Morganite II

2016
Acrylic and acrylic transfer on linen
39.5" W x 39.5" H x 1" D
series: american minerals

about the series

“American Minerals” (2014-16) are a mash-up of pop culture, sociology, scientific data and the raw beauty of stones. These large acrylic paintings show crystal shapes against the backdrop of scientific mineral data that has been reinterpreted as scales of human traits. Each mineral property (hard, dense, lustrous, etc.) is represented by the face of a widely recognized persona plucked from the spectrum of a contemporary American's cultural references. The American "Minerals" series was later redeveloped using faces that are famous in Japan, proving that – regardless of culture – a cliché, a stereotype or a façade always hides something more complex.

The Mineralogical Scales (American Interpretation): 

  • High Hardness: Clint Eastwood, the quintessential tough guy in American cinema

  • Low Hardness: Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, fictional marshmallow brand mascot

  • High Color: Barry White, African-American soul musician

  • Low Color: Jack Black, white American actor

  • High Streak (true color): Severus Snape, hard-to-pin character from the Harry Potter series

  • Low Streak (true color): Judas Iscariot, double-crossing disciple of Christ

  • High Transparency: Abraham Lincoln, American president with the nickname “Honest Abe”

  • Low Transparency: Kim Jong Il, North Korean dictator

  • High Luster (diamond-like): Elizabeth Taylor, actress known for her love of diamonds

  • Low Luster (greasy): Danny Zuko, oily-haired main character from the musical “Grease”

  • High Cleavage: Dolly Parton, buxom singer-songwriter

  • Low Cleavage: Keira Knightley, lithe actress with a flat chest

  • High Habit/Form (shape): Chris Christie, defiantly obese politician

  • Low Habit/Form (shape): Kate Moss, supermodel waif of the 1990s

  • High Density: Paris Hilton, heiress and dumb blonde archetype

  • Low Density: Albert Einstein, scientist whose name is synonymous with intelligence

  • High Symmetry: Parvati, many-armed Hindu goddess

  • Low Symmetry: Owen Wilson, crooked-nosed actor

  • High Chemistry: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, A-list couple famous for their romance

  • Low Chemistry: Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, taboo couple who were once stepfather and stepdaughter