"The Beauty of Angst" Line
This line is Forrest's first attempt at a sellable line of paintings with a common theme, in this case, the beauty of the alternative youth of his generation. The line was on display for 3 months at FLUX Studios Art Gallery in downtown Laramie until it's formal protest January 20th 2008.
"I started this line shortly after a divorce and fall from grace... I had just started to discover myself and what I truly believed outside the bounds of my fanatic Christian background. Hence, much animosity towards organized religion and the church can be picked up from these paintings. I was dealing with my own issues, expelling my heart... I therefore have not brought myself to let any of these pieces go. They are almost too personal... and I believe this is a line that I will continue to add too for the rest of my life. I have numerous more paintings in my mind waiting to be birthed for the world to see which communicate more of my deep seeded sentiment towards the church, politics, and conservative society. But I also feel I am speaking for my generation through this work, that there is a collective mindset in my generation that feels so cheated by these religious, social and political issues our parents ignored. My only hope is to have an impact, and in a way I have. It has been shown in Cheyenne and in Laramie, and has evoked a range of emotions in people, from hatred and disgust, to love and adoration, to even emotional pain." -Forrest King
"I started this line shortly after a divorce and fall from grace... I had just started to discover myself and what I truly believed outside the bounds of my fanatic Christian background. Hence, much animosity towards organized religion and the church can be picked up from these paintings. I was dealing with my own issues, expelling my heart... I therefore have not brought myself to let any of these pieces go. They are almost too personal... and I believe this is a line that I will continue to add too for the rest of my life. I have numerous more paintings in my mind waiting to be birthed for the world to see which communicate more of my deep seeded sentiment towards the church, politics, and conservative society. But I also feel I am speaking for my generation through this work, that there is a collective mindset in my generation that feels so cheated by these religious, social and political issues our parents ignored. My only hope is to have an impact, and in a way I have. It has been shown in Cheyenne and in Laramie, and has evoked a range of emotions in people, from hatred and disgust, to love and adoration, to even emotional pain." -Forrest King
