Thoughts on the Comedian as a Social Scientist, Teacher, Artist

Good stand-up comedians are doing performance art. Key word being good comedians. Maybe good isn't the right word. I'll elaborate..... comedians whose stand-up routine includes insights into the human condition, are doing great performance art. Important work. I am being totally serious.

It has occurred to me recently (and many times before) that some of the biggest influences on my way of thinking have been comedians (more specifically their stand-up routines, which, like a work of art, are often developed and polished over a period of time.) People like; Bill Cosby, Bill Hicks, Bill Burr, Bobcat Goldthwait, Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne Barr, Andy Kauffman, Lenny Bruce, Sarah Silverman, (and many more).

“Folks, it's time to evolve. That's why we're troubled. You know why our institutions are failing us, the church, the state, everything's failing? It's because, um – they're no longer relevant. We're supposed to keep evolving. Evolution did not end with us growing opposable thumbs. You do know that, right?”  ― Bill Hicks

It's amazing to me how artists like these manage to tackle subjects including: social commentary, political commentary, satire, philosophy, truth to power, and more; with deep insights into these subjects, and sell it to the audience. Things that are hard to talk about maybe in daily conversation, things you don't see on traditional media like television, film, and newspaper. Sometimes things that you are not going to learn in any classroom. So this is just a little tribute to the stand-up comedian/world philosopher role that is very important in my opinion, to modern culture.

I want to mention Andy Kaufman specifically, who didn't do stand up as much as he did actual performance art. Check out the documentary A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman (1995). Or any other of the many different  media forms out there that talk about him. Andy's art (I call it performance art more than comedy) was misunderstood by a lot of people I think.

"What's real? What's not? That's what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality." - Andy Kaufman

To me his work was about how much of a reaction he could get out of people, by manipulating their basic emotions with his antics, for his own twisted gratification (which is kind of awesome). Or on the opposite end of the spectrum, using simple things in a moment of poetic whimsy, like a jazz artist might. Example - Kaufman's "Mighty Mouse Theme" skit. If you judge Kaufman's work sheerly as comedy maybe some of the critics have a point. But in my opinion his work crosses over into social commentary and really great performance art. Like a lot of good art, it transcends any label you might try to put on it. I am one of those hoping that his pre-mature death was his last great bit of work, and he is still out there somewhere, sweeping up the floor of a deli, quietly enjoying life.

Modern Classics: Ralph Bakshi's "Wizards"

When I was a child, I would usually spend a couple weeks or so of summertime with my cousins who lived a few hours away by car. When at my Aunt's and Uncle's house, I would sometimes sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag in my older cousin's room.

The posters in his room always fascinated me as a young kid; Pink Floyd (the poster with Pink from The Wall, his face shaved and pressed against the frosted-glass shower door). Iron Maiden (the skeleton in a cockpit), and also a poster featuring the character Peace from Wizards, riding on his camel/horse creature.

It's this last poster that brings me to the topic of this article, Ralph Bakshi's 1977 film: Wizards. Maybe we should call this Modern Classics.

It' set in a post-apocalyptic future where after many years, magic has re-emerged, and at the same time, separately, so has technology.  It's a battle of opposing twin brothers/wizards in which lies the fate of the world, struggling to survive and avoid another holocaust. Magic versus technology.

Maybe it's because it was made in the year I was born (1977), or because I always wondered about the mysterious red figure on the horse as I was falling asleep, but for whatever reason, the movie held a great mystique for me. A mystique which carries over until this very day. Maybe it was because it was a span of years from when I was very young and saw the poster, until I was actually able to see and understand and appreciate the movie.

Bakshi directed 9 animated movies (writing 5 of them) in the span of 20 years (1972 - 1992). Togother it forms a cohesive body of work that spans many themes while remaining true to the nuances of the director's style. A feat which many artists never accomplish.

I really like Wizards the best of all his movies, because of the very stylish elements specific to this movie. The simplified use of color to show form and shadow, the loosely drawn but interesting characters, full of detail but just the right amount. Some details are left off, not for lack of technical skill, but as part of the style. It has a very interesting balance of storytelling and efficient, creative, design.

Compared to today's animated movies (made with advanced technology) maybe some would think Wizards is not much to look at. But that is exactly what gives this movie it's power (and a kind of ironic statement on the theme of his movie too). It's stylish, hand-drawn charm gives the movie a right from the sketchbook of an interesting artist playing with abstract figures and forms feel to it.

Some say good art should reflect the time it was made in. Well I think in this movie this is true (while staying true to Bakshi's style also). The kind of mellow, spacey, 70's rock soundtrack, the magic vs. technology theme, the minimalistic use of color and design in a very urban, symbolic, and organic way. To me, it speaks volumes creatively, I really love it. It draws me in and speaks to me in a way that only some art does.

