Choose your drama: Tragic Comedy or Comedic Tragedy
Face the Drama – Tragedy, acrylic on wooden discFace the Drama – Comedy, acrylic on wooden disc
At the Ashburton Society of the Arts’ Monday Art and Craft group, we each received a wooden disc and were challenged to create something with the theme of faces. Above is my contribution, based on ancient theatre masks, with the faces painted on each face of the disc and “Choose your drama: Tragic Comedy or Comedic Tragedy” written, with my signature, on the edge.
This artwork is also practical. For those who struggle with procrastination, it doubles as a huge coin when you need help deciding how to face the drama of the day. Will your day be tragic or comedic or both?
This painting is currently in the exhibition at the Ashburton Society of the Arts‘ Summer Exhibition (21 Feb – 21 March 2021).
Hand me the money, shredded paper, 10 x 6 x 12 cm + 10 x 22 x 5 cm
I recently shredded years of old bank statements and recycled some of them into these statements of the different hands in economics, trade and giving.
Open handed (right)
Using an outline of my right hand traced onto cardboard, I built up the sculpture, gluing individual strips of shredded bank statements. The right hand is light weight, but firm.
Depending on your politics, you might see those on the political right as tight fisted and money grabbing, but instead I have portrayed the right as open handed, giving and receiving, serving each other. Not a hand out begging, but lending a hand to mutually help each other.
Cardboard from globe box as substructure
Bank statement strips glued to card
Covering more of the palm of the hand
Covering more of the back of the hand
Open palm. Is it waving?
Back of the hand. Is it beckoning?
Open handed detail
Overflowing with coins
Tight fisted (left)
I pasted individual strips of shredded bank statements on my closed left fist and then carefully removed the sculpture and filled the hollow fist with more shredded bank statements before applying further strips to the outside. The left hand is heavier but softer than the right.
Again, depending on your politics, you might see those on the political left with an open hand sharing the wealth and giving to those in need. Instead I have portrayed the left as a fist, raised in angry defiance. Grabbing for money and power at the expense of others.
Raised fist
Fist rising
Grabbing
What is the fist concealing?
Punching?
Detail
The invisible hand
Between the two hand sculptures is an invisible hand. In economics, the invisible hand is a metaphor for unseen forces that move the free market economy. We cannot see what the invisible hand is doing. Perhaps it is open handed, perhaps a closed fist, perhaps something in between giving a rude gesture.
Hands apartHands togetherHand in hand
The Bible has a lot to say about money. This verse is apt.
‘But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ‘
This visual pun came to mind as I was contemplating what to do with my collection of corks.
Cork Screws (close up), cork 50 x 20 x 20 mmMy collection of Cork Screws, photograph.
Cork is difficult to carve, creating chunky shavings and so it is a delicate and time consuming process. I attempted to carve one cork which claimed to be recyclable and seemed to be made from a kind of rubberized paper material. It was very difficult to effectively work with and so if you want to carve your own cork screws, stick to the natural corks.
The foundations of the earth are falling apart. Photographs of sculpture.
Just over a year ago, I created Non-flat earth (unpainted), a sculpture of a model of the earth that combined facts and legends of how the earth is supported.
The world is falling apart, photograph of a sculpture previously known as Non-flat earth (unpainted).
The foundations are crumbling and decaying which is kind of appropriate with the laws of thermodynamics and the current global pandemic.
However, there is hope.
‘They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. ‘
I could repair the sculpture. Or leave it to decay further. Or build a new one.
As the (unpainted) title of the original sculpture suggests the work is not finished. It was a prototype for further work and could have been painted to fit more with the ancient legends. My procrastination has given this sculpture an opportunity to express itself its own way.
Post about the creation of the original sculpture:
Over the last 18 months, as I walk around the neighborhood, I often see the furniture that has been abandoned or has escaped domestic confines and is now residing on the streets or in the fields.
