“Shelter”
“Shelter” 35″ x 62″ oil on canvas © 2011 michael arcieri
geisha transition
geisha transition 48 x 30 inches oil on canvas (inquire for availability)
walking geisha
Geisha are artists preserving the traditional music, dance and literature of feudal Japan. The literal translation of the word “geisha” is “arts person”. Since Japan opened to the West, the vision of the painted, kimono-clad woman has warranted fascination. Her singular appearance and esoteric lifestyle are unlike any other. To the nineteenth century Victorian mind, the geisha was possibly the most intriguing aspect of a newly encountered country. To this day, the concept and the art of the geisha remain great mysteries of Japanese culture. The idea of a mistress or prostitute was well ingrained in Western society, but the notion of a woman dedicating her life to learning various and sophisticated cultural practices, and using them for the sole purpose of entertaining and pleasuring a man, (without sex), was hard to fathom. Geisha came to epitomize the exotic East. – S. B. Burns, MD
walking geisha 50 x 32 inches graphite on paper (inquire for availability)
Penguin on Tricycle
Penguin on Tricycle 14″x11″ oil on panel