Piano Man: The Survival Of Hope

"As a child in New York City, I walked by this one neighborhood church where I heard Piano Man playing gospel music which, to me, gave me the feeling of hope. And that's the subject matter of this painting: hope and the expression thereof. From the time that we are born, society places mental blocks in our paths which we eventually accept or condone. Despite these obstacles, hope is what gives us the potential to empower ourselves, to create our own truth and, ultimately, to choose our own destiny. In Piano Man, hope is symbolized by the musician whose image is one of striving to achieve against the odds. The hands of Piano Man, painted as blocks, represent the stifling forces of self-doubt...even though the blocks are really not in the hands, but in the mind. The bold colors are the life and soul of hope. The eyes challenge you, the viewer, to look within."

Soraida Martinez

© Copyright 1993