Artist's Statement About The Work

Choosing Sides of The Mansion In Texas.

The painting is a large "burned" painting of the Texas Governors Mansion. The mansion was burned
down in the summer of 2008 and still stands mostly un-repaired and no real clue as to who actually
"dun it". An event that bothered me greatly as I spent my childhood in Austin going to church across
the street from the mansion... many times Governor Shivers and other governors sat with
us in our "family pew".... We loved seeing that old mansion every Sunday!

Hidden in the "burned side" are my "persons/things of interest".... The alleged molotov cocktail
"thrower", Governor Perry, Highway Patrol personnel, Kinky Freeman, past governor Ann Richards- a
notorious chain smoker, The UT Tower, The Texas Capitol building, civil war canon sculpture "tenders",
the "Columbia" sculpture figure from the UT Littlefield Fountain who holds aloft 2 flaming torches
(She (Columbia) is the symbol of independence), etc.

My "suspects" make about as much sense as the story presented by the Texas Highway Patrol officials.
The vacant building was supposed to be under guard by the Highway Patrol at that time.

Here's what I think happened, which the officials will never admit, - a sleepy Texas Highway Patrol
guard was smoking and dropped a cigarette on the front porch and the building burned down...

There is now controversy over how to repair the building. "Add on" or try to rebuild as close as
possible to the original building. Many old structural issues will have to be dealt with.

So, at the end of the day, a Texas icon of truth and beauty has been destroyed.
The building now stands as a symbol of a Texas turning point or decision... do we choose
to accept and live with destruction and deception or do we choose to seek out and
rebuild beauty.

Production Notes: I visited the site shortly after the incident to take photographs. The
building was partially covered from view. Recently the entire facade seems to be covered with water proof
material and completely fenced in with opaque canvas on every fence so all views are completely blocked.
There are signs of construction in the works. I painted the sides of the mansion on 3/4 inch
russian birch and hauled the painted right hand side to Fredericksburg, Texas and burned it in an old
barn. We found the acrylic paint did not burn easily and we resorted to pouring "a lot" of gasoline
on the painting and burning and reburning it many times. The "figures" were formed by laying tar paper cut
outs over the surface and taking up and repositioning them until the desired effect was achieved.
Pretty smelly and dangerous work.

Do I feel better now? No, Not really.