Bubble Economy, 1998, Oil and Canvas.

Painter: Ham
From: Poly Morph series.

In this painting I used the same idea I used in the Fruitface Guardian painting. I used fruit and other objects to make a face. I call this idea 'Poly' because I use many things to make one thing.

In the Bubble Economy, on the right handside of the painting, one can see ant hills and buildings. I imagined the ant hills were (structures functioning) like buildings and people (functioning) like ants. Implying that one thing is like another (metaphor and analogy), potentially deepens the paitings meaning.  Painting living things such as ants living in ant hills just as people live in buildings, invites the viewer to see an obvious common connections between both people ants. People cooperate, to build structures to live in, and so too do ants. Structured communities both above and below the ground. Human colonies + ant colonies = common structures and functions.  In this respect we can say hay this looks like that or that is similar to this and use these ideas to create general meaning and understanding.

From the common comparison, once recognised, we can then deconstruct by distinguishing differences and define details. In other words we can recognise general shapes and their place in a bigger picture of understanding.

Paintings can tell stories. When we look into paintings they enter us through our eyes. The more we look the more we might see this is like that and that is like this. 

Look more what else can you see and what does it mean in relation to other things.
Why do painters name their paintings?
What is a 'Bubble Economy'?

Hamish Maynard Stokes