In ‘Bear on chain’ I wanted to use a found traditional bear baiting illustration from the 19th century (by Henry Alken) and repaint it from the ground up, replacing the traditional hounds with the modern day Boston Dynamic robotic dog. Continuing the dystopian future narrative but pushing the dialog from modern day to the Victorian era for its absurdity and levity in the face of a potential grim future.
The theme of the bear is also purposely used in the painting as a direct reference to our present market conditions and the eternal battle between the ‘bulls’ and the ‘bears’.
0x108b
