Claws. Leonard Koscianski, 46″x66″, oil on canvas, 2012.
Claws is a large painting in oils on canvas. It is a wholly imaginary and surreal image of animal conflict. Being surreal, it can be read as a symbol of human conflict. The scene takes place behind a suburban home, which places it in a human context. Brush strokes are used to create texture, especially in the foreground leaves. The colors are symbolic with warm, even hot colors in the animal dominated foreground, and tranquil blues and greens in the distance. Even though the theme is fierce, there is a rhythmic elegance to the composition as a whole. This rhythmic quality harks back to the Mannerist paintings of 16th Century Italy. This borrowing of styles from the past makes this painting Postmodern in style.