Here I am

Here I am, 74 years old. I tried to build a solid career, and I have the art to prove it. A decent exhibition record, work in some museums. But sculptures are stacked on top of one another in my studio, and drawings are essentially serving as wallpaper.

So here’s my plan. Get a reputation manager, a personal agent, a marketing team and a pair of tight black leather pants with studs and rhinestones. Come up with a back story, some schmoozing lessons and a near-death experience. Then circulate.

Anybody want to help me get my plan in gear?

Poem

There isn’t one thing in the world that doesn’t deserve a poem.

Most admired

As usual at the end of the year, the men most admired are listed for us. Again, as usual, they are the men most often in the news, since we can’t admire people we really don’t know of. So it’s presidents and the like.

But I'd choose men like Colin O’Grady, Theaster Gates, Brendan Kelly and Richard Overton. How about you?

Inflated

An inflated bomber jacket. An inflated belly. An inflated ego. Not deterred by bone spurs. There was in war torn Middle East. No idea what those men an women go through on a day to day basis. No global strategy. Spouting half-truths.

Another cringe-worthy episode.

Drawing

Drawing is our first language—in caves or sidewalk chalk drawings. It’s a gift that graces countless kitchen refrigerators. Creative people still use it to record their thoughts and ideas. It’s not going away, but it’s on the wane.

For me, what seems to be falling away is drawing as craft, discipline and intimate and direct engagement with the observed world, in particular the human figure. Drawing the human figure is a strenuous and intimate. It’s an act of humanity to look with sustained intensity at another--and naked—human being.

The disconnection from the human figure in drawing is symptomatic of our disconnection from the natural world and our romance with uber-muscled comic heroes and animated cartoon figures.

There has always been room for all approaches to the figure, but there is no substitute for figurative drawing with its foundation based on disciplined knowledge.

Ray and Jesus

Many are awaiting the Second Coming, the return of Jesus in an apocalypse. Forget it. Jesus’ own life experience gave Him a good understanding of human beings. He even returned to the human sphere after His death. He knows how to do it right.

The reality is that Jesus returns all the time in the guise of humans just like you and me. For example, He recently returned, embodied in Ray, a machine operator who had recently lost his job. At a mall, Ray (Jesus) accidently bumped against Tyler, a stockbroker coming out of Starbucks. Here was the exchange.

R: Oh, sorry.

T: That’s okay.

R: Is that your special coffee?

T: Yeah.

R: I’ll bet you have a special suit, a special pair of shoes, a Lexus, two special children, an especially beautiful wife, a special house on a special street and a special bottle of Scotch.

T: Well, yeah I do actually.

R: You probably buy a lot of things at special sales with special discounts.

T: My wife does.

R: Hmmm…Have a blessed day.