The Sacrificing of the Cake. By Gary Baseman (b. 1960).

Limited edition color poster. Artists Proof, 20/35. 2009. Signed on the bottom right border. In conjunction with exhibit at Urbanix Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel, 8 January – 12 March, 2009.

From GaryBaseman.com: “The Sacrificing of the Cake series of 2009 had little to do with birthdays or cakes. Rather, the subject was self-examination and reflection on the past, progress, and transformation. Shown at Urbanix Gallery in Tel Aviv, Israel, the series implies a release from the heritage of his parents, Eastern European Holocaust survivors who intentionally raised Baseman as an American unburdened by the knowledge of their own horrific and heroic experiences-presenting him with all the promises of the American Dream. Baseman symbolically sacrificed the dragons of the past, releasing himself from his parents’ world perception and molding his individual path.”

(See, also, Happy Idiot.)