Rattus Maximus
2008 - 11"x12" Acrylic, graphite, charcoal, newspaper, on wood.
Finished with two coats of Krylon Matte Finish #1311
(Available - $100 USD)

November 20, 2008

Rat is taking the F-Train from Brooklyn to Manhattan for the Chinese New Year's Parade.

This is the third painting from my Year of The Rat series. Rat and Moon and Year of The Rat were the first two. I like watching the rats running around the subway tracks, and always take the F-Train. The painting is dated 4706 for the Chinese New Year.

The title is in reference to the misconception that rats living in New York are super-sized. Also inspired by Russel Crowe's character of General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the movie Gladiator.
Rattus - A genus of rodents including the rat.
Maximus - Latin for "greatest" or "largest".

There's some random, abstract poetry within the Brooklyn Rail newspaper collage. I underline words and phrases to create the poetry. The circled words are the title. You can see some of this in the larger photo below.

I Know
There was a moment.
Out the window.

Now and again.
Turned around.
I was trying to find.
You musn't trouble yourself.

Disabled
The war on terror.
Couldn't do it's job.
Spending millions a day.
Our infrastructure crumbling.
Responsibility.

In The Pudding
You can have a vision.
A vision.
I see the proof.

The Neighborhood
If nothing else,
People should put themelves,
In a position to save themselves.

New Orleans,
A financial disadvantage.
Courtesy of the government.
Pushing and providing.

That Was Deep
This is how I think.
The greatest moral failure.
And that's how it will.

Thoughts Crossed
I am far from people.
I had foolishly imagined.

I looked at my watch.
I decided.

The next day,
At 11:10pm, in the morning,
The idea seemed ridiculous.

They Were Black
Twice in a row,
Across the blue sky.
So quickly they seemed.

A straight line,
In the late afternoon.

I waited a bit.
I opened the door.
I went out.
I shall always remember.

 

Here is a larger, detailed photo: