I'm in a hermetic funk.
I know its a combination of the seasonal thing, homesickness (which is my fault) sickness (which isn't) and the inevitable post gig come down of imagining-or projecting-coincidences more significant than mere random happenstance, which is what they probably are. Still, I imagine a deity pissing himself with laughter around about now.
I need to make marks on canvas again, as well as just make my mark which is an old familiar mantra.
Here's another- at 42 I'm as rootless as ever, cradling a lifetime of pummeled ego and charred fingers, and back to noodling at the square that marks the realization that if I never spent another second in the soul destroying providence of graphic design, it would still come as a moment too soon. What a special breed of wanker that "fucking profession" procures.Woe Bejaysus as my old Irish nan would say.
Art and commerce, oil and water.
Speaking of oil....
I wish I could spend my days, lost in the pursuit of paint, all in the name of a greater journey-THAT greater journey.
In between design duties, I set the channel to Ovation teevee, and watch people like Mathew Collins, drool over some painted artifact-as I grumble at the succession of trust fund babies like Gauguin and Manet that he is toe curling over.
I wonder how anyone makes it in these franchised, disenfranchised times. How someone like me that is, and woe is me and the artist fucking lot, blah, bollocks, blah.
Shut up David!!
'Tis not a total exercise in navel gazing however, I've finally finished the first of eight illustrations for the Octavo (pictured) Peter (J Carrol) has an exceptional breadth of imagination, as multi faceted as my own. Matching his theories in 2d space however is another matter-or anti matter depending on seating arrangements. For the first piece, I settled into the transcendental ruminations of things like an illustrated book of the dead I recall renting from Norris Green library nearly 30 years ago, but since I cannot recall the author, I canny find it online.
Also in the Bombay mix-Esher,Goya and the movie Brainstorm starring Christopher Walken, and Natalie Wood, which I've not seen for almost as long as I rented that book, but my memory of it certainly adds flavor.
Nice segue David-Thanksgiving hangs as much of a pall as it does for the fattened turkeys eating ground offal, but fortunately I shall be ensconced in the North with my lovely wife at a location called Big Bear. I cannot wait to get out of San Diego for a few days and recharge-maybe a beard and a new life awaits me there.
November is two days old, and I'm keen to wash the bitter taste of October from my mouth with the peppermint rinse of mentioning that today, I meet to spec the premises for the live painting event with FM 94.9 on November 12th.
I also wanted to let you know that my interview with Fantasy E-zine is now available to read for subscribers at the following address:
http://www.fantasyezine.com/
A snippet of which follows:
FE: How would you describe or categorize your art?
DG: I really don’t like to-its too static. By nature, artists are flighty and evolving constantly, and to formalize any kind of label is to box you in. This week, I happen to be a hyper real Victorian, surrealist with a sideline in biomechanic-steampunk, next week I may be playing jazz flute.
Finally, I am in the process of illustrating a book with author Peter J Carroll, who used my Gods and Monsters piece on the cover of his previous book-The Apophenion. Peters new book is a very exciting project, and I shall post occasional teasers. It's a continued exploration of practical and theoretical magic and higher dimensional curved spacetime.
Which brings us back to matters of karmic influences in a way-arc, circle closed.
Uh-oh, don't look now...
Completed in the fall of 2004, Gods and Monsters was very much informed by more than a dabble with dark magiks and having read too many Dennis Wheatley novels as a teenager. Still living in the UK at the time, and having dallied briefly with a coven in places called Thornton Hough, I was immersed in the Crowley Tarot, John Fowles the Magus, Colin Wilson,The Mysteries, Eastern mysticism, occasional headonistic weekends in Amsterdam and a late night tryst that led me down a very solipsistic, self destructive path indeed.
In all manner of ways, Gods and Monsters was trying to make sense of it all, examining if their were pre-ordained forces and wisdoms at play, such as astrological motifs, religious rites and the Arcana, or if it was merely arcane, and influenced by ones own psychosis,the dirge and the vampires, we surround ourself with during the unravelling of daily existence.
Elicited as part of my 'Dream Orphans' series, and like most of my works of the period-sold on Ebay for a song-the piece has since become notable for its inclusion on the cover of Peter J Carrols 'The Apophenian' as well as being the theme and title for my retrospective book.
Painted in a week with Acrylics, I'm still very proud of it, its an important work, and continues to be one of my most sought after pieces at shows.
Signed reproduction prints of Gods and Monsters are available from my website HERE.
'Tis not a total exercise in navel gazing however, I've finally finished the first of eight illustrations for the Octavo (pictured) Peter (J Carrol) has an exceptional breadth of imagination, as multi faceted as my own. Matching his theories in 2d space however is another matter-or anti matter depending on seating arrangements. For the first piece, I settled into the transcendental ruminations of things like an illustrated book of the dead I recall renting from Norris Green library nearly 30 years ago, but since I cannot recall the author, I canny find it online.
