"Things Aren’t As They Seem" challenges our perception of reality and questions who truly holds control. It reveals two worlds: a modern cityscape and an industrial-age setting hidden behind a giant curtain. Behind this curtain, gears and machinery symbolize the systems powering society, suggesting that we’re all part of a vast industrial machine.

A man riding a penny-farthing bicycle—a symbol of wealth and status—is elevated high above everything, embodying power and influence. Yet, the bicycle’s notorious instability and danger make it a metaphor for the fragility of power. Even the slightest bump could send the rider crashing down, much like those who “pull the strings” are often more vulnerable than they appear.

By drawing back the curtain, the rider exposes the machinery that drives modern life, challenging our assumptions about who holds real control and what’s truly real. It invites us to look beyond the surface and explore the deeper truths of influence and power.

Cliff Powell

Things Aren't As They Seem

"Voyage of the Infinite" is an acrylic painting featuring a wooden ship with unfurled sails navigating an ethereal sea of clouds. The warm glow from its cabin suggests guidance on a mysterious journey, symbolizing exploration of uncharted realms. A massive, cratered planet looms, casting an otherworldly glow, while a striped lighthouse stands on a floating island, offering both guidance and invitation. The sky transitions from pink to purple to blue, studded with stars that enhance the dreamlike scene. This surreal artwork is a poetic allegory for life's quest for knowledge, creativity, and self-discovery.

Voyage of the Infinite

"The Paradox of Embrace" presents a thought-provoking narrative, depicting a magenta-tentacled octopus wrapped around the Earth. Set against a cosmic backdrop, the octopus symbolizes duality—either a guardian cradling the planet or a force threatening to suffocate it. The octopus's neutral gaze invites interpretation, embodying wisdom, mystery, and potential danger.

Colors play a vital role: blue clouds suggest peace, while red clouds hint at aggression. The magenta tentacles symbolize growth and creativity, contrasting with the orange head, which signals danger. The Earth's light and dark sides further emphasize the duality—hope versus shadow, transformation versus destruction.

This artwork challenges viewers to explore the fine line between protection and oppression, growth and decay, and light and darkness, making "The Paradox of Embrace" a journey into cosmic ambiguity and deep contemplation.

The Paradox of Embrace

"Liminal Dreamscape" is a captivating 16"x 20" acrylic on canvas piece that blends reality and surrealism. This artwork features a striking depiction of a koala with contrasting elements: the upper half showcases lifelike detail with soft, gray fur and expressive eyes, while the lower half transitions into an intricate skeletal form. This juxtaposition invites contemplation of existence, transformation, and duality.

The koala clings to a tree branch against a vibrant background that shifts from warm orange to deep purple, suggesting sunset or sunrise. Tree silhouettes add depth and context, enriching the dreamlike atmosphere.

Part of the "Anatomies of Enigma" series, this piece continues exploring surreal natural settings with realistic animal heads and skeletal bodies, creating a thought-provoking visual experience that challenges the boundary between the familiar and the fantastical.

Liminal Dreamscape

"Blossoming Enchantment" is a vibrant painting featuring a large tree with a thick, twisted trunk splitting into two sections. Its outward-extending branches form a symmetrical canopy laden with vivid pink, purple, and yellow blossoms, creating a dense, colorful crown that enhances its fantastical nature.

Set against gently rolling hills in warm oranges and cool purples; the scene gains depth and surreal beauty. Green grass in the foreground grounds the fantastical elements in reality. The tree exudes life and movement with swirling boughs and vibrant colors, inviting viewers into a magical, enchanting landscape.

Inspired by the metaphorical journey of life and love, the painting symbolizes the paths we traverse, rooted in fertile ground. The twisted trunk and diverging branches signify our complex yet ever-changing journey. Notably, the heart shape created by the negative space between the two main branches of the trunk symbolizes love's enduring presence and radiant glow.

Blossoming Enchantment

"Ephemeral Assimilation" captivates the viewer with its vibrant imagery and profound symbolism. This piece features a chameleon deftly perched on a branch, surrounded by tropical foliage and an array of bright, colorful flowers. What sets this artwork apart is the striking contrast between the chameleon's detailed head and its skeletal body, creating a blend of life and anatomy.

The background of rich purples and pinks, interspersed with scattered specks, adds depth and dreaminess. This dynamic backdrop further enhances the botanical elements and imaginative juxtaposition of the chameleon's natural form with its underlying skeleton.

"Ephemeral Assimilation" serves as a metaphor for the existential struggle of fitting in. It reflects on the notion of trying so hard to assimilate into an environment that one's true essence becomes transparent or overlooked. This blend of elements invites viewers to ponder the delicate balance between visibility and transparency in one's existence.

Ephemeral Assimilation

"Musica Universalis" is a surreal piece where celestial bodies and gramophones blend harmoniously, creating a symphony of the universe. Centered in the painting is a gramophone holding the Earth instead of a record. Mini versions showcase Mars and Jupiter, creating a whimsical sense of scale and distance.

The floating islands with hanging grass and roots emphasize the scene's dreamlike and ethereal nature. The background transitions from a starry sky to a beautiful gradient of purple and orange hues, contrasting the technological and natural elements.

Inspired by the ancient philosophical concept of "Musica universalis," suggesting that celestial bodies move in harmony, creating inaudible music heard by the soul. This is represented by gramophones in space using planets as records. The art invites viewers to contemplate the universe's interconnectedness and explore the idea of celestial bodies emitting their unique hum, with the planets acting as records in a grand cosmic symphony.

Musica Universalis

Step into a world of enchantment and magic with this mesmerizing artwork, where vibrant colors swirl and dance across the canvas in a symphony of emotion and energy. A mysterious figure, silhouetted against a backdrop of warm and cool hues, crouches delicately as she blows on a dandelion, each seed transformed into a whimsical array of hearts. The hearts flutter and float away, symbolizing love and connection transcending time and space. Her windswept hair adds a sense of movement and freedom to the scene, while the lush green grass below hints at a serene outdoor setting. This piece exudes a sense of wonder and romance, inviting you to lose yourself in its ethereal beauty and dreamlike atmosphere.

Dandelion Wishes

"Floating Hearts" is a 12"x16" acrylic painting on canvas that showcases a whimsical scene where silhouetted figures dance among a sky ablaze with the colors of dawn or dusk. Two figures captivate the viewer - one standing, gazing longingly at the other who sits on a swing, lifted into the air by a cascade of heart-shaped balloons. In shades of red, these balloons add a whimsical touch to the scene, floating freely or tethered to the swing, creating a sense of weightlessness and magic. Speckles of light dot the background, adding to the ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere of the composition. The figures, adorned with blue German glass glitter, seem to shimmer with a cosmic glow, inviting you to lose yourself in this mystical and enigmatic landscape. The overall effect is a surreal and enchanting depiction that captures a moment of romance and whimsy.

Cliff Powell

collection: Surrealism

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