"Stalemate" (acrylic on stretched linen 96"X24")
Artist: John Potter
Environment created using Dream Machine"Stalemate," completed in 2025, is a conceptual contemporary painting that examines the complex and often tragic dynamics of proxy warfare. The work explores how superpower nations frequently shape and sustain distant conflicts, not in pursuit of clear victory, but to maintain a state of deliberate, protracted equilibrium. This strategy aims to weaken geopolitical rivals through prolonged military and economic engagement while avoiding the risks of direct confrontation. For the nations caught in these conflicts, the human cost is immense, resulting in extended warfare where local combatants can become instruments of a larger, external strategy, rather than autonomous agents of their own destiny.
To universalize this critique, the figures are depicted in exaggerated, highly ornamental costumes. This deliberate design choice avoids association with any specific culture, nation, or race. Instead, the elaborate attire functions as a visual commentary on the pageantry of war... the medals, insignia, and decorations often used to glorify conflict and motivate those who fight. Here, that symbolism is amplified into a theatrical facade, underscoring the performative and manipulated nature of such engagements.
Technique & Composition
Formally, "Stalemate" is a sophisticated integration of the signature techniques defining my series. The composition originates from detailed black and white drawings, which are digitally transformed into unique, custom halftone structures that serve as the foundational guide for the painting.
The chessboard background is executed using this linear halftone method, creating a patterned field that echoes the strategic grid of the geopolitical metaphor. At a pivotal point in the composition, this pattern intentionally shifts, introducing a moment of visual disruption within the ordered field.
In direct contrast, the two archer figures are rendered using more traditional painting techniques. Visible, expressive brushwork and careful modeling define their forms, granting them a tangible presence and detail that distinguishes them from the graphic background. The figures are presented as if two paintings in light and dark versions of the same thing. These two paintings are overlaid as the two parts of the halftone pattern.
Collector Considerations
"Stalemate" is a work for collectors engaged by art that addresses contemporary geopolitical themes, conceptual narrative, and technical contrast. Its layered symbolism and striking visual composition make it a powerful statement piece, suited for a space where it can provoke thoughtful contemplation and dialogue.
Working sketches
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This piece is part of an ongoing series. I am always glad to talk about the work.
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