Arrogance: Man as God

Arrogance
Oil Pastel on paper
20 x 24"
2006

As I previously discussed, the inevitable feeling of inadequacy of being human is appropriate because we were created. Because we were created by a Higher Being, we strive to ulimately be like Him. God-likeness is man's goal, in other words. Our decision-making, action-taking, and emotional dispositions are effected by this drive toward the Universal Good.

Often, however, the goal becomes obscured by our own selfish motives. We begin to separate ourselves from the Universal and fall in love with our particular needs. Here, we tend to place our desires ahead of everyone else's needs. Suddenly, our goals are more important and we feel that we have a sort of "priority" over others. This, of course, is arrogance, or as I understand it, replacing God, the Universal goal, with oneself, a particular need. For some, this state of mind incumbently defines their character. For others, it's only felt once in a while. Whatever the case, it is part of human nature to get caught up in goals.

In arrogance, man places himself at the top of an imaginary hierarchy, a false class structure. The only hierarchical relationship that exists by nature is the one between the Creator and the created. Despite the classes we invent on Earth to order society are trumped immediately by the natural Order. We forget that a lot!

This would have been part of my thesis exhibition but I felt that the image was not illustrative enough. The drawing was fairly successful but it would have been difficult to create an adequate print made of small dots. I chose to elimate it completely. No print was ever created.