“Hero” started out as a painting entitled “Mr. Black” a representation of the scary, the malice, the darkness that lives within us all. I began working on it prior to the Covid lockdown in 2020 as I was dealing with my own inner turmoil as a young father navigating a broken relationship and struggling with a social dependence on alcohol. When covid happened, I was prevented from seeing my child, could no longer host visitors in the studio I had worked hard to obtain and grow, and while I didn’t know at the time, I would enter one of the hardest seasons I’ve had to endure as both a human and an adult. With the onslaught of adversity in both my life and career, my internal narrative began to change. I did not accept becoming a victim to my external circumstances, vices, or relationship problems. While enduring those hardships I found courage, strength, and fortitude that I did not know I had within and creatively it was one of the most prolific periods within my studio. During that time I painted over Mr. Black realizing that I did not want to give power to that darkness and from it emerged one of my largest signature stick figure paintings to date. A collector once told me in jest that their first impression of my stick figure array was a mass grave, at the time I didn’t like the comparison, but in this particular painting I think it is an accurate portrayal. Every false start, hardship endured, bad news, defeat, each one represents a small death, but every time is a chance to pick yourself up and try again. “Hero” emerged out of that period and while I am not always aware of why I create something during the process, afterwards the message revealed itself…perseverance through struggle, courage through adversity, and love over fear. It may look like a bunch of stick figures, but it embodies a much bigger message to anyone going through hardship and I hope it will serve as an inspiration to its collector and anyone who has the chance to observe it. - Johnny Bahr III