Landfill-1
ink on paper
8" X 8"
Landfill-2
ink on paper
8" X 8"
I loved going to the dump with my dad when I was young. I don't think I did any drawings of it but I did draw the same type of bulldozers in different situations. I really got off on watching heavy equipment being operated no matter where it was. At the dump there was no lack of interesting people and garbage. I kind of like the landfill concept as it relates to my childhood and how I see it now. I was laying in bed the other night almost asleep and it came to me; the "dump", then, now and more. There are a lot of possible ways to go with this. I may stay here for awhile and see what develops. I'm thinking there is a plethora of socioeconomic statements to be made with garbage. You can use refuse to represent all sorts of things. I have a friend who is an engineer and works for a firm that designs and builds landfills. They're quite different than the dumps I knew as a child. One thing hasn't changed though: they still kinda smell the same. One of my thoughts as a kid was if I was smelling that stuff that meant I must be breathing it too. I wondered how those guys could work there all day.
These drawings are not only content rich, by sensationally dynamic! I could study them for hours. What also fascinates me is that they "read" like large-scale drawings but are done on a rather small scale. I wouldn't have guessed that until I saw the label. The other fascination for me is that contemporary relevance of these works in juxtaposition to your childhood experience. Timeless, and therefore, classic. Wow ... what next???
ReplyDeletePhenomenal drawings!!! And a very intriguing and interesting concept you have chosen to explore. I want to see more!
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy, Thank you, I value your comments very much. Yes indeed, Wow! What is next? Just keeping tabs on the old excitement meter for now, because it is whaling. I know how you must have felt when you first started the eggshells, or the varietals and now the "left behind" series. Thanks for all the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, this is the most determined and driven I've ever been with my painting. So many things are happening right now that I find myself burning the midnight oil more than not. I have to appease my graphic arts clients during the day and pursue my real purpose as I can. Lots of stories to tell but no time right now. The reason I'm doing the graphics is because at one point in my life I compromised and got away from my purpose in life. But I can't look back too much. I do believe somewhat in the Law of Attraction. Enough for now. Thanks for taking an interest in my work.
Hi Stan, These are exciting drawings! The potential in this series is huge. What I really like is the feeling of density and air. Plus, it's just so nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome Stan! I love the way the composition emphasizes the power of these machines but also underscores the issue of "what the heck are we doing with all this stuff!?"
ReplyDeleteI think the little wisps of dust are genius. As for the smell, I think that part of the senses kind of burns out after a while.
And yes, Mrs Ward Cleaver and in June in Leave it to Beaver.
Stan- through your words and art, it shows how passionate and driven you are. I hope someday you'll get a chance to tell some of those stories- and I admire you for taking care of business with your graphic clients while being true to yourself as an artist. No wonder you are burning the midnight oil!
ReplyDeleteRobert Henri in "The Art Spirit" wrote- "For an artist to be interesting to us he must have been interesting to himself. He must have been capable of intense feeling, and capable of profound contemplation. He who has contemplated has met with himself, is in a state to see into the realities beyond the surfaces of his subject. Nature reveals to him, and, seeing and feeling intensely, he paints, and whether he wills it or not each brush stroke is an exact record of such as he was at the exact moment the stroke was made." Now- wonder why YOU made me think of that??? :-)
wow !! you have lots of good things here on this blog !!
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, I think the dump is a great place to examine ourselves. What the heck is all that stuff we're trashing? Who are we? I appreciate that you noticed the wisps of dust around the dozers. Putting it in there was almost a total reversion to the way I drew in my childhood; a style I can't describe other than "play drawing".
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, I just might put some of those stories on Deborah's introspection blog post. I'm still writing a piece on why and how I introspect. Love the Robert Henri quote.
Hi Caio, Thanks, the feeling is mutual, I've been to your blog and love what I see and will have to do much more study there.
Stan, great drawings.
ReplyDeleteThey remind me...in force and direct mark-making, of the exhibit that just opened at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Its an amazingly well curated show of WWI propaganda and reporting prints from the university collection. I think you would, as I was, deeply moved by the subject matter and thrilled by the quality of drawing and printmaking by many of the great 20th century German artists when they were young and caught up in The Great War.
http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/exhibitions/machine-in-a-void.shtml
If you go to the links of the artists' names and go to the 'work' tab, you can see some of the images.
Hi Kaylyn - thanks for the link, that is a really cool exhibit. "Ieperen de Slechte Maere" by Jules de Bruycker intrigued me the most.
ReplyDeleteStan: admire your links and shading techniques within these drawings. The complexity of layers successfully adds intensity to your theme.
ReplyDeleteHi David-Glen - Thanks for the great comments. I've been checking out your website for the past few days starting with earlier work and working up. I'm not finished because there is so much too study. Did you design the website yourself? Very nice! Your work is intriguing and your poetry is beautiful. You are certainly multi-talented and your work ethic makes it obvious you love what you do. I'm looking forward to seeing the combination of acrylic paintings and prose that you are currently working on.
ReplyDeleteits amazing how childhood memories link to your artwork today- your drawings are rich and detailed
ReplyDeleteLove your marks! These are intense and exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna and Tonya, I'm having fun!
ReplyDeleteWow, Stan! You really caught the energy and texture of the equipment and the landfill. When I was young my father used to love to take us to the dump. He would always come home with some found "treasure", much to my mother's dismay.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eva, it's one of those childhood things I really liked, and I suppose, I still do. Check out my next post.
ReplyDeleteFabulous.
ReplyDeleteGood creations
Thanks SKIZO, like your work as well; it is very well composed and extremely unique. I like the language your art speaks.
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