two ..,

no. 8, ink on paper. © 2007 .

twee - duo - zwei - opposites - wisdom - method - yin - life force - self consciousness - witness - binary -

over the years, i’ve seen and heard some great jazz improv people - even played with a few ...
some of the really ‘out’ players like cecil taylor, anthony braxton, keith jarrett [at times]; sound like a cy twombly painting put to music - definitely on the same wave - this genre of work resonates to my soul ...
why ? because there’s something so natural, delightful, and familiar about ‘it’ - the language, form, or vibration, or whatever the hell / heaven / earth it is ... it works for me and speaks to - for - of the time we’re living - it’s meditative, evocative, and helps make sense of the world ... there’s a good chance that had it existed before ‘now’ it wouldn’t have been recognized as music ...
what do these guys have in common ? they’re well trained, masters of some aspect of their craft, innovative, fearlessly experimental, disciplined, engaged in life, passionate, and they’d probably do it regardless of their stature ...
but they don’t speak much about what their music ‘is’ - what ‘it’ is - they speak more in terms of principles and influences - issues they’re considering - things they’ve been moved by - dance seen or poetry read ...
making the music - ‘tapping in' - is most important ...
so how do i begin to explain what ‘it’ is in my own work ...
i’m told its a necessary marketing and distribution tool ...
what is 'it' ...

three ..,

no. 7, ink on paper. © 2007 .

drie - drei - tres - treis - triangle - trinity - sanctity - yang - emerald tablets - alchemy - treasures - limitless light -

"Thoughts rise from the mind’s haunt, whose source we can only imagine."
Joel Weishaus

four ..,

no. 6, ink on paper. © 2007 .

vier - quattuor - tessares - relativity - justice - order - seasons - wind - elements - memory - beneficence -

though it’s probably unavoidable, i really dislike defining things by what ‘they are not’ - the problem is - what ‘they are’ doesn’t seem as interesting without the reference to something that already exists ...
such is the case with contemporary art - to say that ‘it’ is not only about abstract expressionism, lyrical/gestural abstraction, or automatism presumes that the work is about those things and more - which, for me, is a bit conceited and unfair because it prejudices the opinion of what the work really is, and possibly elevates the work to an undeserving status ...
so the term - ‘what informs the work’ was adopted so one can identify their aspects of influence with a certain degree of reverence and ambiguity ... there’s a decorum to posing the question and clues for dialogue in the answer - this feels like gamesmanship - but again, i don’t see it as definitively explaining an artists work ... in the end it's the gallery dealers, art critics, and consumers that construct a fitting rationale ...
for an artist that is serious about their ‘job’; one who doesn’t play to the audience or preoccupy themselves with folly or fetish, and one that is aware of history and the world - description is elusive ... naturally, there are material and technical issues that need to be overcome in the process of making anything - and if that doesn’t become a means to an end - what ‘it’ is, has more to do with response to stimulus and perhaps something as vague as tapping the 'collective' and trusting a finely honed ability to paint from the heart or intuitive knowing - ‘it’ acquires meaning upon entering the world - a posteriori ... [so intent and meaning need to be evaluated in addition to influence] ...
like any other research however, a language for testing is required for measuring progress and results - so we're back to collecting data, asking the right questions, and appropriating meaning - especially in the area of abstraction - a necessary 'bridge' or 'tool' for deciphering and interpretation ...
doing the 'art' is almost much easier - no wonder ...

five ..,

no. 5, ink on paper. © 2007 .

vijf - quinque - pente - religion - versatility - senses - strength - severity - radical intelligence - fear -

points taken ...
pivot point - launching - jumping - diving - considering - analyzing - trying to define something that occurs so naturally - i always wanted to - maybe that's all i ever did - to draw a thought ...

six ..,

no. 4, ink on paper. © 2007 .

zes -sechs -hex - harmony - balance - meditation - intelligence - creation - beauty -

know thy market ...
the principle commandment for distribution of product ...
who is the potential consumer -
where do they consume -
what -
when -
why ...
from whom -
why -
what is it that the distributor wants and needs ...
what do i need to prepare or present to satisfy the distributor and the consumer ...

what is the most effective tool[s] to reach the distributor and consumer ...
what initial impact needs to be made and how is the best way to achieve it ...

knowing and doing are different ...

seven ..,

no.'s 1, 2, 3 . ink on paper. © 2007

septem - hepta - nature - peace - harmony - water - arts - philosophy - loners - sins - virtues - planets -

the biggest obstacle always seems to be getting out of my own way - to be unburdened by self doubt, rationalization, and the presumption of ‘ideals’ - there are probably more reasons to avoid making art than there are to do so - hence; the paralysis of inactivity ...

artists [inclusive] are particularly vulnerable because what they are making is not obviously required by society - their role appears self indulgent, illogical, even impetuous - and their products, unnecessary - unless they fit into a pre-existing venue ... so what becomes the source of motivation except the conscience of your ‘craft’ ...

so here comes a major stumbling block - and one that a majority of the population doesn’t have to deal with ...
by definition, and by historical precedent; the artist is obliged to make products - products that are innovative and meaningful; original - then, distribute a product to a marketplace that doesn’t know what it wants or needs ... furthermore, if an artist isn’t original or inventively accomplished in their medium and vision, they are criticized for their lack thereof ...

my problem has never been ‘paralysis of inactivity’ or ‘originality’ - my curiosity to see or hear a ‘thought turned thing’ trumps avoidance and my boredom with repetition keeps me creative ... my nature is to make things, to experiment, and to facilitate transformation from the imaginary to the physical ... i’m a studio animal, and have spent most of my life in the alchemists’ chambers ... the real issue is what to do with what i’ve made - how to present and deliver it to the marketplace and consumer ... to find an appropriate venue for my work ...

eight ..,

"lebensraum", 14' h x 9' w. © 2007
[ literally : 'place to live' ]

octo - cardinal - [wholeness, change, leadership, power] - happiness - lake - false witness - stealing -

perhaps the fact that i have fewer days left on earth than i’ve already spent is finally sinking in - a reality i was always aware of [especially since turning 50], but something i escaped from - to the extent that, for a few years, i couldn’t remember [with certainty] my age ...

now - with renewed clarity, new opportunities, and deliberate resolve - i feel an urgency to pursue goals with new confidence after some hard-learned lessons ...

for whatever time there is left, i want to earnestly live every day as though it were my last ... to make dreams realities, to always attempt to take the next ‘right’ step, and believe that what we do makes a difference ...

though it may be true, i’m tired of being told that my carbon footprint is too large, that my lack of support for our governments’ efforts is unpatriotic, that we live in the greatest country in the world, that you can’t ‘emerge’ unless you move through conventional channels, and that its either black or white! i’ve seen enough difference to qualify my objections ... and i’m prepared to confront issues and resistance with intelligence, compassion, and commitment ...

INTERIM ...

cycling through ages ...

happy thanksgiving to all -
with much to be grateful for;
life, earth, health, family, friends,
daily blessings, love, 'things',
learned lessons, and reprieve
from the consequence
of wrong decisions ...

in fact .

'fulcrum', 16' h x 7' w. © 2007

the momentum -
of whatever force,
or energy -
incessently
prevails ...

overshadowing
everything,
like the rubble
of mountains
under glacial blooms ...