Pothier is one of us narrative artists here in Portland. About this painting he says: “I experimented with the idea of having the couple hold hands or not. I liked them having this semi-romantic union in the midst of this absence. I’ve used the image of a road many times in my work. I like using this visual device because it brings you into the frame, gives the subject perspective, and it’s a thing that everyone can relate with. I put a button clicker in his hand; the clicker is to be pressed in an emergency… For a while I wasn’t sure what to put in her hand, but I wanted her to be holding some kind of object. The idea of the dice came to me as a metaphor for gambling, a game of chance, but I put the number 11 on the dice purposely because it’s a lucky number in my family. All in all, I wanted the image to be read in many ways; some may feel disturbed but it’s kind of surreal, is semi-humorous, and sheds light on the fears of some.”
