circular ruins realization

2002
korean egg tempera on bristol board
19" x 24"

"with relief, with humiliation, with terror, he realized that he, too, was but appearance, that another man was dreaming him."
—jorge luis borges: the circular ruins

i think everyone should have some kind of fire burning within them—something that makes them tick and drives them to accomplish things and live life in general. i thought, what it must be like to realize you're not real? devastating? my fire would surely be extinguished upon hearing it, which is what the burnt-out candle in this piece represents. it symbolizes the man's extinguished spirit, physical being and his dreams. the purple of the candle is also in "circular ruins creation" and "circular ruins dream"; in this piece you finally see what it is.

see also: circular ruins vision