The purpose of this piece, depicting a boy holding a steak over a slobbering dog, is to represent the idea of "meat" being somewhat of a goal or a reward. To the viewer, the interpretation could be that the boy is mocking the dog for his own entertainment as he holds the steak over his head, much like an abuser in a romantic relationship. On the other hand, the boy could be gifting his beloved pet a fruit of his labor, like a parent and a child.

While albeit a bit obvious, "meat" is something that society uses as sustenance. Whether it be something more straight-forward like a chicken cutlet or a steak, depicted within the painting, it could be something that we use for mental stimulation, like a reality TV show. Wipeout comes to mind, since much of the people who are getting punched by a wall are often called "fresh meat". 

The functionality of "meat" is something that not many people think of immediately, given the generality of the term. However, people, and thus society, can't function without it. "Meat" serves us as it forms our bodies: vital organs like the heart and brain, muscles, ligaments, and bones that provide us our structure otherwise we would turn into "meat-sacks".

Within a religious setting, "meat" can be used for practically anything, whether it be to cleanse a group of their own misdoings or to consume what is holy to be closer to the deity they worship. In the painting, what first came to my mind was a sacrificial lamb, meant to appease something out of society's control.

The idea that this piece is meant to represent is how "meat" can act as a binding force between individuals. Back in the prehistoric era, humans used to eat a carcass right after they killed it, bonding over their success and thus creating a stronger pack mentality. Nowadays, that manifests through much less animalistic tendencies, without the use of their appendix. One could sit in their bed, sicker than a dog, eating chicken noodle soup that their mother had made, or entire countries could be using beef as an export to rake in cash. "Meat" serves as a way to connect us.