If you've browsed the listings at the Yearly Kos mega auction, maybe you haven't thought of yourself as an art buyer, since you're really more interested in defeating the crowd that's in Washington right now.
Well, I'm going to invite you to take a look at two of my prints and consider the possiblity that art can speak to those who might not be able to hear your words. That subtle undercurrent of political "message" is hidden in a few of my paintings, and this diary will give you a short explanation of what I'm trying to say in each of the two prints I have up for auction.
This has been cross-posted at my blog site, http://www.doublygifted.com.
I've been a working artist long enough to know that there's no explaining what will appeal to an art purchaser, and if you paint for the audience you are doomed anyway. That's the reason I don't paint "blue crabs" or "pastel beach scenes" like a few well-meaning friends have suggested. And my work is getting plenty of good exposure locally, which is very gratifying. Currently a dozen or so of my paintings are hanging in a local restaraunt, where I had a divine dinner last night surrounded by my paintings and in the company of great friends. I've just had two excellent exhibits and my paintings are selling well.
The reason I put these two prints at YearlyKos auction is because the Kos community is the only group who will "get it" in terms of what the paintings represent. Or at least that was my hope. I'm not at all sure you guys get it. So I thought I'd help a little, although I had hoped the artwork would speak for itself. I'm still trying to donate my work to a good cause, folks, so bear with me while I tell you how "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Baker's Boys" came to be and why I think you ought to bid on them.
These are high quality giclee prints of two of my paintings. They would sell for around $95 each if I were selling them instead of donating them to this auction.
First, Sunrise Sunset was one of nine paintings that were done as part of a six-month long thesis project, and all of the paintings in that group of nine were various setups of dolls of a certain type. These dolls are what are called Composition dolls, and they are made of a material that is pre-plastic, which dates them to the 1930's to 1950's generally.
I chose these dolls purposely because they are not indestructible as later plastic dolls are, so they show wear, and age. They look wounded, and they are fairly realistic. I wanted to express a sense of childhood, yes, but an injured and broken childhood. Why? Because I was and still am sick of sending our children off to war.
I'm sick of children coming back with artificial limbs and PTSD while the "adults" in control of our world keep destroying the planet in pursuit of their own wealth and power. The title for Sunrise, Sunset is the song from Fiddler on the Roof, and as all the paintings in that thesis show were given songs for titles, I don't really think the title matters as much as the image itself.
The comments from most younger viewers speak of the dolls as scary, but given the fact that I'm trying to "disturb" the complacent and the oblivious who are acquiescing to this carnage by their indifference, I don't mind scaring them a bit. Sadly, most won't get it. Still, this painting has been the favorite of most of the viewers of this entire group, and I'm very pleased with it. The original is 30x40 on canvas and is priced at $1500.
The second painting, Baker's Boys, is a smaller acrylic on canvas.
It was painted after the thesis and I wanted to depict the "evil children" that are really in control of our world, as I see it.
I've seen many diaries at Kos referring to Rove as Puppet Master and Bush as Howdy Doody, so I'm not sure that I even need to point out what is going on here, but I will tell you that much thought and effort was put into the exact setup, and I took over 350 photographs before I finally found the precise angle, lighting and positions of the dolls that I wanted.
The newspaper in the background is one I own from the Mobile Register dated Jan. 17, 1991 in which the headline reads "It's WAR!" and the shocked and horrified looks on the dolls around the two main dolls are indicative of how we all felt as we watched this most recent nightmare unfold. The reference to the first Gulf war is just my way of saying that the same crowd is back in control.
The dolls stand for us, watchful and aware, but unable to do much of anything to stop the master players from manipulating our world the way they want. The title, Baker's Boys, refers to the one who seems to always be behind most of this crew somehow. The fact that Bush, Jr. started out in the mailroom of Baker Botts doesn't surprise me in the least.
Here's the original hanging at the entrance to LaPizzaria in Mobile, Alabama where it's for sale for $800.
I have been working on a new painting, titled "We know Jack!" which depicts a row of Rolly Polly Clowns with a sinister clown in the middle. These rolly polly clowns just remind me of lobbyists for some reason. If dolls and clowns don't depict the DC crowd, I don't know what does. Maybe someone would like to suggest different titles for these paintings. I'm open to suggestions. And as always, comments are welcome.
C'mon, Kossacks, one of these would be a great conversation starter at your office or a gift for your favorite republican cousin...