Frangible Red

Acrylic on board & wire mesh
10 1/2” x 20”
June 14, 2022

Because of my blood cancer and my brother's death a bit over a year ago, I thought about how very fragile life is. Not just human life, but everything from the largest living organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae fungus, to the smallest, Nanoarchaeum equitans. All of them, including us, can die unpredictably for any reason. Environment, age, natural causes, pollution, bad luck, mistakes, disease, and countless other factors.

Very few will live to their fullest, but still, we all can die anytime.

I watched flowers come and go every year. I was excited to see them bloom in the spring and saddened to see them decline over time due to drought, heat, infestation, or simply disappear. They were not just fragile. They were frangible. A touch, a storm, an infection, or simple neglect could break them down. Some return, while others don't.

Life is fragile. So cherish your life and take good care of yourself. It'll be your turn, my turn, or someone else's turn anytime.

Visual Description: The vertically framed painting hangs on a gray wall. The surface is layered in soft, weathered grays. A single black flower with a quinacridone burnt orange center rises on a thin stem with a single thorn near the top. Below it, a separate panel of wire mesh floats slightly above the board, secured at four corners with barely visible screws. The bright orange center contrasts against the muted gray tones.