Notifications Pending: 1984 in Kansas?

If you use Facebook you may have noticed some spam-like e-mails in the past couple months or so in your in-box. The subject line is something like 'John Doe You have notifications pending'. Am I the only one that thinks there is something wrong when your social media site is sending you messages akin to what you might see in debt collection notices?


It reeks of a spammy e-mail that should be in the junk folder, right? Notifications pending? It sounds so official and important; urgent even, and of course none of the 'notifications' are urgent at all. I do not like it when companies or institutions or web-sites are trying to lure you in with manipulation, important sounding keywords, aggressive over-marketing disguised as something vital, etc etc. Only to get you to come back and use their site, product, or whatever, more. Facebook sounds desperate and manipulative and a long way from it's original attempt at being trendy.


Maybe I am just over-sensitive because I have been reading,.. err listening to the audio-book of 1984 by George Orwell. I never read it,  unlike some students who had to in high school classes, so it was a first for me, although I knew the basic themes.


It is a fascinating book on at least a few different levels - social science, politics, futurist,.. Getting into the book and then listening to the news for example, I noticed many parallels to things in the story. Things like the struggle between the elites, the middle class and the poor, or the effort to control thought through information manipulation. The latter especially relates to the here and now, the information age. For example celebrities, athletes, politicians, get into Twitter Wars and try to define recent major events with their own 'spin'.


Another recent example is the Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and a high school senior who had visited the capitol and tweeted something negative about the governor. The governor tattled on her to her high school, and she was urged strongly to write an apology letter. Pulling a tweet out of cyberspace from a girl whose major tweet topic was Justin Beiber and making a fuss over it? REALLY? This is what our tax dollars go towards? This is how they spend their time? Trying to coax an 18 year old woman into respecting someone she does not? Scary.  


A reason this is scary to me is because it is akin to another story that is in the headlines recently. It's about a Thailand citizen who received twenty years in prison for sending four sms text messages that were considered insulting to the Queen and the monarchy. The situation is not exactly the same as with the Kansas Governor obviously, but both are situations in which people in power over-reacted to citizens who were communicating privately their opinions about government; in an effort to control those citizens' self expression.


Social media and the internet has allowed information to spread to many parts of the world and allowed quick communication between the people. In many ways these open, international, informational tools and the freedom it brings people is the opposite of 'Big Brother' government in 1984. In the story, the government changes history books, photos, newspaper stories, etc. to suit their own current political needs. Which is not dissimilar to what many current dictatorships try to do by controlling the flow of information in their country with things like pro-government propaganda, internet censorship, even banned phone text phrases, in an attempt to try and control the people from understanding true reality.


So if the book 1984 teaches me anything, it's that keeping information open and free and truthful and available to all the people is a very powerful thing. The ability to freely express one's self is a powerful thing.


As our world jumps every day further into the cyberspace information age, and as the control of that information becomes more of a political and economic issue; I urge us all to always defend the ability for all people to have free and open access to information, and the right to express one's self freely.

Good Business is the Best Art

No, it's not a statement that I necessarily believe in, or one that I believe even Andy Warhol (the artist I am quoting) totally believed in. I came across news of an exhibition ("Andy Warhol Enterprises") at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in October later this year (2010), that features Andy Warhol's work in relation to his commercial art background. A background that carried directly over to his later work in many ways, whether it's his pop-art paintings, his factory-studio movies and projects, his band promoting, or his publishing.

"Good Business is the Best Art"
-Andy Warhol

Art and business are subjects that are often found together - this is an idea behind much of Warhol's work. I think he was tapping into that exploitive, dumbed down, quick version of popular culture that we are especially seeing now in the 21st century, while at the same time cashing in on it, creating and or predicting it. Warning us of our future cultural doom while at the same time having a hand in it's invention. 

Some quick thoughts off the top of my head about money and art are that on some level it's easy to be commercial, and I am not necessarily saying that Warhol's work is shallow, but some might see it that way. For example - I could paint puppy dogs or cottages in the woods or whatnot and I could sell some paintings consistently no question in my mind. I would not only not want to do that idealistically, but if I had to starve I still would not be up for that. 

But on a different level, maybe your current work is ideally what you would want to do but it has no commercial appeal whatsover. Then you have to ask yourself  - are you happy doing your art for yourself on your own time and not as a way to make money? If this is an option, that's not a bad thing of course. Without any commercial appeal though, that could mean that other people don't even dig your work on any kind of aesthetic level, which is kind of a general bummer, right?

