Superman’s Dead 2012

Dave Macdowell painted Superman's Dead in the 20th century, maybe with acrylics, given the smooth, airbrushed finish. The painting is dominated by this figure, a woman with red-rimmed eyes, tears streaming down her face, wearing a purple shirt with Superman's logo on it. The redness is everywhere, like a burning heart. I wonder what Dave Macdowell was thinking when he made it. He must have felt the loss, the sense of vulnerability, and perhaps the recognition that even heroes are not immortal. The tears could be seen as paint strokes, each drop a mark of grief and a testament to the power of human emotion. There is an exchange of ideas happening, a conversation about the stories we tell ourselves. I see the relationship to other figurative painters, or even to comic book art, and how they explore themes of identity, vulnerability, and resilience. There is something very personal in the marks, the color choices.