MICHAEL ZIMRING - Triptychs

Clown Burst #1

Clown Burst #2

Clown Burst #3

Historically, a triptych (derived from Greek “threefold”) was a panel painting divided into three sections and hinged together. Presently, triptychs are used in a variety of ways to express an artist’s vision. There are no real rules.

The triptychs, above and below, which are a second series created in 2015 and 2016, again emerged from feelings on my part that the underlying image alone didn’t tell the whole story. I felt the story should be told by more than one picture and that the triptych should show a transitory theme consistent with my mental vision. These triptychs represent different types of stories. For example, “Touch – ‘A Circular Message of Love’” is a story of a child touching a sculpture of a mother and child at the Chicago Botanical Garden even though touching was prohibited. She appeared to be completely absorbed by the sculpture’s message. The first image of the Triptych contains a poem written by me about the image. The Triptych as a whole, among other things, symbolizes the reinforcing message of love.

The bottom line is that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then who knows what a factor of three can produce? Hopefully, viewers of the following triptychs will embrace the pictorial message and will pleasantly ponder whatever meaning it has for them.