Rafael mckenzie soares animal portraits

RAFAEL MCKENZIE SOARES Animal Portraits

The Barn @ Downing Yudain, LLC 357 Old Long Ridge Road, North Stamford, Connecticut 06903 info@art357.com www.art357.com 203-­‐355-­‐2718 all images within this catalogue are © Rafael Soares, Courtesy Downing Yudain, LLC

Animals in the Arts

The use of animals as subjects in the arts – either as metaphors commenting on the human condition or simple representation of the wonders of the world – has been well exploited by artists since man was able to express himself through drawings, from cave art to Walt Disney’s animation. Not only have artists painted and sculptured animals, but writers have also used animals in literature through the literary ages in such works as George Orwell ‘s Animal Farm and Jean De La Fontaine’s fables.

Through millennia, animals have been portrayed as symbols of good fortune. For example, animals painted on the walls of caves were thought to bring good luck to a hunting expedition.

In Greek mythology as told in the tale of Circe, the goddess transformed her enemies into animals in order to vanquish them. Finally, the British landed gentry used animals as status symbols in, for example, the equine paintings of George Stubbs.

In my opinion, Walt Disney’s animations capture well the use of animals in the visual arts to illustrate and comment on the human condition. In the story of Dumbo and Bambi, we can identify man’s conflicting emotions – our anxieties central to our fear of loss, for example, as well as the struggle in modern life to protect the environment. My decision to use animals as subjects for my art is based on my own love for wildlife. I hope to create a visual language that is universal while at the same time personal and related to my native country, Brazil, where natural, abundant wildlife and flora has inspired generations of artists from different nationalities since the early seventeenth century.

Rafael McKenzie Soares, 2015

LAPIN AGILE #1, 2015, watercolor on paper: 9 ¾” x 11”

RUBY, 2015, watercolor on paper: 9 ¼” x 11”

DONKEY, oil on canvas: 10 ½” x 13 ½”

HOLSTEIN, 2014, watercolor on paper: 9 ¾” x 13”

WHITE COW, 2015, watercolor on paper: 11” x 13 ¼”

CHAHEN DI VAIN, 2012, watercolor on paper: 9” x 10”

FOX, 2014, watercolor on paper: 7 1/8” x 9 1/8”

GREAT BLUE HERON, 2013, watercolor on paper: 9 ½” x 12 ½”

LAPIN AGILE #2, 2015, watercolor on paper: 14” x 25”

SHEEP, oil on canvas: 8 ¾” x 11 ¾”

PIG, 2014, watercolor on paper: 13” x 10”

LITTLE PIG, 2014, watercolor on paper: 4 ¾” x 6 ¼”

PIG ON BLUE, 2014, watercolor on paper: 7 ½” x 9 ¾”

GLOUCHESTER OLD SPOT, 2014, watercolor on paper: 7” x 9”