February 19, 2022

Several years ago, I saw a childhood photo of a friend sleeping nestled with a baby elephant on a bed in a house. Her parents were animal trainers in the 1970s with a menagerie of wild animals, lion cubs, a chimp, an owl, an elephant, a grizzly bear amongst others. My formative years were in the 70’s as well and I was fascinated by her family’s story. She lent me her family photos and I began interpreting them with paint. ‘The Poker Game’ seems at once a simple game of cards on a family night together with an elephant in the room.