I mean speaking for myself, I really get off on seeing people's reaction to my work, I want to interact with them and talk about it, maybe sometimes even if it's not a positive experience at first. Good art to me should have some kind of attractive quality to it, something that draws me in, the work needs to stand on it's own visually and appeal to me somehow. And even if one person digs it, that usually means that marketed well enough you could achieve some level of commercial success. And success can be defined not just in making money selling your art, but in sharing it and growing an audience for it. Even if it's only the latter you're after, if you want to be successful, good marketing is essential and Warhol was a master of it.

On another level my own experience is similar to Warhol's (except for the part about being hugely famous and successful). Similar in respect to the fact that I stumbled into picture framing as a young man and worked full time in that field for more than several years. I learned sales skills, attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, color and composition theory on daily basis, amongst many other things; many of the skills I imagine that Warhol learned in his early years as a graphic designer. If your are lucky enough to have a craft or skill that is close to what you ideally want to do, this can be a great thing. Some artists shy away from the marketing or commercial aspect of the job, but for my money, the more you know and do the better you're chances are. 

The Andy Warhol Enterprises exhibition will feature many items from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. I saw that museum when when I lived in the 'Burgh, and the visit is one of my most vivid memories of that city. The silver pillow room is awesome if you are ever near there and are able to go. I gained a tremendous amount more of respect for Warhol and his work after seeing this museum. Although after much thought on the subject over the years; I still disagree with some of the basic philosophy of art that Warhol maintained throughout his work, (blending the line between pop culture and art, exposing/exploiting this fact has a basis for all his work). His work is important however you want to look at it  and I think the debates that his work presents to us, are ones that deserve to be examined over and over again, which Warhol's work allows us to do.

Scorsese Delivers a Masterpiece with "Shutter Island"

The recent DVD release of Shutter Island  reminded me of just how much I enjoyed this movie. I was really surprised at how it grabbed my attention immediately and never let go. Part mystery, part suspense, part detective-movie, part mind-bending thriller; - it entertained me more than I have been by a movie in a long time. Before I watched it I read some people's reviews of Shutter Island around the web and reviews by the mainstream critics; from what I could tell it got somewhat of a mixed result, ending on the positive side. I though, was honestly blown away - fantastic movie. I was really drawn into it, which was great because I was on a very long and very noisy flight, so this was a great distraction.

Warning, spoilers ahead, if you haven't seen it yet, I am pretty much just going to skip to my thoughts about the twist ending of the movie.

The Twist at the end of the movie was genius in my opinion. And once you realize that the entire movie Teddy is really Edward Laeddis the whole thing makes total sense, like you're given the key to a giant puzzle/mousetrap. I mean of course you want "Teddy", as the presented hero, to emerge victorious somehow, but I think in a way he does (well aside from the tragic end where the doctor, right before the lobotomy, realized Edward is lucid and just wants the orbiting cycle of his memory/reality to end). It's like he's coming down from a really intense bad acid trip and slowly realizes what real reality is and what has been going on for God knows how long, but this is not the first time he's 'come down' to reality. (In a way that is exactly what's happening because they kept him on anti-pyschotic medication for so long). 

For me the ending and the entire movie make total sense and the puzzle that was weaved throughout the film was pretty masterful. I have no clue why so many critics are quick to bash this movie. Coming from a self-appointed culture cynic, It's a five out five star movie. The storyline, the creepy old and somehow very American gothic lunatic asylum, the storm,  the entire dark, luminous, and mysterious feel of the scenery. Going back through and rethinking the scenes from the perspective that everyone else on the island is in on the ploy to get through to Edward, makes for some interesting thought, a great thought-provoking movie, and a reason to watch it again. A triumph of a work for DiCaprio and Scorcese.

"Lost" Finale: Short Synopsis and Thoughts

Recently the television show 'LOST' wrapped up it's amazing six season run with a fantastic series finale episode. I don't want to sound too smug or something; but for me, the way they wrapped everything up made almost total sense. (It didn't answer every detail obviously, which is good maybe, and they answered enough questions at least). (There are spoilers below for those of you who haven't watched it yet or are waiting for the DVD or something.)

The second storyline we had been following this whole sixth season of the characters after the 'reset'/bomb explosion attempt to nullify the drill breach that ended season five; - was the Losties as ghosts of a kind. They were in the immediate afterlife before moving on (into the light). It was 'a place they created to remember and reconnect' as Christian Shepard put it (talking to Jack). Which means the whole storyline that ended with Jack's (real death) and Hurley in charge of the island with Ben as number two was all real and that's how it ended. (Now that would be a cool series, seeing Hurley in charge with Ben tagging along, - and totally possible - why not?).

