two people shaking hands
Acrylic on canvasboard, 12 x 12 in (2008)

One of the Hands series of paintings.

The handshake is one of those ritual customs — usually a greeting — that has been carried on between men. In more modern times, women too take part in handshaking as a greeting. In western cultures, hand-shaking is a sign of the sincerity or solemnity of a business deal or agreement. It is also a way of touching without being intrusive.

There are as many variations of the handshake greeting as there are cultures, so a thorough search of the library or the internet is encouraged. Of note is the typical use of the right hand, a way of showing the other person you are not bearing a weapon, since 80% or more of a given population is right-handed.

As you will have noticed, the painting depicts the handshake of two lefties ... it seemed to be an injustice to leave out
15%+ of the population.