Medium: Mixed-Media Size:36x12

The bold primaries: red, yellow, and blue take center stage. These are the first colors children learn, the foundations of a creative world, and the building blocks from which every other color is born. Their simplicity speaks to early childhood, a time when identity is still forming and the world feels bright, vivid, and full of possibility. The playful reference to the classic “Monkeys in a Barrel” game reinforces this sense of youth. But beneath the nostalgia lies a deeper message: in our formative years, we are impressionable. We mirror, mimic, and mold ourselves after what we see around us. The linked monkeys become a symbol of how easily we can fall into patterns...sometimes without even realizing it. This artwork asks a simple, powerful question: As we grow, do we choose to lead or follow? Just because monkey sees, must monkey do?