March of Time

 

Monique Martin

Oil on Canvas

 

 

Time marches toward the confluences of harmony and conflict.  It is inevitable in nature and community that conflict will occur. It would be unnatural for life on this planet to exist without conflict.  There is beauty in the brutality of the lioness taking down the zebra during a kill.  If all the thousands of seeds in pinecones were to survive to adulthood, there would not be enough solid ground left for other life.  All things in life march toward the final conflux of death. 

 

The images in shades of black and white represent the loss of innocence each person suffers through aging.   As each individual learns more about the world around them, it becomes more difficult to filter information in order to make decisions that satisfy their moral needs.  Adults try to find a balance that will match their understanding with their feelings on what is best to do.  There is a difference between fair and equal that causes conflict within each individual, as issues are not clearly solved in terms of black and white. 

 

The color within the work finds the harmony within the conflict.  The plant life struggles with the presence of the soldierŐs boots, and pushing through is a beauty found by realizing that existence means dealing with conflict.  People throughout history have had to deal with issues larger than their understanding.  Each individual searches for the harmony within the conflict when there is a change of attitude toward the situation.   Humans remember the colorful moments in their lives, while the everyday blends into shades of black and white.