KINNARA
TOSHEE
LAyered Series
Liquid acrylic, ink, cotton rag mat, 24k gold leaf, vintage map, newspaper, resin, on deep-cradled wood panel
30" x 30" x 2.75" unframed
The kinarra is a benevolent Buddhist mythological creature; half man, half bird. There are two kinnara lampposts in Los Angeles' Thai Town, gifts of the Thai government. The gorgeous golden statues are perched on tall metallic columns and pedestals, set near a pedestrian crosswalk.
Odds are if you keep your gaze aimed low to fiddle with your phone while walking down the street, you'll miss them. They serve as a reminder to look up, not just from your devices but in general, even in a city famous for its low-rise development.
In this piece, the winged kinnara is juxtaposed with the pedestrian crossing sign, its arrow pointed down. The viewer is invited to decipher the semiotics according to their individual reading of the scene.