the entire background, so as to give music a sense of universalism - music transports us from earth to other, fantastical and mysterious, worlds. To the right is a hot air balloon and to the left is an airplane, which are symbols of Los Angeles, as well as of the movement of humans within this space. Humans move in this space, just as the planets move through space. It’s interesting to note the difference between the lyre and the mask. The mask appears as though it’s going to cry, influenced by the tragedies that it expresses. The lyre, on the other hand, seems to be at peace, which suggests that music is an attempt to overcome tragedy.