Unreality

Unreality
A momentary escape
Is it wrong to dream?

I painted this in January of 2020, my senior semester of college. It depicts two of my friends in a moment of candor at a party. One figure holds two open cans in her hands, the other smokes a cigarette. The figures gaze directly at the viewer, pulling the viewer into the scene, and the haiku seems to ask the viewer directly: is it wrong to dream? Is it wrong to enjoy? Is it wrong to indulge? Is it wrong to alter or to escape reality?

While painting this, I asked myself many questions, including where does the boundary lie between enjoyment and indulgence? When can self-medication become self-harm? Does reality exist? How can one find balance in a world of constant change and impermanence?