Spread Your Wings / Butterfly Canvas Print - 6" x 6"

Liberation. We often think of “liberation” as one entity freeing itself from another. Look at any conflict past or present, group or interpersonal, and this dynamic appears to be the case. The problem with this analysis of power is the dismissal of consciousness, of how and what we humans are thinking and why we think the thoughts we do. Conflicts repeat themselves because the same thoughts reproduce themselves generation over generation. The thinking stays the same and therefore the behaviors stay the same. “It’s a never-ending battle,” we say. “It’s always the same story,” we insist. The oppressors continue to oppress because of their thinking. Those on the receiving end become caught up in the conflict because it distorts their own thinking, keeping them cognitively and emotionally invested. The oppressor needs someone or some entity to oppress to structure their identity and the rebel needs someone or some entity to rebel against to structure their identity. Generations go by and the same old conflict manifests, only the names are different. Liberation is the freeing of consciousness from old thoughts, thoughts that ensnare and trap us in the conflict; that keep us invested in the fight. This painting represents the act of liberation from thinking that constricts. The butterflies emerge in all directions, flying and fluttering in an act of metamorphosis. Each butterfly symbolizes a new thought, a new perspective that breaks apart the old cocoon of consciousness so we can move on from the fight, exit the old patterns that left us caught up in what wasn’t ours to begin with, and structure our lives and experiences from within—not from outside ourselves in someone else’s ancient patterns.

While the original sold with a market value in the thousands, this canvas print is a way to experience the symbolism and story of the piece, and my hope is that each time you see your new print, you remember this and organize your life, your experiencing of the world, from within and from the present.

• 1.25″ (3.18 cm) thick poly-cotton blend canvas
• Canvas fabric weight: 10.15 +/- 0.74 oz./yd.² (344 g/m² +/- 25g/m²)
• Fade-resistant
• Hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars
• Mounting brackets included

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Size guide