Might As Well Live

Might As Well Live presents a series of never-before-seen paintings by Daryle Locko that explore the relationship between his signature self-portrait, the Lockadoodle, and real-world objects, figures, and situations they inhabit. Throughout the exhibition, Locko introduces a recurring figure that serves as an anchor of realism, its role shifting dramatically from one painting to the next. At times it becomes a father, lover, or creator in Daddy; a self-critical artist in The Portrait of Judgement; an interrogator and mirror of queer identity in Sexual Relations I; the elusive force pursued in They Can’t Catch Me; or the burdened yet determined maker pushing his art uphill in The Weight of Passion.

The title Might as Well Live comes from Dorothy Parker’s poem Résumé, in which she recounts her failed attempts at suicide and ends with the blunt resignation: “You might as well live.” After confronting his own darkness, Locko arrived at a similar truth, that despite everything, living can still offer moments of unexpected wonder.

With this body of work, Locko turns despair into comedy, de-romanticizes suicide, and reveals the ambivalence that shapes his relationship to existence. These paintings hint at personal experience while presenting a simple, unsentimental conclusion: after weighing life against death, living, however imperfect, remains the less troublesome option. It’s not hope, and it’s certainly not triumph. It’s survival.

Might as well live becomes a satirical acknowledgment that, despite its frustrations, life is still preferable to the alternatives. These works are about choosing to continue, not out of bliss or optimism, but because, for all its absurdities and obstacles, life is the least terrible option. Humor and satire are what make that realization bearable.

“Believe me, I’ve thought about it. But honestly? It’s all too stupid. 

Might as well keep going.” - Dorothy Parker