Why was the part after the reset attempt/explosion real? - Because Hurley said to Ben (in the 'purgatory' they made), "you made a great number two." Ben said back "and you were a great number one". Also in the scene where Jack enters the church and sees his father, Christian says to Jack about his friends "...some died before you, some died long after." Which implies that whole storyline post-explosion was all real. The scene where Jack falls down after exiting the creek outside the cave was his real life death.

I have to admit those scenes of the Losties remembering their lives, when they touched each other 'as ghosts' (before entering the light) were pretty moving. Juliette and Sawyer (after Juliette slipping from his hands at the end of season five), Sun and Jin (especially after them dying together on the boat). The scene with Locke and Ben outside the church where Ben apologizes to Locke for killing him is quite poignant. I mean it's simple on one hand, but so brutal on another level, - as ghosts before moving on, Ben apologizes to Locke for having killed him in the life that they just left. That's heavy. "Hey I know we are both dead now and I killed you back there. Sorry about that" I mean not to make fun, it's truly a great and intriguing scene, among many from the last episode.

Which leaves the question (in my probably way off-base and confusing assessment) - what did the reset/explosion do exactly? If that second 'happy in LA' storyline was them waiting to 'move on' to 'purgatory' or whatever, then what did the explosion do? Did it just nullify the breach that the Dharma drilling caused; - and the two just canceled each other out? Did it somehow merge the 70's time-line characters into the current time? Because earlier in the sixth season Juliette's 'ghost' or whatever says to Sawyer (through Miles) 'it worked' (meaning the bomb). And at the beginning of this season that huge temple with the Asian 'candidate' in charge of 'the others', wasn't there pre-reset/explosion, - right?

Well I could continue for quite a bit more about Lost because the questions go on forover and the more you think you know the more you think you know nothing, which is the magic of Lost. So Anyways, that's my short nonsensical-maybe synopsis of the amazing finale of the historic TV event that was LOST. Comments and discussion are welcome as always.

More Scenes From Amsterdam, Holland

A few articles back I posted a few photos I took while I was in Amsterdam last year. Well I took a whole lot of photos and will be dishing them out here on this blog from time to time, so here is another set. Again, like a lot of my photos I have digitally altered the color, large sized originals are available for a fee, all are copyright by me. The first one below is of a whole lot of bicycles lined up in a row, which you will find all over Holland, school kids don't even take the bus to school, they all ride their bikes.

Next up is a mural I found on one of the walls that comprises the huge maze-like city center. If I had to find it again it could take me hours. But then again by my second day of wandering I was getting the hang of finding my way around a little easier so maybe it wouldn't. Anyways, it says 'amusement' which of course Amsterdam is full of. I don't know who the artist is, it says in tiny print in the corner of the photo but I cannot read it. If you recognize the artist, feel free to comment. I really like this mural, it's got crazy bag people (or maybe they are speakers or robots), a cowgirl, a clown, very cool.

Last but not least is a very common sight in the city, a canal with buildings on either side of the street. The whole city is like a wheel with rings of canals extending throughout the whole area, it's all built on water. I like the digital touch-up I did on this one (originally a day shot) because it somehow for me, captures that feeling I remember of walking around at night, everything kind of hazy (fog and rain) and gloomy, but in a good way. A kind of happy haunted feeling. There is nothing more fun than just chilling and walking around this city and this photo reminds me of that.

Denver, Colorado Cityscapes

As I said in another recent post, not too long ago I was in the city of Denver, Colorado. Here is a quick view of downtown Denver through the eyes of my digital camera with some help from my digital editing.

commissioned by Denver artist Lawrence Argent, 2002

I really like this one (above) It's a giant blue bear sculpture looking into a building. Big sculptures that give the landscape a surreal feeling always appeal to me.

The badminton darts on the lawn of the Nelson Atkins Museum (left) Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen) in Kansas City is another well-done example of this. (It's like you stumbled onto the lawn of a giant). The orange ribbons thing in NY's Central Park though? (Orange Central Park gates, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, 2005) I don't get it, there didn't seem to be a theme to it other than well, orange banners; really a laborious process with not much surrealistic affect if you ask me.

Another sculpture from Downtown Denver, (photo and color effects by me). I couldn't find the sculptor's name for this one, if you know it, make a comment. The last photo below is a clock tower I saw on our way to the art museum that was glowing purple.

Some of My Favorite Movie Directors

With this post I would like to pay tribute to some of my favorite artistic movie directors. They are all current filmmakers whose work ranges from the past 20 years or so. They all have tremendous vision and the ability to execute that vision from the biggest to smallest detail of all their movies. While not all of them are mainstream Hollywood, (thank goodness) they are definitely directors who have made a name for themselves in the field of cinema.

