Joey Mánlapaz not only can paint with the best of realist masters, but she can run circles around most artists when it comes to hard work... the work ethic of this artist, when combined with her enviable technical, allegorical and observational painting skills, all add up to deliver work that is not only the kind of work that "stops" the strolling crowd in a museum, but also delivers a moment in time captured in glorious detail.
About this work, she notes:
It is an upfront, radical & perhaps political painting that commemorates a significant, and yet disturbing, event in recent D.C. history. As an artist who devotes all my oeuvre on Washington, D.C., I felt very strongly to represent an aspect of my city that believes in social justice and freedom to assemble peacefully. I pulled together a montage of placards held by non-violent citizens who marched on Lafayette Square to protest systemic racism that led to the brutal killing of George Floyd and others. It was a rude awakening to see how the Trump administration completely mishandled this grave & incendiary situation. And yet, with an upcoming second Trump administration, already fraught with controversy, the open practice of police brutality, white nationalism, misogyny, and alternative facts will again be the norm
Behold Courage, 2024, 42”x60”, oil on linen:
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| Courage, 2024, 42”x60”, oil on linen by Joey Manlapaz |
