Oilgraph on wooden panel // 24” x 36”
-Private Collection-

Abimelek, the bastard son of Gideon, had just destroyed his home town of Shechem, killing every man woman and child. When they retreated to the city's tower, he and his hired thugs burned the tower to the ground with everyone inside. 1,000 people. He salted the earth behind him.

He and his men went on to the city of Thebez to do the same and continue their murderous rampage. But upon approaching the tower to set it too on fire, a woman dropped a millstone upon his head, cracking his skull. He called out to his armor-bearer to kill him...so that he wouldn't have been killed by a woman. And so his armor-bearer killed Abimelek. And his army...went home.

So it was on that day, that Abimelek was repaid for all the evil he had perpetrated upon his own people and his own family.

And though the tower was crowded with men, it was a single woman who had the courage to make a stand and save her people. Her name was not recorded, but this is my tribute to her.

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The defender was played by my good friend Ariellla. I knew she needed to be in the series somewhere and then it dawned on me that this was the part for her. When I asked her, she said,"Great! But I'm 5 months pregnant."

I thought....Perfect! Get more pregnant...

I built the set, carved the stones and we shot in Theory Labs earlier this year.

The thought of having the defender be pregnant was the perfect surprise element that never would have occurred to me. The fact that the story begins with his violent birth (See "The Birth of Abimelek") and ends with his death from a woman about to give birth is the kind of dynamic that keeps this series constantly surprising. I didn't even see the full circle until I made the piece, which was painted live at Theory Labs April 1st, 2012.