Some of my favorite movies are ones that are more like dreams; where a straightforward storyline or narrative is not necessarily necessary. Films like - Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Dr. (2001), from David Lynch. Some of Lynch's earlier works include Eraserhead (1977), which is an insanely crazy movie in black and white, (1986) Blue Velvet, and Dune (1984).

"Films are like magic. They take us into new worlds. And that should be protected at all costs." - David Lynch quoted in Entertainment Weekly, February 22, 2002

In this post I mentioned Julian Schnabel, check it out for more on this great painter turned movie director. In addition to Basquiat, which is in my top 5 movies of all time he has also directed the movies: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), and Before Night Falls (2000).

Next on the list is Tim Burton. He directed my second favorite movie of all time - Edward Scissorhands. Also Big Fish, The first two Batman movies (the best ones by far, the only mistake was casting Michael Keaton as Batman), Beetlejuice, and Nightmare before Christmas, just to name a few. I mean come on, who else would make a full-scale insane clay-mation movie with a gothic/fantasy theme... no one else I can think of besides Burton. (The 2005 movie Corpse Bride was also in this vein).

Burton is a director whose movies have no wasted space. There are no parts however small, that weren't carefully thought out. All the directors mentioned here share that attribute; a masterful eye for detail, and a masterful eye for the larger picture.

"So if too many people like my films, I might get scared and think I did something wrong. Honestly.” -Jim Jarmusch

Next up is Jim Jarmusch; who directed Dead Man (1995), my most favorite movie of all time. Truly a visionary masterpiece, It stars Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer. (Yes I am a big Johnny Depp fan, but less so now that he has gone all super-Hollywood on us with Pirate shenanigans 1, 2 and 3.) I did like Depp's controversial take on Willy Wonka that many disagreed with. For those of you that haven't actually read the books by Ronald Doahl, Depp's take on Wonka is much closer to the book version than Gene Wilder's was. I am not taking anything away from Wilder, just saying it wasn't as true to the book. But back to Jarmusch; besides Dead Man he has also directed Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes, and Broken Flowers to name a few.

M. Night Shyamalan is another one of the better current directors out there right now. He has had some big hits but he has also taken risks. A lot of people didn't like his fairy tale - Lady in the Water, I thought it was a fantastic movie though. Shattered was a great movie, and Signs was very creepy. Shyamalan definitely has a storyteller kind of take with his style. He directed a live action movie of the animation series "Avatar" due out later this year. (Which is totally bogus that James Cameron produced a movie called Avatar, knowingly capitalizing on the buzz around the Last Airbender movie).

"I think I take what you might call a B-movie story, deal with B-movie subjects, and I treat it as if it`s an A-movie in terms of my approach, my crew, my actors, my ethics and so on. I guess that`s my trademark or one of them anyway!"
- M. Night Shyamalan

The ending of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series kind of disappointed me, but it was still one of the better modern fantasy stories out there currently, and I liked the diverse, inclusive feel of it. It will be interesting to see Shyamalan's take on it, considering that much of that diverse feel was supposedly taken out in his casting of the movie.

I didn't go too in depth with my analysis of these directors and their fantastic works, but for those that haven't seen some of these movies mentioned, I leave the magic there for you to discover for yourself, without my perception clouding your experience. Feel free to comment on all the movies that these guys directed that I failed to mention, or about anything you want, as always.

Native American Art and Statue from India

Not too long ago I was in the city of Denver, Colorado and while there visited the Denver Art Museum. I photographed a few pieces in their collection (older pieces that are irrevocably in the public domain) and thought that I would share a sampling of them here at Modern Art Quotes. I highly recommend that if you are in the Denver area that you visit the museum and see the whole collection, there is a lot more to see than the sampling I have provided below.

The first one I want to discuss is a painting on animal skin; a Native American war scene, from the Crow tribe. The United States were enemies of the Lakota, and so the Crow would work as scouts for them.

war record painting, 1880 White Swan, Crow

Below is a detail of that same painting. I like that it is painted on animal skin, and also that it depicts a historical scene; telling a story. I also like the graceful animal shapes and the interesting way the figures are drawn. The liberal use of color is very cool, European art was only starting to use color in such a way at this time (1880).

detail from painting shown above

The next piece is also Native American, a Seminole shoulder bag. I really like the patterns and the colors used; really amazing. And again, if you compare it with European design of the same time, the work is relatively very modern.

shoulder bag, Seminole, early 19th century

The last one is a statue from India. A lady looking in a mirror, it was made in the 800's, but it could depict a woman from any time, a kind of timeless depiction. (I am not knocking women, but it is a very typical kind of imagery that one can identify with when looking at it, no?)

