The artist is a deeply religious man concerned with metaphysics; he says that this painting “depicts the raising of human dignity, out of the material, out of the animal kingdom, out of commerce, out of war, out of art, out of the ephemeral daily waste that fills our bins; the very best and worst of ‘mere matter.’” Wood explains that the two girls represent the “dogged effort and gentle grace” of god, and are lifting humanity out of its material bindings that tie it to physical life on this planet.
