Hidden Enemies
Artist
Leonard Koscianski
(American, b. 1952)
CultureAmerican
Date1987
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 48 x 72 in. (121.9 x 182.9 cm)
InscribedOn verso: o/c, syn surface coating
Credit LineGift of the family of Joel B. Cooper, in memory of Mary and Dudley Cooper
Object number2004.12.2
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting of a forest scene with two wolves about to fight in the foreground; in the background there is an ideal surburban neighborhood preparing for the evening.Label TextLeonard Koscianski American (b. 1952) Hidden Enemies, 1987 Oil on canvas In memory of Mary and Dudley Cooper from the family of Joel B. Cooper 2004.12.2 ~ Leonard Koscianski's painting take us on an imaginary journey. At right two wild dogs, their vicious teeth bared, leap to attack one another. Their ferocious energy at its peak, the dogs are shown at the moment before they connect, as if poised in suspended animation. Who will win the fight? Will they tear each other limb from limb? The outcome remains uncertain. A suburban home, with a single light emanating from its upper window, dominates the left foreground. The house appears empty. Nowhere do we see a human face, just the endless repetition of identical tract houses in a vast suburban development that continues far off into the night. The dreamlike intensity of the colors is eerie, and the mood is one of anxiety and isolation. Perhaps this dream is more of a modern nightmare. The artist himself has offered guidance in interpreting Hidden Enemies: Nature (the canine) is wild and free, but brutal. Civilization (the houses) is safe and secure, but restricting, even stifling. ... Our animal instincts for survival are always visible, or just below the surface.
