This is a partial list of “icons” that have been represented frequently in my artwork and some of the ideas that may be associated with them.

1. apple: red, sin, temptation, enticement, fruit of the tree of knowledge, the favorite, the most desired, gravity (from the Newton story), New York City, wholesome, typical element in a still life, round fruit that is in no way comparable to an orange.

2. orange: round fruit that is in no way comparable with apples, the sun, element in a still life, etc.

3. light bulbs: any source or quantum of light, idea, illumination, revelation, the sun, the moon, star, enlightenment, (when hanging) squalor, interrogation, Jesus Christ, a variety of pear, etc.

4. pears: typical element in still life paintings, light bulbs.

5. orange electric cord: electricity, energy, power, male, God, serpent, necessary for modern life.

6. chemicals: chemistry, science in general, constituents of matter, toxicity, pollution, not natural, drugs, chemical weapons.

7. house: an individual within society, shelter, safety, comfort, home, real estate, American Dream, etc.

8. water: life, purity, fluidity, primordial state, the unconscious, mystery, home for fish, etc.
glass of water: any body of water, water in general
bowl of water: lake, ocean
hose: river

9. fish: belongs in water, hidden beneath the surface, subconscious, early Christian symbol, etc.

10. fire: heat, anger, destruction, transformation, energy, opposes water, etc.

11. guns: violence, crime, war, instrument of death, the devil’s right hand, aggression, protection, right to bear arms, etc.

12. hand grenade: war, explosive, pineapple (nickname given to fragmentation grenades), close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, etc.

13. tank: war, mechanized, impersonal, powerful, etc.

14. fork, knife, spoon, plate: food, meal, consumption

15. clouds: the sky, the air, the ephemeral, rain, water, weather, heaven, sheep.

16. eggs: chickens, breakfast, female, fertility, Easter, the sun.

17. red wine: typical still life element, drunkenness, blood, etc.

18. bowl of fruit: typical still life element, abundance, fecundity.

19. Wonder Bread: any bread, staff of life, American consumer culture, the bread you grew up with, softness, etc.

20. window: boundary between inside and outside

21. easy chair: comfort, complacency, laziness, belongs indoors.

This could go on and on. The point is that commonplace objects (and their images) can elicit a complex web of associated ideas and emotional relations that may include those that are floating around in everyday cultural discourse and those that may be highly idiosyncratic. The particular set of associations that may be conjured up by an object or its image depends upon a number of variables pertaining to how the ideal object is situated within various contexts (e.g., other objects that are represented conjointly; discourses in history, literature, popular culture, etc.; art history; current events; the artist’s body of work) the manner in which the object is represented (materials used, purpose, style, etc.) and factors that are unique to the individual viewer. This is my first real attempt to organize these thoughts much beyond the “vague notion” stage of development. I hope it makes sense to someone. EVERYTHING is subject to revision. More on this later.