2025-05-10

BEHIND THE PAINTINGS; DECAY: The origins and journey of transience in art

Art is not a static object; it is a living relic that whispers stories of times gone by and new beginnings. DECAY’s paintings bear the traces of their origins—from a dark brown café where a smoky atmosphere and the smell of liquor once defined the ambiance to contemporary debates about identity and heritage in a changing America.

The Beginning: The Secret Soul of the Old Café
The story begins in a Dutch dusty dark brown café, where four ornate frames once stood as props. The wood grain, saturated with the smell of tobacco and memories of countless conversations and lost moments, stood as silent witnesses to a time that was slowly fading. In this forgotten setting, where the frames were eventually discarded and reclaimed from a thrift store, the paintings began to be born. They received new layers: a graphic ode to transience, where torn pamphlets and weathered texts from which impeccable Dandy’s emerged, met a thick layer of resin, a protective shield against oblivion. Thus were born the “Dandies”—timeless figures that defy the test of time and carry a story of origin in every scratch The origins of these artworks are inextricably linked to their evolution. In 2022, a San Antonio, Texas art collector discovered this intriguing series. His private gallery became the new home for the Dandies, surrounded by other heirlooms that together formed a silent tribute to a world where the old was still cherished. The transition from a lively café to a stylish, intimate collection highlights how origins—once rooted in the everyday—can transform into something of almost sacred value, reaffirming time and again that authenticity is never lost.

Between Two Worlds: Culture, Heritage, and Societal Change

But the journey of DECAY does not stand still. In October 2024, the passing of the collector brought a new twist to the story. With no heirs to continue his collection, the paintings were entrusted to a friend of the deceased—a female auctioneer who liquidates estates and resells art. This transition marks more than a change in ownership; it symbolizes the ongoing struggle between preservation and renewal. While some works form their own legacy in the intimate circle of a private gallery, others find new destinations in communities that may not always understand the rich background of the art.

In a country where the climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights has long been a realm of fierce debates and political fault lines, the journey of these paintings embodies a symbolic intertwining of past and present. Through my website, which was brought to the attention of the LGBTQ+ community by Edward H. Sebasta—an American advocate for gay rights—this series captured the interest of a buyer moved by the power of these visual stories. The origins of the paintings, born from the everyday presence of a lost café, now gain an additional dimension. They carry the weight of societal change: as silent witnesses of a culture fighting against intolerance and attempts to undermine minority symbols, they remind us that true beauty is always rooted in authenticity.

The Fate of DECAY: An Open Ending Full of Meaning

Today, the Dandies stand at a crossroads. Will they be cherished as heritage within a community that understands their origins? Or will they become entangled in a world where commercial interests sometimes overshadow deeper meaning? The transition from a dusty café to the auction halls of a modern market demonstrates that art, like us, is always in motion—it carries both past and future within it.

The origin of these paintings gives them a unique soul. What began as an intimate remembrance of a time slowly fading now carries a new weight through their journey: a symbol of resilience and cultural identity. DECAY reminds us that in every faded detail, every scratch, and every layered transformation, lies the power to bring the old to life again—as long as someone is willing to truly look.