The artist writes “The working title for ‘…And They Danced…’ was ‘Yin and Yang.’ The ancient Chinese characters for Yin and Yang literally mean ‘the shady side of a hill’ and ‘the sunny side of a hill.’ It is an acknowledgement of essential dualities without judgement. Of course, you can take this painting to illustrate the feuds couples inherently face, but my greater intent behind this work is rooted in the gender conflict that has come to head lately. I think we get into trouble when we start saying that men or women are singularly anything: less than, more than, adventurous, girly, etc. The masculine and the feminine are traits that knock around inside each of us. That’s why I flipped the hands of the male figure (left) and the female figure (right). Those arms symbolize the two dots in the Yin and Yang that show fluidity between what we would perceive as absolutes. I also put the male in a more feminine stance, while the female holds a more masculine pose. The boner is a visual representation of attraction. Our bodies are great; our minds are powerful; and our souls are transcendent.”
