Painting of Archers

"Stalemate" (acrylic on stretched linen 96"X24")

Artist: John Potter

This painting addresses the subject of proxy warfare and the ways in which such conflicts are frequently shaped and sustained by superpower nations, often to the point of prolonged stalemate.

Proxy wars are commonly supported by external powers not with the aim of decisive victory, but toward a state of relative equilibrium. This strategy can serve to weaken rival superpowers militarily and economically while avoiding the unpredictable consequences of a complete geopolitical realignment. For the nations in which these conflicts take place, the outcome is often extended warfare marked by high casualty rates, with local combatants reduced to strategic instruments rather than autonomous actors.

The exaggerated and highly ornamental costumes were deliberately designed to avoid association with any specific cultural, national, or racial identity. At the same time, they function as a critique of the pageantry (such as insignia, decorations, and medals) often employed to glorify or legitimize warfare and to motivate those who fight it.

Formally, the painting employs halftone strategies consistent with others in this series, originating from black-and-white source images (drawings in this case) that are transformed into custom halftone structures. The chessboard background is treated in a manner similar to the patterned fields found throughout the series, though the halftone pattern shifts at a key point within the composition. In contrast, the figures are rendered using more conventional painting techniques, with visible brushwork and a greater emphasis on detailed modeling. The light and dark versions of the characters are handled in a more direct and representational manner than in earlier works, underscoring their role within the overall conceptual framework.

Working sketches