Hanging Spout

Hanging Spout is completely inspired by quarantine boredom. When you have nowhere to go on a warm spring day, you entertain yourself however you can. I decided the old and non-functioning waterspout in my backyard would make a nice prop in a self-portrait.  

I played with this spout as a child, and after many years, it still inspires me. The spout ended up as more of a second figure than a prop. The inclusion of the spout in this painting transformed a self-portrait into a theatrical scene. Like Vladimir and Estragon, the spout and I are waiting for Godot. The placement of the handle on my head feels slapstick and makes me the butt of my own joke. The shadow of the handle, my sunglasses, and my beard all form barriers, disconnecting me from the viewer. The waiting and detachment that this painting conveys are a direct result of being in quarantine, wondering when normalcy might return.