Day Seven: "Murder of Crows"

Good Morning,

I had a great find last night on my foray out junking (see previous posting to see where). I found a 1958, hardcover MoMA exhibition catalogue on Jean Arp! SCORE!!  Jean Hans Arp (1887-1966) was one of the co-founders of the Dada movement in 1916 (Zurich), and joined the Surrealist movement in 1925 (Paris)... an amazing painter, draftsman, lithographer, sculptor and poet. His work tends to be more poetic and whimsical than serious or morbid. He wrote a short essay for this catalogue titled "Looking."
                                                   The opening line reads:

 
"To open my eyes, to see, to look to contemplate the world, to watch clouds and trees,  to behold cities and buildings, to look works of art in the eye, to look men in the eye, to see, to look - ever since childhood this has been my greatest joy"



So that's why I'm a bit late getting started (I've been reading it most of the morning). It's telling that this book should appear in my life at this time, because I left yesterday's session talking about looking at my painting, its influences and inspirations. I'd actually been thinking as I signed off with that post, how was I going to explain my position. I attempted (feebly) to describe the crows and the hats and the figures, but it really didn't hit the mark for me. So I thought I'd attempt a re-do, take a day to clarify where I'm at and where I may be headed, to do a bit of looking around (if only for my own sake). Sorting out my 'Sorts' as it were...

To begin, I decided to once and for all find the origin of the phrase "murder of crows." I found a site on-line, Grammarphobia.com, and they suggest the saying is "a poetic term, not a scientific one. Traced back to the 15th century phrases, 'mursher of crowys' and 'murther of crowes'." An interesting foot note to their listing mentions folk tales that suggest flocks of crows hold trials and execute members for bad behavior. I like that idea, and transposing that explanation to this project is an interesting take on how a group of people can gather and gossip.

Looking at my working drawing from day one of this blog; I want to focus on the shapes of the hats. More specifically, I want to look at shapes that I see related to and influencing my interest in that element's design.

First I should explain that for a time in Santa Fe, I refurbished, repaired, and built from raw felt bodies, cowboy hats (I still reshape hats for friends), and I often wear a cowboy hat. Also, I have amassed a good sized collection souvenir cowboy hats in various materials from bronze to bakelite, in sizes ranging from that of a pencil eraser to about 10 inches in diameter. I have produced abstractions of hats for years in drawings and paintings, and I have taken the basic form of the hat, and composed a series of bronze sculptures (one such is seen here). Needless to say, for me, hats have become a part of my life. So far these bronze works have come the closest to translating what I feel when I see a hat. Put in words, the line quality of the shape that defines the space is what I am attracted to. When I look at the working sketch above, these three discs and how they interact, is very exciting to me, the rest of the composition is but window dressing.

For me it is very easy to see the shape of the bird described within the shape of the hat. The pointed ellipse of

the form recalls the profile of a planes wing section when it is diagrammed to explain lift.  Following this trail of thought a step or two further and ladies' hats from the 1940's come to mind, where actual bird bodies, wings and feathers were applied in all their taxidermy-ed glory;  then Edward Curtis's photos of traditional American Indian head wear,  physically braiding eagles into their hair; and then a bit more surreal, the ancient Sumerian bas relief carving of Anunnaki, bird-headed god figures. All of these varying types of 'sorts' are what I was talking about yesterday when I was attempting to describe influences to one's work. For me they come like a brainstorm of images that flip-book-flash through my mind when I'm working. The images dove-tail (curious choice) into one another, each idea calling up the next in a cascade of influences. All these thoughts should be recognized and at least acknowledged for the sake of maintaining some connection to your imagination. These are the ways the painting speaks it's truth into being through the artist.

I do not feel that I can know where all of the inspirations for my work will come from. I can start with a basic premise, but to know every step of the work in advance is to become soulless, a mechanized production port, doing same-o same-o work with each and every painting.  Where's the fun in that? Where's the heart? Your imagination is one of the few things you have that is truly your own, it is a gift to yourself from yourself, and should be honored.

I realize the ideas I've represented in this session focus on a small part of this painting. It was my intent to give you some idea of how I work as best as words can describe. I do however hope that these explanations are of some benefit in understanding my process. Part of the impetus for doing these sessions is to clarify myself, I suppose that works both ways...

Paint well...