“Woe” is an abstract representation of a song by the band Say Anything. One of the prominent lyrics in the song is “She said, ‘I can’t get laid in this town without these pointy shoes. My feet are so black and blue. And so are you.’” The black and blue colors in the piece represents the agony of the character in the song, while the splatters represent the feelings of angst in a polished environment.
Max Bemis grew up locally here in Hollywood, CA where he and his close high school friend formed the band Say Anything. He left college two years in and fell deeper and deeper into drug abuse in an attempt to deal with an unrequited and ended relationship. Spending night and day for 8 months in a New York apartment, he endlessly worked on a concept Pop-Punk album ".....Is a Real Boy". The stress inflicted on himself at this time triggered a complete mental breakdown where he believed his life was staged, and uncontrollably ran around Brooklyn acting out and screaming at people until he was eventually captured and hospitalized. When he was admitted he believed he was being executed for making the album, knowing that the dark manic emotions he channeled into the album could impact his fans' lives.
He was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, and has since worked with "Half of Us", (other organizations), and used his social platforms to bring awareness to mental issues awareness, encouraging his young fans that it "makes you cool in your own way."
".....Is a Real Boy" was released in 2004 and went on to become one of the most influential and pivotal albums of the pop punk genre.