Woman with mirror, India,
Madhya Pradesh 800's

Again, I recommend that if you get a chance to visit Denver you should stop by the Denver Museum of Art, they have a wide-ranging and interesting collection that I could not begin to describe here, you should see it for yourself.

Go Conan... Go Conan...!

I fully support Conan O'Brien in the recent Tonight Show debacle that NBC executives caused. Conan says he will not accept the show moving back to accommodate Jay Leno, and I say right on. You know it's Conan's dream to host the show, and to step away, or at least do what's best for the show in his mind and publicly decry NBC for trying to give him the shaft is a ballsy and righteous move. I mean it's not just his ego talking (see Jay Leno for that), Conan worked his whole life to get to where he is right now, and he is willing to walk away from it rather than see the show further ruined by NBC's shenanigans. Check out this poster designed by the artist Mike Mitchell just recently to show his support for Conan.

Artist Mike Mitchell's drawing above is in support of Conan O'Brien (Coco is a nickname of Conan's) Mr. Mitchell says he encourages fans of Conans to share the artwork in support of Mr. O'Brien.

On Michael Jackson's Death: An Important Overlooked Aspect of His Life

I haven't written in forever, sorry about that loyal readers. So it may seem a little odd that the current events topic that pulls me out of my blog-sabbatical is the death of pop-icon Michael Jackson. The reason I write this post though is to discuss something that seems to have been overlooked in the non-stop media craze since Mr. Jackson died on Friday afternoon, June 26th.

But before I go there, let me say this: Michael Jackson absolutely was in a lot of ways, a Jackie Robinson type figure for pop/R&B music. I mean I remember being a small child when Jackson was hitting his stride with Thriller and whatnot, he was everywhere. I was into like the Beach Boys and REM a little bit but here was this R&B style singer who everyone liked. I mean Michael Jackson in the 80's was like apple pie and the Yankees. I didn't think of him as a black music performer, he was just Micheal Jackson, incredible dancer/singer/performer. MTV played the hell out of the Thriller video, (still the number one album of all-time) and the color of Jackson's skin was irrelevant to everyone around the world (except himself) who adored his music.

Okay the obvious being said, let me get back to my original point. I saw a documentary once on Mr. Jackson, (this wasn't a tell-all media craze Entertainment Tonight thing, it was a serious look at his life from interviews from the people close to him that really knew him - not hangers-on/exploiters like Donald Trump or whoever). The underlying theme that kept reappearing in all of these interviews, was that it was obvious during Jackson's adolescence, that he was fairly effeminate and maybe enjoyed the company of boys better than girls, i.e. - he was gay. But his dad of course, who Jackson said beat him, would never let his son come out of the closet and be openly gay. I don't think there was even any slight rational outlet for him to explore this part of himself.

Of course there is nothing wrong with being gay, and that's the point of this post. This kind of oppressive stay in the closet mentality is just that - oppressive, and it breeds negative emotions and stunted growth for the self. A lot of this is conjecture I know, but a lot of it's not, you can see it for yourself looking at the man's life. I mean look what he was reaching for with his 'ideal' self (the skin issue aside even) it was a very effeminate female with long luxurious hair. There was nothing remotely masculine about him at this time and until he died. Michael Jackson in the 90's and 2000's looked and acted much more like a female than a male.

I myself am not gay so I am not gonna sit here on some soap box and preach about how people shouldn't hide their true selves, because I have no idea what that kind of intense, trapped feeling might be like. I just wanted to point out something that's seeming to be overlooked in the wake of his death. I think it's important that this aspect of his life not get overlooked, if only for the sake of anyone out there who might be experiencing the same kind of scared to let their family know who they truly are mentality.

Discussing Julian Schnabel

In the last post I asked the question (in relation to working full time at only your art) - "...but where do you draw the line? At what point do you just go for it fully and how exactly do you do that?" On Sunday's edition of CBS's 60 Minutes there was an interview with modern artist Julian Schnabel, that at least provides his answer - "I stopped working has a cook when I got $6000 for a painting." (Aside from working other odd jobs before that too). The first thing he was noted for or got noticed for (as you can see in the interview below) was smashing plates he bought from thrift stores, then painting and gluing them to canvas in mosaic fashion.


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I have a lot of interest in Schnabel's work, I may not like all of it, but I find it very interesting. In addition to coming up in the art scene in the 1980's He has also been directing movies for a while now. He directed the movie Basquiat, which is undoubtedly one of my favorite movies of all time (along with Edward Scissorhands, and Dead Man directed by Tim Burton and Jim Jarmusch, respectively). But I don't think there has been a movie that depicts a place and time quite as perfectly as Schnabel does with the 1980's New York Art scene in Basquiat. (At least in comparison to what I can tell from pictures, interviews, literature, and the art made during that time).

