The 14 pieces of the Enigma Variations, borrowing the title and concept from Edward Elgar, represent 14 significant periods, or sometimes events, in my life. The project didn’t begin as an autobiography, but as with most projects, soon after inception they direct themselves.
Each began with a particular automobile (autos being the spirit of southern California) and a significant time, but it soon became apparent that the automobile and time represented me in that time and place. The titles give you the car, the location, and the date. That is really all you need. I don’t believe in overly descriptive labels; these are visual works after all. Enjoy the visual.
However, I will give you more about the last piece. 2017, the year I retired from architectural and engineering practice, the year I was free to work art 24/7 for the first time in my life. The auto, which you may assume represents the artist, is stuck in a vastness of options, or opportunities. On the right are the usual color choices for the automobile, which now are enhanced by images representative of the 26-nation world tour undertaken by the artist, most locations overlain by their local mythical gods or spirits, an hymn to the mysteries and vagaries of retirement.
