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SPIES ARE AMONG US
Oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, 1989
(Private collection, Longwood, Florida)
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This painting was commissioned for a collector who loved mystery novels, detective stories, and spies of all kinds. For this reason the entire painting, except the tree of life at the top (with one bird for each year of the owner's life) is related to famous detectives, mystery writers, to spying affairs and international intrigue. This is best shown by the presence of many shady characters or detectives--some spying, some falling out the window, some climbing, some talking to each other, one even drowning and yet still holding on to important documents. Moreover, the entrances to the buildings have inscriptions which relate them to famous literary works or to historical events. Besides Ludlum's Mortgages on Life, a careful viewer will discover Guzenko's Subs and Smiley's Tavern. Of course Interpol's office at the bottom of the painting provides a clear clue as to the topic of this painting. The facades of the buildings in the form of faces should be noted as one of the common stylistic elements in many of the artist's works.
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