Cow, Cow, Cow . . . Painting

"Cow, Cow, Cow . . ." 2003. (aka "The Herd") Acrylic on canvas (painting) (Photographed on wood stretcher with faux-floater framing for a more finished presentation.) 25.0" H x 37.38" W (63.5 x 94.9 cm) / Organic Realism (style) "Cow, Cow, Cow . . . " shows the insatiable wit of Jay Worth Allen. A herd of black and white dairy cows are standing in a green pasture, as one curious cow pokes her nose through the canvas -- greeting the viewer with an innocent, "Hello." The word "cow" has been repeatedly handwritten throughout the entire image by the artist dragging the opposite end of his brush through the thick black, white, and grass-green acrylic paint he used to create this colorful work. Metaphorical comparisons of human beings to cows, and the "mob" to a "herd" have been used for centuries, and should be applied here as well. And while the allegorical component in this work is intentionally obvious, "Cow, Cow, Cow . . ." is executed in a fresh light, with the addition of a subtle reference to Plato's cave -- whereby the one courageous individual (or curious cow) turns away from the shadows (the grassy green pasture) to look directly into the light and thereby, sees the way out of the cave (or the canvas) -- and for the first time realizes the entire world lies beyond that boundary. Cows have been a recurring theme since the beginning of this artist's career. Growing up in farm country, J. ("Jay") Worth Allen's family owned a small cattle ranch, which had a lasting impact on him. Upon examining the imagery, there is a semblance to at least one Dutch Belted Cow (sometimes called, "Oreo Cookie Cow"--although, the black and white is reversed in this case), implies reference to the Brenham Creamery Company (a.k.a. Blue Bell Ice Cream) in Texas, located near Austin, where the artist lived during the 1980s. In fact, for many years he was the unofficial "cow painter" (as well as "ice-cream cone painter") for another Texas ice creamery, the now famous Amy's Ice Creams. And every Christmas, his "Merry little Christmas Cows" greeted each patron at Tiburon's Art Gallery. This particular work, "Cow, Cow, Cow . . ." came into being approximately 18 months after Jay Worth Allen and his wife acquired an old abandoned ice cream factory in rural U.S. Wanting a quite and remote place to work, the couple purchased the abandoned factory and completely renovated the compound into a modern living/working space, including the addition of a large studio for the artist to create. (As for the curious, no, the factory no longer produces ice cream, but the works that Jay Worth Allen has produced in this rural setting are beyond comparison. Breathtaking. Magnificent!) As with the other pieces in this collection, the significance of this piece is profound. An exquisite technical accomplishment, this work epitomizes the artist's move into a deeper plane from which the he paints -- free-flowing, unabashed creativity, as if God, himself, were sharing the moment with the viewer. The original drawing for this painting (a rare, colored work--as most of his drawings are black and white) resides in the artist's private collection. It is entitled "The Herd." Please visit Jay Worth Allen's profile for more information, and to view other works currently being offered through Saatchi Art. We appreciate and encourage any comments. Thank you. Regarding shipping: This work will be shipped in accordance to Saatchi Art's shipping guidelines (removed from its stretcher, rolled and shipped in a professional mailing tube). Otherwise, please contact the artist to discuss other shipping methods (which may possibly incur additional shipping costs).