Artist Statement: Once upon a time is now! Walking through the gardens of Silo 6776, I came across flowers and wild animals. I felt like painting what I saw. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, wildflowers—all my favorites—ignited a personal narrative. I looked for my old copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I parted its pages and came across “Hansel and Gretel”. Rife with famine, darkness, and death, the story’s themes unconsciously led to the title Beef Jerky. I impulsively worked on painting both canvases and objects. Among the feelings that bubbled to the surface, I felt compassion toward the witch holding Hansel and Gretel hostage—she is blind, after all. In response I painted Saint Lucy, protector of eyes, to give her vision and light. The imagery of the story was referenced and abstracted through the work. Hansel locked in a cage seemed to resonate with today's political climate. Our country can look like a house made of candy, but is it really? The dark side belies the facade. Fairy tales signify highs and lows of life—magical twists and turns can be seen as intuition's role in providing solutions.  

Artist Bio: Scooter LaForge (b. Las Cruces, New Mexico) is a New York-based artist who has lived in the East Village for the past 18 years. His unique style mines the catalog of art history by infusing classical themes with a colorful sensibility. LaForge works in various media, including painting, sculpture, and drawing, and employs unorthodox techniques and striking iconic images.