Paper Tiger

ink, watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, and plaster on wood

available at Corey Helford Gallery
please email:
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to inquire about this artwork

Government power is often described as a paper tiger because, despite its imposing appearance, it ultimately depends on public belief, compliance, and cooperation to function. Laws, institutions, and authority have no force on their own; they rely on citizens, workers, and officials choosing to uphold them day by day. When trust erodes or collective consent weakens, even the most expansive governments struggle to enforce their will without exposing their limitations. Bureaucracy, inefficiency, and overextension can further hollow out power, making it seem formidable in rhetoric yet fragile in practice. In this sense, government authority can appear fearsome and absolute, while in reality it is sustained by social agreement and legitimacy, conditions that, once withdrawn, reveal how easily that power can unravel. Many works in this series consolidate opposites by combining colorful and beautiful with ferocity and danger.