Graffitto

Yes, there is a relationship between my imagery and graffitti. The original meaning of the root word for graffitto referred to inscribed marks, which I frequently use. My work is more in line with pre-spray paint, or as we learn to not use so many flourocarbons, post-industrial graffitti. All those signs and marks scratched and drawn onto walls in the spur of the moment. The residual of signs covering our walls, buildings, and streets that need no industrially advanced technology or tools to make. Many of the works on paper have marks literally lifted off the alley walls. But I use the other usual sources as well: the drawings of children and the marginalized, impromtu remains of fleeting moments, left behind with the visual detritus of the damned.

Broken Remnants

Painting for me is letting go. Giving up all the ideas, leaving nothing but the mark. Hinted and broken remnants of a visitation from beyond the veil of consciousness.

River

Hallejuiah, I'm a Bum

Mary-Mary, the gospel-rap Campbell sisters duo talks about getting the music out to the "unchurched" - and "churched" is used as an adjective by NPR. I like that, the neat distinction from spirituality, the compactness of the labeling of a human being as having been successfully brain-washed in a specific way. Sort of how militaries "train" soldiers by breaking them down and "building" them back up again as sociopathic killing machines. Who, if they insist on their humanity and break down, are sent off into oblivion as the PTSD disabled. It once was "shell-shocked" and gradually, war-by-war, devolved into 1984-speak Post-Traumatic-Stress. Without sufficient medical benefits. Of course many of the combatants in these wars, on all sides, have been properly "churched" before they ever signed up for duty, in many cases, the churching being a psycho-sociological pre-requisite for even conceiving of soldiering as a "career" option. As the Mullah said, "Only a fool refuses to play the God-card when unleashing genocidal mania."

The Naughties

If we call the 1920s the twenties, the 1990s the nineties and so forth, what do we call the first decade of the century? My wife, Andrea, said the naughties.

That's about right. So many have been so naughty this last decade.

While his kleptocracy funneled billions to old business buddies, Bush was still able at the last minute to intimidate Congress into dumping hundreds of billions of taxpayer money so more of the big boys could get their end-of-year bonus and pay a few dividends. Those dividends of course go mostly to extremely wealthy stockholders and other corporations. Not to mention all the greedy little games the bankers, financial wizards, and politicians engaged in to bring down the global economy. All kinds of shenanigans become the norm, including double-dipping. Or triple.

I like the story of the guy getting a full pension as a retired navel officer, a full retirement pension from a subsequent civil service job with his state, who then gets a hefty full salary from a high-powered technology and policy consulting firm, and gets consulting contracts from the Federal government. He gets four full paychecks, three funded by your tax dollars. Not to mention that he came from a generations exceptionally wealthy family to begin with which included the neat little perk of his own significant trust fund. A fund that is full of tax-free governement and state bonds, yes, you guessed it, with dividends funded by our tax dollars. These are the kind of dividends the first bail-out money went to protect.

To paraphrase Summers, basically the game for the last eight years has been: every American in the bottom 80 percent income-wise writes a yearly check for on average ten grand to the top one percent. That's the Republican "level" playing field. Anything less than that is "wealth re-distribution" and Socialism.

Definitely the naughties.

Cannot say enough

Thank you everyone for such lovely support!

Apologies

Google allowed an ad to be placed on this site for a Fascist propoganda site. I apologize to all who were upset and offended. I was horrified and upset beyond telling. This ad placement was done by Google, not me. I have since been able to take it off the site, but it is still upsetting nonetheless. The insensitivity of Google here is mind-boggling. I am sorry that this has happened and will take every step possible within my power to prevent this kind of outrageous activity in the future.

Opening with New Work

What a week since the opening. New and positive feedback on the new paintings coming in from every direction. This weekend attended a fantastic printmaking workshop run by Virginia Furmanski. New monotypes coming out soon. Thanks, Ginny!!