THE KILLING OF LIONS 2004 Two Diptychs Lion Attacking and Dying Lion ( shown here ) Lion Released and Offering of the Lion Each Work 66 inches H x 8 feet W, each bisected into two panels 33 inches H x 8 feet W x 2 inches D. Acrylic with Mineral Particles on Wood Panels These major works involve the reinterpretation of the Assyrian bas reliefs of Ninevah, and the investigation of the unexpected subversion of narrative form in these works, as proposed by Leo Bersani and Ulysse Dutoit in their book, The Forms of Violence, Berkeley. Additional impetus is taken from the animistic forms and visual vocabularies of ancient Near Eastern art for their sensual dynamism, density of composite imagery and the inherent capacity of these forms for cultural, psychological and aesthetic bridging. Bersani and Dutoit assert that prevalent contemporary cultural critical perceptions err in claiming narrative preponderance of these proto-Western art forms. They demonstrate how these seminal forms employ the exceedingly sophisticated anti-narrative devices that prevent "terminal" reading of form, and maintain the constant visual "feed" of the viewer. Fragmentation and dislocation of form are precedent in this "aesthetic of violence". The votive element in these paintings is expressed by reference to the culminating image of the Ninevah bas-relief sequence, that of the sacrifice of the Lions by the King to the Deity. These paintings are, therefore, my attempt to bridge the present with references to the "deep past" as a commentary on the Western fascination with violence with the attendant cult of sacrifice, and a personal homage to the genius of the Assyrian artist.