Sunday 16 November 2014

Blast Off or Blown Up?





This was a pretty challenging piece and I'm going to try not to to tell you what it is about... that's for you to decide. I was just trying to suggest something, to inspire thought and imagination and to that end I think it works.

I had an image in mind - a spaceman, a sacred cow, birds and that's what I drew (top drawing far left marked with a "1"). The symbols and the odd shape behind all of them were details that just happened. I knew from the outset that the sketchbook (yes, the sketchbook told me to do it) needed, nay, wanted (DEMANDED) a bold, bright (ORANGE) page of ink. What could I do?!  I knew I was going to wreck the drawing, but I had to do it. 

I also knew from the outset that this drawing was going to be put here, so it was going to have to be worked over and thus rough drawing "2". This is closer to what I wanted and looks to my eye like a plastic sheet of model parts that you punch out and glue together to make a toy model, or a laying out of all the things an astronaut might need. You didn't know every astronaut needs a sacred cow?! Ah, now we're getting to where I was pointing, to space and hope and absolute bowel loosening terror and what a culture might need if they venture out of our solar system, into... I thought I said I wasn't going to tell you what it's about. Right. Sorry.

So we get to drawing "3". Clean? Check. Visually clear? Mmmm... not so much. Suggestive of that reaching, yearning?! Ah... no. Not to my eye. In fact it's just more confusing. I left it for a few days, asked Christine about it a few times, and thought about it some more. 

Part of the problem is that I didn't have much time to spend on the drawing and that feeling that I wanted to inspire was going to require too much work and time and I wasn't sure I'd even be able to convey it. Below is how I left the drawing. If you just saw this drawing, perhaps you'd feel my intent, but perhaps now that you've read all this, you see what's lacking! Tell you what, forget I said anything! It could make a good bumper sticker, or stamp or tattoo on some square shaped man's back.