Oil painting and collage on canvas panel. 14.5" x 18.5"with black floater frame. Wired and ready to hang!

My oil painting, "What Is A Man Anyhow?" is in honor of Walt Whitman's 200th birthday and is Inspired by the poem, "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman. My interpretation of the poem, "Song of Myself" reflects Whitmans's views on the inequity of life in America during his time. Whitman communicates his torment and thoughts on mankind and the contradictions of democracy in the late 1800s. His words from the 1800s are as relevant then as they are today in the 2000s. For my painting, I used an excerpt from Section 20 of the 1892 version of "Song of Myself." The torment of the poem is reflected in the subject of the painting's facial expression as well as his gesture. And I loved the verse - "I will wear my hat as I please."

Christina Tarkoff
Drexel Hill, PA
christina@christinatarkoff.com