Father & Son
Medium
Oil on canvas, MP3 on Premiere Pro
Date
September - December 2023
What does love look like in a father/son relationship? How do men express love to one another? These are the two questions I've been trying to answer and this series attempts to answer those questions. My research into art history led me to discover that almost all father and son related artworks can be placed into two categories: transactional or commonality. Transactional artworks are ones where the father is passing something down to the son or giving something to the son. Most commonly this comes in the form of passing down a business, skill, or object. Commonality is represented as the father and son bonding over a shared event, thing, or person. The father and son connection is coming from some sort of external thing that can be shared between them. My personal interests and my personal relationship with my father led to the creation of these two paintings. One painting explores the category of commonality and the other attempts to be something new that explores silent moments of love. Paired with each painting is a self made audioscape that is meant to fully immerse the viewer into the works. I’m not sure if I found an answer to either of the proposed questions but I did find personal growth and reflection through entertaining them and creating artworks with them.
Sawyer Kron
Father & Son, 2023
Oil paint, canvas
30 x 24 in.
Father & Son is a self portrait that encapsulates the relationship between me and my father. We are both avid New York Mets fans and this painting has been in my mind for months. We attend a plethora of Mets games each year and it's a highlight for both of us. Even if we are not talking the whole time we are both appreciating each other's company in the silence and appreciation of the game. I captured a moment in which we are about to high five one another with small smiling grins on both of our faces. The moment I captured is the expression of love. I wanted us to be in the motion of high fiving so that the process of bonding and connection could be isolated. That moment is surrounded by yelling and screaming fans and provides a stark contrast between the tender moment and the rowdiness of sporting events. Dad when you read this I want you to know that this painting is a gift to you and that I love you.
The audiopiece that accompanies this painting is composed of Son of Nyx by Hozier and audio clips from the Mets announcers: Gary, Keith, and Ron. I found some of the most memorable Gary Cohen calls and some of the most memorable for me personally and spliced them in between Son of Nyx. Son of Nyx is a special song for Hozier because it is a tribute to the late father of his close friend and bass player, Alex Ryan. Hozier stated, “He [Alex Ryan] sent me a voice memo with him just sitting at a piano and playing this beautiful piece. What you’re hearing is literally just the voice memo.“ Ryan sent him the note shortly after his father’s death. "Alex’s father’s name was Nick. So Alex, then, being a son of Nick, is a reference there, too, to honor his father. When I first heard it, I just thought it was staggeringly beautiful.” This song memorializes the father and son relationship through a beautiful instrumental tribute. I took this song and added my own personal interests into the piece and morphed it into something that is understood by both me and my father as special moments.
Sawyer Kron
Car Ride, 2023
Oil paint, canvas
30 x 36 in.
Car Ride is a self portrait that depicts the tranquility of a late night drive. Four figures and my dog can be seen in the painting. My brother, Malcolm, is the figure sleeping on the right side of the painting, and my mom, Amy, is petting my dog, Penny, in the passenger seat. Both me and my father, Sean, can be seen side by side in the rearview mirror. My other brother, Nate, would theoretically be behind Malcolm in the third row (sorry for not including you). Our family does a fair bit of traveling and I wanted to explore the bonding in these in transit moments of stillness. The biggest thing I learned about my family is that love between men, especially father and son, is expressed through physically showing up. In other words, just being there. This sort of love goes unspoken but is innate. Family car rides are a perfect example of the close and intimate family dynamic all surrounding the concept of showing up and being present.
The audiopiece that accompanies this painting is composed of Come Away With Me by Nora Jones and ambient driving sounds. This experience is meant to simulate what car rides feel like for me personally and hopefully can be interpreted through the viewers own perspective. Nora Jones is special to me because that was the artist who I would fall asleep to as a child. I chose Come Away With Me because the lyrics radiate this sense of belonging and travel. To this day Nora Jones still puts me to sleep and when I reflect upon that I am filled with joy and contentment as it reminds me of the love and care my parents have for me.