Don’t Be Like Mike, 2023
Acrylic, ethylene-vinyl acetate, wood frame on canvas
41 x 53 in.
The marketing of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls was everywhere in the 90s. Everywhere.
Being born and bred in Chicago, this team was a salvation to our midwest, gray skied self-esteem.
Pictured are Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan showcased in a playing card style on top of an outline relief of a nude woman.
From the perspective of myself as a young male, this painting represented my development of masculinity and sexual power inspired by the athleticism of this team. In my mind at the time, athletes were considered to be the modern hunter using their physical dominance to provide food, sex and money.
And then, there came a time that being ‘Like Mike’, or anybody else, no longer served me. The large pink line represents a new layer of skin and a new level of living.
And a time to create a new personal narrative of becoming my own hero.