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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Year: 2023
Size: 6 × 8 inches
Display: Black frame
Medium: Watercolor
Three cartoon figures represent three ways the artist once felt he was destroying himself each day. Their soft bodies, playful colors, and vintage appearance initially make the scene feel harmless, but each figure reveals a different form of pain hidden beneath the cheerful surface.
“Pop” represents suicidal thoughts and the fear that the pressure inside could erupt at any moment. “Snap” shows a figure constrained by a rope, symbolizing the feeling of being trapped in a life from which nothing seemed capable of providing an escape. The stretched neck and tilted head express the daily strain of feeling emotionally restricted and close to breaking. “Glug” represents the heavy drinking used to silence those thoughts. The artist drank every last drop in an attempt to escape his unhappiness and the person he believed himself to be.
The three figures also represent the people the artist surrounded himself with during that period. They shared similar struggles and drank together, not necessarily because they were celebrating, but because none of them wanted to confront their pain alone. Their companionship provided temporary comfort while also keeping them inside the same destructive cycle.
Pop, Snap, Glug uses the visual language of childhood cartoons to expose experiences that were anything but innocent. Painted in 2023, the piece preserves the darkness of who the artist was while documenting how far he has come. He is no longer drinking and can now view the work from a place of happiness, sobriety, and self-acceptance. The painting remembers the pain without allowing that pain to define the person he has become.
If you are struggling, please talk to someone. You do not have to face it alone. In the United States, call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Year: 2023
Size: 6 × 8 inches
Display: Black frame
Medium: Watercolor
Three cartoon figures represent three ways the artist once felt he was destroying himself each day. Their soft bodies, playful colors, and vintage appearance initially make the scene feel harmless, but each figure reveals a different form of pain hidden beneath the cheerful surface.
“Pop” represents suicidal thoughts and the fear that the pressure inside could erupt at any moment. “Snap” shows a figure constrained by a rope, symbolizing the feeling of being trapped in a life from which nothing seemed capable of providing an escape. The stretched neck and tilted head express the daily strain of feeling emotionally restricted and close to breaking. “Glug” represents the heavy drinking used to silence those thoughts. The artist drank every last drop in an attempt to escape his unhappiness and the person he believed himself to be.
The three figures also represent the people the artist surrounded himself with during that period. They shared similar struggles and drank together, not necessarily because they were celebrating, but because none of them wanted to confront their pain alone. Their companionship provided temporary comfort while also keeping them inside the same destructive cycle.
Pop, Snap, Glug uses the visual language of childhood cartoons to expose experiences that were anything but innocent. Painted in 2023, the piece preserves the darkness of who the artist was while documenting how far he has come. He is no longer drinking and can now view the work from a place of happiness, sobriety, and self-acceptance. The painting remembers the pain without allowing that pain to define the person he has become.
If you are struggling, please talk to someone. You do not have to face it alone. In the United States, call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.