Looking at the history of modern art specifically, Schnabel is at the center of the last two decades of the 2oth century and is still a huge influence. At least I would have to include his work at the top of my list of interests and influences on my work, if for no other reason than he does make you think. Say what you want about his work, but one thing you can't say is that it doesn't make you think, for even in the ways that you dislike it, your brain is churning on exactly the reasons why. It pushes thinking and new perspective, which is what the definition of good art is to me.

Watching the interview, I wanted to criticize the man but ended up only being intrigued and wanting to paint; to create art if for nothing else than to prove the man wrong in some way, but now that sounds silly doesn't it? I guess I like the way he thinks about things in an entirely different way than a lot of people, of course a lot of his work will be stuff that doesn't work for me, but there is undoubtedly a lot that is very interesting, for a lot of different reasons.

Also I relate to his story, I also have been an drawing and creating since I was a child, and I also had much older siblings and spent a lot of time alone. In one part of the interview he expressed that and also said, "I really wasn't going to be anything else" (other than an artist). It sounds cliche maybe but I relate to that directly. Not as an excuse not to pursue a different path but because it's always felt right. Like when you get a monkey off your back; solve a problem, defeat a fear, that feeling of well-being you get afterwords, that's what pursuing art has always been for me. So I guess my question is: when will I get my first $6000 for a painting?

Thankful for the Oppurtunity to Give My Self to Art

This week of thanksgiving what am I thankful for? Well in addition to the usual things like my girlfriend, my family, my cat and dog, being alive, etc., what comes to mind is something that I have always been grateful for. My creative drive; my need to express myself, that for as long as I can remember as always been there. I am not alone in my family in having this streak, as a child I remember all my older brothers being able to draw, I remember staring in awe at their work. My grandfather, my dad always tells me (I never met him) was very good at drawing and painting, in addition to being in a traveling band, (we're talking early 20th century here, not a rock band but something akin I guess).

So a gift that I am thankful for is my creativity, but what to do with it? I have been working at painting and drawing and writing, mostly art though, for quite a number of years now. There is always that gap between having to work full time, and then not doing your art. I am getting to the point soon hopefully where I will start selling my work (you'll see it offered here in the near future you lucky readers), and ideally that would be a large part of my income.

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."
-Buddha

Buddha in the Garden, derivative work
© 2008 Ed Tajchman (original source)

It's not the new year it's Thanksgiving obviously, but I already have a resolution (who needs a new year for a resolution anyways). It's to be more applied and focused in drawing and painting every day. Finishing projects, framing them, and repeating the cycle. To use the creative gift to the full extent and make it my life, to take that last step into working 8 - 12 hours a day at it. (We can all dream right?)

Someone who did manage this feat was a very successful early 20th century musician, Clara Schumann. She also raised 7 kids, was the main money winner for her family through her concerts, inspired and married fellow pianist Robert Schumann, and was considered "the high priestess of music" in her day.

"My imagination can picture no fairer happiness than to continue living for art."
-Clara Schumann

She was lucky enough to be one of those people whose art enveloped every portion of their life from a very young age. She threw herself and her whole life into her art and made a success of it. Taught by her father from an early age, she studied music for her entire life, and through a lot of hard work, determination, and an unwavering focus she did indeed live for art. The Schumann's were lucky enough to be pretty much born into their art in a somewhat wealthy family, next post I'll be discussing more; that struggle that most artist's who aren't so lucky to have that kind of setting feel.

Thoughts and History of: Die Brücke

Die Brücke (The Bridge) is a group of German artists who played a major role in the development of the expressionist movement in early 20th century Europe. They sought to create a bridge between old styles like fellow German printmaker Albrecht Durer and a more visceral, free, raw, direct form of personal expression. A metaphorical bridge to a better, more free future both in life and in artistic expression. Their first exhibit was held in 1906.

You can credit this group of artists with inventing the linocut, something I have been getting into doing lately. They also energized interest in the woodcut has a viable expressive medium, and to me this is the most interesting work that they did. The woodcut was used in medieval German culture has a popular way to illustrate a narrative, but Die Brücke artists used the woodcut because they felt (and I agree) that it is a direct, raw, genuine, mode of personal expression.

Karl Schmidt-Rotluff, Two Cats, 1915, Woodcut.

The group was started by four German architecture students; Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, joined later by Otto Mueller, Emile Nolde, and for a short time - Max Pechstei. Some of the influences on these Die Brücke artists were: Edvard Munch, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, all of whom exhibit elements of expressionist use of color and form in their style. But rather than painting only light or the reflection of light like their predecessors the impressionists, they infused their work with emotional expression.

