Falling Armenians #14

In this dynamic tondo, Patrick Webb continues his exploration of the commedia dell'arte figure Punchinello. Two tumbling, nude male figures are rendered with loose, fleshy brushwork against a sparse background of blues and earth tones. By placing his signature protagonist—identifiable by the red-nosed mask and tall white hat—into a vulnerable, mid-air grapple, Webb utilizes the clown as a tragi-comic Everyman. Drawing lineage from G.D. Tiepolo, Webb grounds his chaotic vignettes within the historical backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. A bright yellow teddy bear introduces a jarring note of domestic innocence to the raw, physical entanglement.