Steven Salabsky

       

      In my most recent body of work, my message is addressing the struggles and processes of gay men growing up in a conservative society like the one  here in Utah where I live. I am showcasing the fact that a lot of the time discreet sex is all some gay men feel they can turn to because of certain upbringings that keep them from feeling like it is ok to openly love someone of the same sex. I find it fasicinating, frustrating and sad  when I see the different ways gay men come out or don't in a place with such strong religious/conservative morals. Some of my work applies to my own personal experiences and currrent relationship and some does not. I want to show the double life that some gay men tend to lead.

 

      In my body of work, I am also talking about being part of a bi-racial couple and having to also deal with that aspect in a conservative predominatly white society. I want to show the beauty of being part of a bi-racial couple and give credence to people who can look past the color of one's skin and love the person for who they are.

 

     I decided to use a merman because mermen tend to already have a gay stigma attached to them, so I am using that to my advantage. Also, because I wanted to find a way to show the idea of living a double life. The water throughout my paintings is symbolic for being in the closet. It is always somewhere around the merman in many forms but he is choosing to ignore it for the most part. Even though that is part of what makes him who he really is.

 

     I enjoy portraying my message through the figure. As cliche as it sounds, for me personally, it is one of my favorite ways to get my message across. I am not looking to be indirect or abstract in this body of work. I am looking to be more up front about the story I am trying to tell. I think this topic has been hiding in the shadows for too long; which is why I am going for this rebellious approach. At the same time though, I would also like to make the viewer work a little bit with the paintings, as everything in the paintings is done for a thought-out reason.This  may not always be obvious but it can be seen in different ways depending on the viewer's background or thought process.