Couch family, digital photograph
In fact, all over Turkey, I see wild furniture. I’m searching for the most elusive varieties of furniture – the avian and the aquatic. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to see some furniture flying or swimming or even just resting beside a waterway or in a tree or on a rooftop.
Join me on a Sofa Safari
Sofa Safari Poster, digital image
View the whole series on Flickr
Explore my series of photos of Wild Furniture sightings on Flickr
In response to media surrounding Maurizio Cattelan’s work, “Comedian”, I have created this expression of a banana. Some media reports are incorrectly labelling Maurizio’s work as a duct tape banana when, in fact, it should be labelled duct taped banana.
My work is fastened to the wall with “blu tack”, some of which is not blue.
Is it duct tape or duck tape? This yellow tape is similar in color to that of a yellow rubber duckie. The tape used in this sculpture is branded Politape was purchased from a “dollar” store.
The banana that served as the model was also purchased from a discount store. The banana used in the production of this sculpture was later unknowingly eaten by my son.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of acting in a movie.
The Instagrim Generation
For several years, the Outcasts team has entered the 48 Hours film-making competition. I joined the team and at 7 pm on Friday, we were given our genre (Generation Gap) and elements that needed to be included in the movie (wind, overhead shot, double-take, and audible laughter). We then brainstormed the plot, wrote the script, gathered costumes and props, scouted the locations, set up lights and cameras, filmed. scored, edited with titles and special video effects and delivered the finished movie with 2 minutes to spare on Sunday evening.
The film made it through to the regional finals in Wellington and was nominated for Best Use Of Required Elements – Overhead Shot and Best Original Score/Song.
The whole experience was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about making movies. While those, who were more skilled than I, were finishing the movie, I made a behind the scenes short movie. It contains several in-jokes and almost all of the elements of the competition entry.
Behind the Scenes
Director’s cut
The Instagrim Generation Director’s Cut: The Reapers
Director, Derrick Sims, released a director’s cut of the movie as The Reapers and added it to the Internet Movie Database.
Derrick has directed and appeared in other short films and so I now have a loose connection the Kevin Bacon.
My current Bacon Number is 4!
Theo Heartist was in The Reapers with Derrick Sims who was in Making the Film: Come Morning with Michael Ray Davis who was in Endure with Tom Arnold who was in We Married Margo with Kevin Bacon
There are some conspiracy theories floating around suggesting that the Earth is flat. I have traveled around the world and observed that it is in fact round. Well, roundish.
Hindu mythology has the earth supported by elephants or a tortoise/turtle or both or a snake. North America has a legend of a ‘Great Turtle’, which upholds the Earth.
Combining the facts with the legends, I have created this model of the Earth.
I looked out the window and there were three types of light sources of increasing power. On the ground below were man-made city lights. On the horizon were flashes of lightning from a tropical storm. And above a myriad of stars.
Flight to Egypt #1, White and Silver PensFlight to Egypt #2, Oil PastelFlight to Egypt #3, Colored pencilsFlight to Egypt #4, Fineliner PenFlight to Egypt #5, GouacheFlight to Egypt #6, Torn and Etched Aluminum FoilFlight to Egypt #7, Florescent SharpieFlight to Egypt #8, Emirates Colour PencilFlight to Egypt #9, Pointillism, White PenFlight to Egypt #10, Graphite (4B) PencilFlight to Egypt #11, Spray PaintFlight to Egypt #12, Spray Paint Stencil PrintFlight to Egypt #13, Cut Paper Inverse (Stencil)Flight to Egypt #14, Cut PaperFlight to Egypt #15, GlitterFlight to Egypt #16, Torn Masking TapeFlight to Egypt #17, Acrylic PaintFlight to Egypt #18, Wax CrayonFlight to Egypt #19, Horizontal Lines, Yellow Colored PencilFlight to Egypt #20, IKEA PencilFlight to Egypt #21, White Colored Pencil
