THE SMILE

Mixed media with vintage banknotes and antique newsprint on wood, resin finish and custom walnut frame.

This is a modern twist on the classic Da Vinci’s ‘La Gioconda’, where Mona Lisa is heavily tattooed and wears a bandana over her face, almost like a vandal. The entire mystery of her smile is represented by the tattoo over her left eyebrow. The research by a professor of Harvard University completed in 2003 said that Mona Lisa’s smile disappears when observed with direct vision. Because of the way the human eye processes visual information, it is less suited to pick up shadows directly; however, peripheral vision can pick up shadows well. The phrase “Stay Gold” tattooed over la Gioconda’s chest is a popular quote in the tattoo world; it’s meaning is to remain innocent and unique throughout time, something that Mona Lisa surely did. The Eye of Providence seen on her hand represents the eye of God watching over Humanity, this symbol is often associated with conspiracy theories about Freemasonry. The background contains lokta paper and original vintage Italian liras. One of the top layers of the piece features a pyramid that appears on the one dollar bill with the all seeing eye silkscreened in white.

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Project: Dissociative Identity