The Passing

A vehicle once tore across the dusty plain, its tires carving a path straight to the chain link fence. But the tracks stop short at the fence’s breach. Farther up, a crude hole has been torn open, still fresh. Whether the vehicle was pulled closer, or its driver climbed out and forced the opening by hand, is unclear. What’s certain is this: the vehicle is gone. It passed through, and it didn’t return. Inside the fence, sparse plants cling to life. Outside: only dust, stretching endlessly. A single crow perches atop the fence, staring into the distance. A silent witness as the sun rises behind, casting the scene in gold and silence.

This piece speaks to escape versus consequence. The vehicle didn’t reach the breach directly, yet the fence was still broken—suggesting a conscious, determined choice to leave. But to what end? Inside the fence, life remains. Beyond it, only desolation. The crow, turned away, embodies emotional distance—perhaps from the act itself, or from what was left behind. The painting questions whether freedom is worth the cost when what lies ahead is uncertain, and what’s left behind still holds life.