Untitled by Michael Banks

Michael Banks. Detail of Untitled, n.d. Acrylic, oil and tar on wood. 24 ½ x 24 ½ in. Courtesy of the Museum of Art-DeLand.

Protected by heavy mountains looming over fresh grass, a grand pasture sits. The sun and a single cloud oversee it, draping warmth amidst a dark blue sky as would a quilt on a cold night. A pale boy and his cow stare at the viewer, a piercing gaze. Dressed in a red and yellow stripped shirt and dirty overalls, the young boy is unmoved by the bright, multicolored bird resting on his head. Their eyes –the boy, the cow, and the bird– hide more than they reveal. It is quite unnerving. Yet in a sign of contentment, the cow sticks out its tongue. Together they stand, understanding their environment and existing silently, as undisturbed as the liminal space in which they inhabit.