James Behan

"No man steps in the same river twice, it is not the same river and he is not the same man."    Heraclitus

These paintings are a meditation on the elemental aspects of water and wind as metaphors for human experience. They underscore how, as with natural currents, human persons often have little or no control over the moments in life that overtake and overwhelm, whether slowly and deliberately, or suddenly and unexpectedly.

These paintings examine the notion of the idealized human being;  how subcultures (social, religious, political) both inflate and deflate personalities (real and created) to establish beliefs to fulfill ever changing aspirations of human behavior.

These works start with commercially produced artwork highlighting popular, often trite or amusing inspirational sayings / word-plays. Obscured with both planned and spontaneous applications of paint, the residue of text meant to uplift mirrors the complexity in responding in simplistic terms to difficult moments that confront and challenge every person.