One of the themes of the group was an outcry against the excesses of bourgeois society. German philosopher Frederich Nietzsche (1844 -1900) was also very critical of bourgeois society and was an obvious influence here. The Die Brucke artists set up studios on the outskirts of Dresden in a working class neighborhood, their aim was to separate themselves from modern society and free themselves from the trappings of a culture that disconnects one from a more vitalized, direct, and personal way of expression. They preferred a more liberal and bohemian lifestyle than the rigid, often strict institutions of early 20th century Germany could provide. This quote is from the Die Brücke manifesto; which Ernst Kirchner carved into wood in 1905:

'Putting our faith in a new generation of creators and art lovers, we call upon all youth to unite. And being youth, the bearers of the future, we want to wrest from the comfortably established older generation freedom to live and move. Anyone who directly and honestly reproduces that force which impels him to create belongs to us.'

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Bathers Throwing Reeds, 1910.

Their work with woodcuts is the reason that this group of artists intrigue me so much, I have experimented with woodcuts myself and have always found woodcut prints fascinating for some reason. I like the angular lines, the minimalist color usage, the experimental and random aspect of the process. On one hand the carving can be laborious and careful, but then random in the sense that you can't predict every time what you will see or happen when you remove the inked paper from your block. I don't know if the fact that my family heritage is Czech has any influence on my artistic style, but I suspect that it does. Maybe that's why I like German Expressionism and identify it in my work; it has elements of that style - the same kind of heavy lines, figurative elements, facial expressions, a raw-direct, earthy kind of spiritual realism, rather than spiritual idealism like some of the romantic or earlier expressionist work.

Native American Art of the Pacific Northwest

Today I am featuring a style of art that has always fascinated me; Native American art of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Haida Art; the work of Johnny Kit Elswa. The Haida people come from the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia near Alaska, which they have occupied for at least eight thousand years. Their highly developed designs and style arose partially from the fact that the islands lacked the more valuable resources of the mainland. They developed their sculptural and design skills which they used to make their art, to trade for what they needed.

Tekul or cirrus clouds, Johhny Kit Elswa 1883

Traditionally, the Haida art style or North Coast art style consisted of (among other things) sculptural works like totem poles, canoes, chests, masks, shields, and jewelry. Their drawings and paintings were made with porcupine quill brushes, and natural pigments found from minerals. Often depicting birds, super-natural beings, whales, fish, bears, and many other animal-forms. I think one reason that Haida art is still popular and still being made is that it reflects the spiritual culture of the people in a beatiful, highly expressive style. One of the first westerners to encounter the Haida noted that:

"Haida were so intertwined with the super-natural world before contact that we used to have to sing and dance hard to prove we were human."

Koot Sparrow Hawk on its Nest, Johnny Kit Elswa 1883

The highly stylized forms with natural colors reflecting spiritual, mythological and super-natural motifs is the reason that I like Haida art anyways. Those are two of the things that I try to bring to my art: an abstracted personalized style (their art was very direct and purposeful though obviously) that reflects the underlying spiritual reality of the world.

Johnny Kit Elswa 1883

"We do not inherit this land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." -Haida saying



Photo source: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Note: the above images are used in fair use; lo-resolution images used for critcal review. Also these images are in the public domain under U.S. and most if not all international copyright law; (life of the author + 70 years, and 120 years since the creation of item). Also note the case of Bridgeman vs Corel, which states that slavish or exact reproductions of an item in public domain does not contain a copyright.

God, Culture, and Evolution

I believe in evolution and the genius of Darwin and I find this particular quote from him very interesting. His stance is that a belief in God starts in the prolonged creation of and exposure to culture.

“The belief in God has often been advanced as not only the greatest but the most complete of all the distinctions between man and the lower animals. It is, however, impossible to maintain that this belief is instinctive in man. The idea of a universal and beneficent creator does not seem to arise in the mind of man until he has been elevated by long, continued culture.”

-Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

It bothers me that the idea of God is often referred to in a singular manner; the creator, he, the father, etc. The idea of a collective unconscious, a universal energy that is both internal and external, unified yet separate, I think gets lost sometimes in this pretext of a male patriarch God. I don't believe that there is one super being that is like master of the universe. We are all connected, and our spirits are eternal, now if you want to call that God, well then I might agree with you.

There is a nature special that I have seen on PBS numerous times, about a species of orchid in Madagascar that is 10-11 inches long. Once upon a time after Darwin saw one, he predicted that there had to be a moth with a tongue of about 12 inches, long enough to pollinate the orchid. The documentary I refer to was about a man's quest to prove Darwin right. He set up cameras for weeks until his team finally got their golden ticket, a shot of the moth pollinating the orchid with it's ridiculously long tongue. Darwin's bold prediction, more than a century old, was finally proven to be true.