phase 2 redux - respect the law of equivalent exchange

The first law of equivalent exchange is a principle from (animated ;)) alchemy that says nothing can be gained without a sacrifice of something of equal value.

swimming in the Arty Sea 

I've been admittedly lame when it comes to discussing anything beyond the technical details about constructing Eros et Thanatos. I'd like to talk about the meaning, but I can't see past the expenditure of energy that went into making it yet. 

To put it another way - I feel like the main character in Gattaca who when asked how he won a swimming race with his genetically engineered brother answers that he didn't save any energy for the swim back.

So, I'm going to do what I usually do when I get lost for words and bail out to a picture ;). 

When I look at this

I see this underneath

To make it real, I had to give it part of myself (for example the figure wears a threadbare bracelet of broken wings - the crown is beautiful, but an illusion; the bracelet is tattered but precious and real).

I think the almost unrestrained outpouring of energy led to the piece I'm working on now, "Amantes sunt Amentes" (Those who love are insane).

 Trying to think through the relationship between love and art is a major component of Tempus Fugit, and I've been wondering, if love is a choice? Hmmmm - not sure, maybe not, but I think devotion is. To me, devotion is love that's expressed through action over the course of time. It seems like the two are (alchemically) related. They have "equivalent mass" - love is unified, but abstract, while devotion is diffuse but concrete (and I made a pink diagram to illustrate - fun times:)). I think freedom comes into play as the decision to take action and translate love into devotion.

I've been dwelling on this a bit. Sometimes, it seems like I put so much energy into making things that there isn't a lot left over, and the result is "not-wanting-to-leave-the-house-ness." (This cartoon by Schroeder Jones is a humorous and, I think accurate, depiction of social interaction for an introvert.) It's taken a little while, but this week I've been starting to slowly venture out in my hamster bubble again.

In trying to "grow back" the energy I put into the installation, I've been sticking with the drawing classics. This week's figure drawings:

20 minutes

25 minutes

5 minutes

20 minutes

But somehow...I can't stop myself from trying new art stuff...

adding words to the "not visible" layer :
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin
on the back of the spine (courage - backbone - haha ;))

Feline Assistant Jr. helping
establish scale (about 8 feet)

The figure is seated (will add that element - a rock maybe?) and
I'm planning some fabric grass and maybe more plants and animals.
I'm tempted to add wings (naturally)

I'm still thinking this one through, but part of the concept for this piece has to do with general vs. specific, and the role that love plays in perceiving details to shift perception from general to specific.  I feel like love is the catalyst that leads one to perceive particularity.

can't resist including a cute kitty picture 

For example, I love my cats. I know when I talk about them to other people, it's sort of boring because to them, Sunny and Mini are not specific. They are "cute cats" in general. But to me, "Sunny" is her double note purr and fluffy ears and paws. "Mini" is playing fetch and running to be cuddled as soon as I stop moving. Because I love them, I like to talk about them, and out of affection for the listener, I want to share their feline-lovableness (I can't imaging that the listener wouldn't love them too if only they had more information). But I also realize that my attempts to describe the lovableness of the kitties will fall short (and yet I do it anyway, repeatedly - we see where the "insanity" aspect comes in ;)).

This is "art relevant" because I feel like "making art-stuff" could be seen as the visual equivalent of"kitty talk," an effort to show specificity even if, ultimately, the attempted description will fall short.

Ok, I think I have reached my art-nerdiness quota for the day - onward...!

Remember this from last March? It's found a happy place in the Work Show at Gallery @ 46 in Hudson. When I made this, it seemed sort of random, but now I feel like it was a baby step toward low-relief/ wall mounted sculpture (Yay! And, hopefully, more to come...)

Isn't this a little weird how closely this view of a
store window in Hudson corresponds to the
art box - winged figure, light, column. 

In other art news of the week - I was on the radio, as auditory-wingman to my friend, artist Tom McGill! We were guests of Chad Weckler on his program "Art of the Hudson Valley" on WGXC 90.7, to hear: interview)

It was also Winterwalk in Hudson, an annual city-wide night on the town (spearheaded by the Hudson Opera House, who also host the figure drawing sessions from which my drawings come - I heart Hudson Opera House :)).

and there was an elephant
in another window

Aerial performance
at the Hudson Opera House

and mini ponies

cute - right? :) 

Last, but not least - cookies. There must be cookies :) I was on the phone for a chunk of time this past week trying to sort out some healthcare stuff (like many, many Americans, I'm sure); so, I decided to make these during the times I was on hold - exchanging time on hold for turtle cookies - Mmmmmmm.

dark chocolate and almond - yum