Nancy Calef Gallery

American Nightmare oil on canvas 40 " x 30"

On a course of money, Trump hits the public with his golf club, releasing their funds to the big corporations who dangle power and control. With the Justices' backing, death wears a McConnell mask, green lighting destruction and deregulation. Nancy Pelosi stands with Congresswomen, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley. Former Presidents, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Jr. George Bush, Sr., Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and John Kennedy look on as history is being recorded. With praying hands, and pastel hair, hope sits with nature.

dayatcircus

Another Day at the Office, oil, sculpture, fabric, mixed media on canvas, 30" x 36"<
newspaper clippings chronicling September 11, 2001 cover the floor and walls. Final
article completed painting in 2011 when Bin Laden was killed.

Patriot Act oil, sculpture, tile, fabric, paper, found objects on canvas 24" x 36"

The tranquil and panoramic hot-tub setting, where the characters privately
luxuriate, is in stark contrast to the provisions of the Patriot Act, which seductively
diminishes our fundamental liberties.

The Ref oil, sculpture, fabric, found objects on canvas, 36" x 48"

Ringside, Al Gore, Don King, the Koch Brothers, Jerry Brown, international environmentalists:
Chico Mendes, Wangari Maathai, Edward Abbey and Aldo Leopold watch the earth being beaten by humans.

It Goes With The Chair oil on canvases 36" x 36"

People often buy artwork to match their couch, and given the delicate subject of capital
punishment, along with the media, and public opinion, It Goes With the Couch Chair also considers
the karmic implications of a society that legally kills.

Cafe 420

Cafe Four-Twenty oil, sculpture, wood, fabric, found objects, paper on canvas 40" x 30" x 4"

The Investigation oil on canvas 36 " x 60"

I worked on this vignette-filled journey for a year, in search of "the objective truth" through historical characters relevant to our current political landscape. Kali, the Hindu goddess of Time, Creation, Destruction and Power embraces her children in the midst of global power struggles; the politicians gamble, juggling honesty and suppression of facts, while masked terrorists ignite chaos and the Fake News channel craves an interview. TV president has his tiny thumb on Lady Justice's scales, imprisons the press and chips away at the fabric of Democracy, distracting the public with the antics of his cadre of advisors, political appointees and family goons. Liberty balances on a surfboard as immigrants depart through the Mexican wall. Michelle Obama feeds information to the animal kingdom, as Senators gather around the fact checker. The election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris promises to lead the country in a more humane direction.

The Untouchables oil on canvas, 24" x 30"

In the dead of the night, by the light of the moon, the Supreme Court digs a big hole and tosses our
reproductive rights, environmental protections, voting rights, the truth, and individual freedoms into it.

Helmet Hair oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, plastic, found objects on canvas 24" X 18"

Woman collects bullets from the war themed slot machine.

*Click thumbnails to enlarge

**Double Click enlargement for detail

I'm Just Saying oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, leather, found objects on canvas 48 " x 120" (3 panels)

The unrepresented come together in the fight for justice against all odds.
The 3d police, children & dog exaggerate both the aggressor and the victim mentality.
Barack Obama Presidential inauguration invites hope backdropped by Bush's helicopter
departure; prejudice boil over and many wait with impatience and skepticism.

Millennium Models oil on canvas 48 " x 48"

Haute Coutere reflects the Post 9/11 culture of the war on terror, while the Statute of Liberty lies in ruins.

Bush & Powell oil, sculpture, fabric, paper. found objects on canvas 30" x 40"

Not only are Bush and Powell powerful men, they are a cable car stop in San Francisco.
Billboards comment on the continuing Middle Eastern crisis.

Hashtag Dummy POTUS oil on canvas 30" x 24"

Still Wading oil on canvas 36" x 48"

Betty Friedan leads womankind to its destiny across the bridge of control.
The Triple Goddess, symbol of female lifecycles, announces powerhouses Hillary Clinton,
Nancy Pelosi, slaughtered Benizir Bhutto and pregnant girl in Pope’s folds before the world stage.

No Free Lunch oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, found objects on canvas 48" x 48"

The near future of commercial travel is highlighted: advertisements blare on the
overhead compartments, while the air hostess sells oxygen, toilet paper and water.
Bernie Madoff sits beside a woman studying up on his corruption in Madoff Gate.

amnesty

Amnesty oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, found objects on canvas 36" x 48"

Encircled by Homeland Security fences, the diverse crop of citizen-seekers wait
patiently at the immigration lawyer’s office.

Supremes oil on canvas 36" x 48"

The Statue of Liberty is on trial, while the historical figures in the gallery
represent good and evil, from Clarence Darrow, Thurgood Marshall, Gandhi, Dalai Lama,
Abraham Lincoln, to Nixon, Bush, Cheney, Rove, Bin Laden, Sadam Hussein, among others.

Looking Up oil, sculpture, fabric, paper, found objects on canvas 48" x 36"

The stock exchange in all its madness, highlighting our culture's relationship to money.

Music

Who; What; When; Where; Why

Pile Of . . . oil, paper & wire on canvas 24" x 30"

Elephant In The Room, oil, sculpture, fabric, leather, found objects on canvas, 48" x 60"

The busy airport and all its dangers. A bag with wires remains unattended.

CLOSE IMAGE

The War Room, oil, found objects on canvas, 24" x 30"

Its 10:00 AM. Do You Know Where Your Parents Are? oil & acrylic, 32" x 26"

Its10AM. Do You Know Where Your Parents Are? Calef