Art: The Refuge of Hades by Joe Papagoda, @papagoda

MESTASTIANITY

Cancer has its own rituals. The way smoke

rises, ordered, three inches

the diverges, spreads through airstream.

Waking up to consider

the options—getting out of bed,

suicide. Oversensitivity.

A lump, discovered, is never

not felt again.

 

Cancer has its own dogma, its language,

incomprehensible

to the uninitiated. Metastasize.

The church says its masses

in cells, proselytizes. Spreads.

Inoperable. Religion rooted out in the cities

thrives in the backwaters, where no one

thinks to look.

Wildfire.

 

Cancer has its own passion.

Thin wasted beaten lashed scarred

finality.


About the author:

Robert Beveridge makes noise (xterminal.bandcamp.com) and writes poetry just outside Cleveland, OH. Recent/upcoming appearances include Pulsar, Tessellate, and Scarlet Leaf Review, among others.

Art: The Refuge of Hades from the Myth series by Joe Papagoda, @papagoda

In the artist’s words:

Myths is a body of work which is allegorical, and timeless. These artworks are based loosely on the timeless archetype of ancient myths and evoke an expressive power in lieu of figurative suggestions by combining the intense emotional aspect of color theory with dynamic fluid imagery. They’re presented as color fields which are boldly known for their primordial essence – making them the perfect basis for such a mythic art. In further rejection of figurative imagery, these artworks are created in conjunction with narrative titles to serve in part as a mechanism meant to empower creative vision in the mind of the viewer – as if a story were being read.

Often created with the painting against the ground, the artist begins painting by hand with brush applied directly on the canvas to build a foundation of soft, and sometimes heavy brush stokes. A custom mix of fluid acrylics or other mixed mediums are applied over this foundation offering great control over the final organic composition.

Joseph Papagoda CEO of Joe Papagoda Enterprises, LLC Born May 21, 1992 North Haven, Connecticut Education Academy of Art University 2014 – 2016 // BFA // Art History 2011 – 2014 // AA // Photography Collaborations Artstar.com (Gallery rep) Tilden Hotel Princeton Brush Co La Forma (Clothing line) Exhibitions 2017 Group exhibition, Post-Presence, RayKo Photo Center, San Francisco, CA. Jan 17 – 23. Group exhibition, Twitter Art Exhibit, Stratford ArtsHouse, Warwickshire, United Kingdom. April 1 – April 17. 2016 Group exhibition, 31st Annual Juried Fine Art Show, Louisville Art Association, Louisville, CO. Group exhibition, Spring Show, Academy of Art University Warehouse, San Francisco, CA. Group exhibition, Twitter Art Exhibit, Trygve Lie Gallery, New York, New York. Group exhibition, 5th Annual Square Foot show, The Arts of Life inc, Chicago, Illinois. Group exhibition, Star Wars: The Exhibit Online Show, Artist Mafia, Las Vegas, Nevada. 2015 Group exhibition, The Average Joe Photo Show, Lori Warner Studio Gallery, Chester, Connecticut. Group exhibition, Star Wars Awakening Art Show, Red Lion Pub, Winter Park, Florida. Group exhibition, Autumn Colors Exhibition, Focus Point Shape International. Group exhibition, Abstract Exhibition, Focus Point Shape International. Group exhibition, Portraits Exhibition, Focus Point Shape International. 2014 Group exhibition, The Average Joe Photo Show, Lori Warner Studio Gallery, Chester, Connecticut. 2013 Group exhibition, The Average Joe Photo Show, Lori Warner Studio Gallery, Chester, Connecticut. Awards & Recognition 2016 Award of Excellence​, Finalist, Photographer’s FORUM Magazine. Photographer Award​, from the Average Joe Photo Show, Lori Warner Studio Gallery in Chester, Connecticut. 2015 First Place Award​, Abstract Competition for acrylic painting “The Eos Crisis”, awarded by Focus Point Shape International Art Gallery. Second Place Award​, Portraits Competition for “Self-Portrait”, awarded by Focus Point Shape International Art Gallery. 2014 Photographer Award​, from the Average Joe Photo Show, Lori Warner Studio Gallery in Chester, Connecticut.