I’ve always had a thing about horse paintings. Apparently, I’m not the only one because when I was a kid, my mom dragged me to “art fairs” in the suburbs full of bad oil paintings that all looked mass-produced, many of which were horse and Western-themed.

Then 2023 gave us the Barbie movie, chock full of interesting themes and plenty of kitsch, including horses.

I loved Ryan Gosling’s character, Ken, and his push to bring the patriarchy back to Barbie’s land. That is, until he realizes the patriarchy is not about horses and he loses interest.

Whether Ken understands that the patriarchy is about asserting male dominance over everybody and everything else is unclear. But I do.

Acrylic on canvas. Measures 8” x 10”.