My travis - Shut Eyes

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Shut Eyes

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Unique places
Marijampolė

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This work emerged from the anxiety experienced by artist Mike Estabrook. He aimed to reflect both personal and political anxiety—a constant state that many of us encounter. Often, fear transforms into anger, panic, or paralysis, further intensifying the anxiety. Estabrook chose to depict a different path—one that transitions from anxiety to transcendence. According to the artist, the first step in overcoming anxiety is a simple action—closing one’s eyes and taking deep breaths. He envisioned a massive head filling the entire bridge column, directed at all passersby, runners, and cyclists. This head is rendered in vivid red, orange, and yellow colors, which are associated with anxiety. Surrounding the face is

a blue background, symbolizing the calm achieved through meditation. Initially, the artist planned to paint only one orange face. However, upon seeing the Šešupė River, Estabrook realized that a blue face needed to be added at the other end of the bridge. Thus, the piece became a comprehensive narrative depicting transformation—from confronting anxiety (the orange face), through meditation (the journey across the river), to transcendence (the blue face). This blue face, like inner peace, is not easily visible and can only be noticed by those who seek it. The artist hopes that this work will inspire passersby to find tranquility—whether traveling the path, crossing the bridge, or floating down the river.

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