We Are Light in Darkness

We Are Light in Darkness by D.A. Merrick

Digital painting printed using archival inks and papers

We are light in darkness, and in that darkness we must be perfect. Everything in nature is optimized to survive the stark night of reality, to fill non-existence with something, anything, and continue. We then find ourselves enduring and becoming and unbecoming many evils, tempering us to survive death–to live. But I find myself asking “why?” and finding no answer that isn’t circular. We survive to survive. We live to live. We exist to exist. We work toward perfection to be perfected.

 Existence is a nightmare with no alternative. Space, the majority of the universe, is uninhabitably cold. It is a dark blanket of death that enshrouds every planet, most of which are lifeless death traps. The Earth, with all of its wars, famines, tortures and abuses, is a bright spot—a dream within the nightmare.

There is no resolution, no fertile meaning, only an ultimate meaninglessness that is inescapable. There is no Father, for there is no Grandfather, only molecules that tend to gather and build. There is no free will, for every decision is motivated by the avoidance of death: reason within circular irrationality. Reality is a self-justification machine with no end and no beginning, for what has a beginning must also be preceded by something or nothing else.

What becomes this world more than its dream for meaning is its end, a comedy written by a narcissist, a nuclear comedy that its writer thinks is solemn and wise. What follows the end of humanity will be an expansion of heat into vast coldness, and then a settling of that heat which will have changed nothing. Space will eat us alive or dead, and make us unrecognizable, but we will still exist, even if only as dead things, marks on the wall, scratches on the bedpost. Beyond this, there is nothing to expect. 

Features:

• High Resolution
  Giclée prints produced at 300 DPI or higher, delivering sharp, crisp detail in every print. (DPI stand for dots per inch and 300 DPI is the industry standard.)
• Premium Paper
  Acid-free, archival papers, including cotton papers and textured watercolor paper, prevent yellowing and preserve the integrity of the artwork.
• Archival-Quality Inks
  Pigment-based inks offer a wide color gamut and long-lasting vibrancy, resisting fading for decades. (Don't leave in direct sunlight as this will accelerate fading drastically!)
• Color Accuracy
  Precision color management ensures prints stay true to the original artwork, giclées are ideal for fine art reproductions. (Color variations in monitors and device screens may not depict the original artwork accurately).

Available Archival Surfaces:

• Archival Matte:Smooth | 230 GSM | Matte | Neutral White

• Hot Press Paper:Smooth | 300 GSM | Matte | Bright White

• Cold Press Paper:Textured | 305 GSM | Matte | Bright White

• Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl:Textured | 285 GSM | Pearlescent | Natural White

• Hahnemühle German Etching:Highly Textured | 310 GSM | Matte | White

• Epson Somerset Velvet:Textured | 255 GSM | Velvet | White

• Watercolor Paper:Highly Textured | 300 GSM | Matte | Bright White

Framing Note:

A white border is included around the artwork in each print. This border varies in width depending on the print size, but is always present to help preserve the composition during trimming and to assist with matting and framing. The image that is being printed from is sized to have a 1" border at the maximum size. That border shrinks as the print size shrinks. In addition, a small portion of this border is lost during trimming. Total listed dimensions include this border.