Pittsburgh Mantis 1.0
On Saatchi Art
Original painting sold. Prints and merchandise are available on Fine Art America.
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The narrative for Pittsburgh Mantis 1.0 lampoons the constant presence of predatory insects patrolling the yard, shifting the comedic lens to a pair of praying mantises conducting a holy ritual. Rather than treating these beneficial yet highly aggressive garden hunters as simple bugs hidden among the foliage, the Bloomin Fool imagines them holding an exclusive sunrise service on Mount Washington with a magnificent view of the Pittsburgh skyline. Reimagined in solemn religious attire, a stately mantis bishop in an ornate mitre and golden vestments stands alongside a devout companion dressed in a traditional black and white habit. Together, they bow their heads over a golden platter, blessing a fresh, multi-course congregation of houseflies. This satirical portrait perfectly bottles up the sheer irony of predatory insects posing as peaceful, righteous figures while systematically preparing to devour the lesser pests of the Western Pennsylvania landscape.
Visually, this original 8×8 inch painting frames the holy figures against a detailed, sunrise-tinted panorama of downtown Pittsburgh. The background sky transitions from a soft morning gold to a vibrant, crisp cerulean blue, illuminating the distinct vertical geometric forms of the city’s skyscrapers and the sweeping framework of an iconic yellow river bridge. In the foreground, the companion’s habit is blocked in with a dense, heavy layer of ivory black that emphasizes folded, spiked green forelegs and a delicate wooden rosary cross. The bishop’s white robes are built with unbleached titanium white and soft grey shadows, accented by intricate, dry-brushed patterns of metallic gold and raw umber along the stoles. A glowing, metallic gold glaze defines the large offering platter, providing a high-contrast stage for five meticulously detailed flies rendered with fine lines of charcoal black and tiny, warning dots of cadmium red for their compound eyes.