This painting is the rough draft for Miracle of Hope I. As you will see in a later blog, the three Miracle of Hope paintings depict a single human cell that has been infected with HIV. In Miracle of Hope I (both the prototype and the final version) that cell experiences the initial insertion of protease inhibiting drugs. The color blue represents these beneficent drugs. Black represents the malignant HIV protease enzyme. All other colors represent the human body working in concert with the blue drugs.
The painting you see here, the prototype, is very rough indeed. The finished version is much more polished and it gets the message across much better. After completing the prototype I realized the final Hope paintings would need a much stronger element of graphic design. Adhering to the principles of midcentury modernism, I channeled Alexander Calder in the later paintings. He designed color schemes for commercial airliners, cars, and other commercial venues. Most people think of Calder as the inventor of mobile sculptures. This is true but he also rocked in two dimensional graphic design. I was also influenced by Dr. Z, the director of the Positive Care Clinic. Dr. Z is a top expert in HIV research and treatment. He has cared for AIDs patients as long or longer than any doctor on the planet, nearly three decades.
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