What I see in this: - The crossbar of the cross is an infinity symbol. The duality of oppressor and oppressed is never purged from the universe. - Is that blood gushing or is Jesus pissing on the earth? - Jesus is virtually indiscernible from the cross. Is he a pawn to the ideology? - The lance makes a clear and unbreakable connection between the aggressor and victim. Such is the nature of violence. - What would I have seen without knowing the title? Would I see a caring person reaching out to the suffering? Trying to staunch the wound? - Picasso (most notorious of the gesture drawing artists) had the occasion to pay for a restaurant meal by doing a doodle on a bill or napkin. Looking forward to the next.
Thanks for your thoughts. I hope MY meal is at the appropriate restaurant and I don't under sell myself...
Oh there are more; just a question of how many I deem worthy enough to put up here. Not every one a gem, of course...
I have definitely been toying with Jesus pissing on the ground from his wound, yes, so I'm happy that crossed your mind (though I mean figuratively and not literally, although I guess that line would be pretty blurred in this instance, wouldn't it)...
The big three: Representation; Reproduction; Validation. Working as you are in the physical realm (napkin and pencil) you can enjoy the benefits of "aura", where the piece has a singularity and has the valuable material aspect of having been touched by the artist. I suggest weaving a hair through the napkin fiber to further that end. Use a needle if need be. I wonder what would happen to the napkin if you had a tiny canvas with wet gesso and you tried to fix the napkin to it. Depending on how the napkin was folded, you might have one half attached to the canvas and the art half opening like a book. What might you place on the inside? A triptych of numerous napkins on the wall is inevitable.
OK, so suppose you go with the hair idea, and you place it not randomly, but actually where Jesus's hair would be. Hair is one of those things that really survives the ages. Where is Jesus's hair when you need it? If you got the right blessing from the right Priest, could they turn your hair into Jesus's actual hair?
I am a big fan of the "been touched by the artist" aspect, I have to admit...
In all seriousness I have been contemplating a "hair christ", though not in the manner you are discussing here. Clearly we need to talk further and compare ideas. Perhaps as work on Black Sheep Wool commences...
Nobody could turn my hair into Jesus' hair save for Jesus himself. Rules are rules...
I'm sorry but I can't help but continue to brainstorm on this. Does the Vatican anywhere in it's massive troves claim to have a piece of Christ sufficient for a DNA sample? And supposing they do, I know they'd never stoop to having it sampled, but if they did, could we start a world-wide search for the closest match? They could win a private audience with the Pope. For that matter, wouldn't it make sense to search for the closest match for Elvis? Even if it's by chance and a mere molecular technicality doesn't some status confer?
If we look at John Lennon's sketch art, to what extent can we separate his style and expression from the context of his life? How much of the value comes from the simple fact, it is from his hand? Certain curves or patterns may make his work recognizable, OK. Caricatures of people are recognizable. I wonder if Lennon ever exhibited his work [attended his own exhibition]? I suspect Joni Mitchell the musician, thinks of her painting as having value apart from the context and identity of her life. She takes it very seriously. She talked about how the music feeds the painting and vice versa. When she ran out of inspiration in one realm, she could find it in the other. Outsider art really has it's appeal. Such a great example of this is well told in the documentary Marwencol. And an important point here is: dedication achieving obsession. What could easily be dismissed at first glance reveals amazing depth upon further examination. Depth that is demonstrated, not just in execution of concept, but in the unmistakable sense of the cost of hours, days, months, years of the artist's life.
Thanks for this. You know, I can say that, for the most part, I've stopped writing poetry. Maybe a little here and there, but basically stopped. These little drawings of crosses and some of the other items I'm attempting to draw have replaced the poems for me. I feel like I have opened up some other artistic options for myself...
What I see in this:
ReplyDelete- The crossbar of the cross is an infinity symbol. The duality of oppressor and oppressed is never purged from the universe.
- Is that blood gushing or is Jesus pissing on the earth?
- Jesus is virtually indiscernible from the cross. Is he a pawn to the ideology?
- The lance makes a clear and unbreakable connection between the aggressor and victim. Such is the nature of violence.
- What would I have seen without knowing the title? Would I see a caring person reaching out to the suffering? Trying to staunch the wound?
- Picasso (most notorious of the gesture drawing artists) had the occasion to pay for a restaurant meal by doing a doodle on a bill or napkin.
Looking forward to the next.
Thanks for your thoughts. I hope MY meal is at the appropriate restaurant and I don't under sell myself...
ReplyDeleteOh there are more; just a question of how many I deem worthy enough to put up here. Not every one a gem, of course...
I have definitely been toying with Jesus pissing on the ground from his wound, yes, so I'm happy that crossed your mind (though I mean figuratively and not literally, although I guess that line would be pretty blurred in this instance, wouldn't it)...
The big three: Representation; Reproduction; Validation.
ReplyDeleteWorking as you are in the physical realm (napkin and pencil) you can enjoy the benefits of "aura", where the piece has a singularity and has the valuable material aspect of having been touched by the artist. I suggest weaving a hair through the napkin fiber to further that end. Use a needle if need be. I wonder what would happen to the napkin if you had a tiny canvas with wet gesso and you tried to fix the napkin to it. Depending on how the napkin was folded, you might have one half attached to the canvas and the art half opening like a book. What might you place on the inside? A triptych of numerous napkins on the wall is inevitable.
OK, so suppose you go with the hair idea, and you place it not randomly, but actually where Jesus's hair would be. Hair is one of those things that really survives the ages. Where is Jesus's hair when you need it? If you got the right blessing from the right Priest, could they turn your hair into Jesus's actual hair?
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of the "been touched by the artist" aspect, I have to admit...
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness I have been contemplating a "hair christ", though not in the manner you are discussing here. Clearly we need to talk further and compare ideas. Perhaps as work on Black Sheep Wool commences...
Nobody could turn my hair into Jesus' hair save for Jesus himself. Rules are rules...
I'm sorry but I can't help but continue to brainstorm on this. Does the Vatican anywhere in it's massive troves claim to have a piece of Christ sufficient for a DNA sample? And supposing they do, I know they'd never stoop to having it sampled, but if they did, could we start a world-wide search for the closest match? They could win a private audience with the Pope. For that matter, wouldn't it make sense to search for the closest match for Elvis? Even if it's by chance and a mere molecular technicality doesn't some status confer?
ReplyDeleteTo sleep, perchance to dream of some status conferred...
ReplyDeleteIf we look at John Lennon's sketch art, to what extent can we separate his style and expression from the context of his life? How much of the value comes from the simple fact, it is from his hand? Certain curves or patterns may make his work recognizable, OK. Caricatures of people are recognizable. I wonder if Lennon ever exhibited his work [attended his own exhibition]?
ReplyDeleteI suspect Joni Mitchell the musician, thinks of her painting as having value apart from the context and identity of her life. She takes it very seriously. She talked about how the music feeds the painting and vice versa. When she ran out of inspiration in one realm, she could find it in the other.
Outsider art really has it's appeal. Such a great example of this is well told in the documentary Marwencol. And an important point here is: dedication achieving obsession. What could easily be dismissed at first glance reveals amazing depth upon further examination. Depth that is demonstrated, not just in execution of concept, but in the unmistakable sense of the cost of hours, days, months, years of the artist's life.
Thanks for this. You know, I can say that, for the most part, I've stopped writing poetry. Maybe a little here and there, but basically stopped. These little drawings of crosses and some of the other items I'm attempting to draw have replaced the poems for me. I feel like I have opened up some other artistic options for myself...
ReplyDeleteSorry typo - above should read: "...dedication approaching obsession."
ReplyDelete