Decline of America
Every painting in Chronicle of an Unquiet Age documents the defining events, people, and issues that shaped its moment in history. Created in real time as events unfolded, each work serves as both an original oil painting and a historical record, reflecting the belief that the news of today is the history of tomorrow.
TRTA-2021-028 | April 2021 | Oil on Canvas | 34" x 26"
This work in The Next Chapter series reflects the growing unease of April 2021 as debates over economic policy, border security, inflation, public health mandates, and national leadership intensified.
The Decline of America, painting captures fears that the country was entering a period of weakening institutions, cultural division, and diminished confidence.
Featured are Biden and Putin in a face off at the G7 Summit in Geneva and is the first appearance of Biden on the world stage. Biden blunders and displays confusion and ineptitude. Macron says "you're back in the club" but what does that mean for America? Hunter is painting now and selling his art blown through a straw for upwards of $500k a piece. Is this the latest pay to play from Hunter? Governor Greg Abbott vows to continue to protect the Southern Border and continue to build the Wall. In this painting we see a layered portrait of a nation under strain. References to rising costs, foreign challenges, social unrest, and shifting public priorities suggest a broader anxiety about America’s direction at home and abroad.
Painted in real time, the work preserves the atmosphere of frustration, concern, and polarization that marked the spring of 2021. We see a moment when many citizens openly question whether the nation is advancing—or steadily losing ground.
