One day when I was driving through my neighborhood, I noticed that two men were mowing their lawns in adjoining yards. Their motions seemed synchronized, as if they were participating in a solemn, mundane ritual.

A few weeks later 9/11 happened. I remember watching planes with apprehension as they crossed the sky. During this period the government told us to go about our business as if everything was normal, while warning us to be alert to unexpected danger.

An idea for a painting popped into my head: A scene in which some people stubbornly pretend that all is well as war and disaster descend upon them.