Toyland Wars Series

The Toyland Wars is a narrative painting series born out of the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. Political upheaval is reimagined through the lens of a child with the use of classic toys, while following the tradition of historical paintings. Behind the colorful pop-art facade, the paintings reveal a deeper truth. The works below are in order roughly chronologically to the narrative; paintings were created not in order to the story. The green army represent something akin to the nazi gestapo or ice agents today. Read more below.

Works on Paper

The Toyland Wars Series - Artist Statement

The Toyland Wars is a narrative painting series born out of the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. Political upheaval is reimagined through the lens of a child with the use of classic toys, while following the tradition of historical paintings. Behind the colorful pop-art facade, the paintings reveal a deeper truth.

Tropes and compositions found in historical narrative paintings by Eugène Delacroix, Jacques-Louis David and John Singleton Copley have been adopted in this series. The narrative of this series follows the green army as they try to take Toyland in a military coup. The green army represent something akin to the nazi gestapo or ice agents today. The rest of the toys, who normally keep to themselves in their own subsection, such as Doll land and Board Game land, have decided to band together to fight the toy army.

Being an art educator to young children has affected the way RAD approached this series. It has motivated him to hope for a better future for his students. Like gruesome Grimms Fairy Tales, this story is like a parable on how to cope with a sometimes cruel world. Fairy Tales, after all, offer children a metaphorical space to manage complex emotions like fear, anxiety, anger, and sadness. They offer hope, conquering children’s fears and reassuring them that justice will prevail as the hereos will win.

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