THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 18 : Enola Gay

yo!

the artist has noticed this American symbol..

how could he not..

seven years before he was born..

the skys over Europe..

were full of airplanes displaying this recognition symbol..

he thinks of this as the logo/pictogram..

of the American century..

AN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

in American Art of the 1940 - 1950 period..

Abstract Expressionism..

was the result, in part, of a turning away..

from the horrors of the war..

the artist has read..

that the energy of Pollock's..

Summertime 1948

is descriptive of the energy released by the nuclear bomb..

the airplane that dropped the bomb was called..

Enola Gay..

Mark Rothko 

 

"There is no such thing as good painting about nothing"

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 17 : A BOOMER'S PAINTING

yo!

here we are in the artist's studio..

what a mess..

well it's a grey January day..

and the studio is cold and unused..

THE LANDSCAPE THAT WAS

this canvas was started in 1984..

and was part of a series about Idealised Landscape..

an American USAAF decal from WWII..

with a quatrefoil in the centre of the star..

a promised land..

this image was his thing for a while..

this was the first one in 1985..

a nice dove of peace vibe happening here..

Lavender Mist..

probably the artist's favourite..

Jackson would have approved..

military vibe here..

you may notice how the colours of the rectangles..

either side of the star are different from each other..

the idea was mood and balance..

a balance of power..

A BALANCE THAT WAS

so 70 years of Pax Americana..

gone like snow on the water..

next time on..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

painting over paradise..

the fool on the hill..

the future that was..

THE LOST SUPPER

 yo!.. just sayin.. innit!

I was going to paint over this..

I thought..

what a f*ckin miserable image..

who wants ta create misery..

well..

sometimes misery just appears..

you don't set out to paint miserable paintings..

who would want them..

who would want to sit in a gallery and look upon them..

and it started me thinking..

a rare event in itself..

WHAT IF THAT CHAPEL IS NOT A CHAPEL BUT A TOMB

my pal mark..

is one of my greatest influences..

I listen to what he has said..

and I believe and respect him..

but anyway..

just sayin..

those seagram murals..

great art..

really great art..

but did he really think that people could..

dine in peace..

celebrate their good lives..

raise a glass and say cheers..

while looking at those paintings..

IT'S A GREAT STORY

how the great artist..

could not stomach..

having the rich and powerful and famous..

look upon his work whilst spending more than five dollars..

on lunch..

BUT WHAT IF 

and we need a little imagination here..

his guy paying the bill..

says to mark..

on the qt of course..

mark my old meat an tatey..

love the stuff man..

love it..

but it's going to give the diners indigestion..

so no..

do us all a favour..

and let us out of this deal..

just give back the dosh..

and we'll pretend that you thought they were too good for us..

and mark god bless him..

is cool with that..

because he has become attached to these profound works of art..

they are his best stuff..

his most potent images..

heavy innit..

f*ck em..

he may have thought..

I will give em away to..

the great museums..

so alla plebs can see em..

whilst sittin in the those rothko rooms..

eating they sammos fo lunch..

AN IMAGINARY SCENARIO

obviously..

but think on and look again at those paintings..

and ask yourself..

do they celebrate life..

are they life affirming..

 am I sitting in a chapel..

or am I sitting.. 

in a tomb..

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