Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for August, 2012

The Crimson Standard

Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, Painting, Quote, tagged , , , , on August 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I recently came across this piece of writing from Eugene V. Debs that struck a chord with me, reminding me of this particular painting from a few years back, The Heart’s Standard Bearer.  I think it captures what I would like much of my work to represent– the flag of high hope and high resolve, as he puts it.  I know that in these politically divided times invoking the name of Debs is probably a risky proposition.

He was, after all, a prominent Socialist, a term which raises the hackles of many, most who have no true idea of what it truly means or has  represented in the not so distant past.  Debs, who lived from 1885 until 1926, was absolutely committed to the fight for fairness and rights for the poor and the working class, spending several stints in prisons over the course of his life for the stands he took.  He ran for president from his cell in 1920, the last of the five campaigns he led for the high office as the candidate of the Socialist Party.  You may cringe at the current populist interpretation of socialism but you should realize that we have all benefited from the efforts of Debs and others like him who fought for living wages and decent working conditions for all citizens and against exploitation of all sorts.

I am often asked why I use the color red in many of paintings.  Red trees.  Red chairs. Red roofs.  Red fields. I always struggle to describe what meaning it has for me.  But reading this made me feel that the red in many of my paintings might somehow be,  as described in Debs’ words,  the pure red that symbolizes the common blood of the human family, the equality of mankind, the brotherhood of the race.

Debs’  The Crimson Standard was published in 1905 in Appeal to Reason, a  weekly  progressive/socialist publication of the era that featured the writings of Upton Sinclair, Jack London and Helen Keller.  It was an extremely popular magazine, with the fourth highest circulation of any weekly at the time.  As I said, socialism was not the anathema then as now.

**************************

A vast amount of ignorant prejudice prevails against the red flag. It is easily accounted for. The ruling class the wide world over hates it, and its sycophants, therefore, must decry it.

Strange that the red flag should produce the same effect upon a tyrant that it does upon a bull.

The bull is enraged at the very sight of the red flag, his huge frame quivers, his eyes become balls of fire, and he paws the dirt and snorts with fury.

The reason for this peculiar effect of a bit of red coloring upon the bovine species we are not particularly interested in at this moment, but why does it happen to excite the same rage in the czar, the emperor and the king; the autocrat, the aristocrat and the plutocrat?

Ah, that is simple enough.

The red flag, since time immemorial, has symbolized the discontent of the downtrodden, the revolt of the rabble.

That is its sinister significance to the tyrant and the reason of his mingled fear and frenzy when the “red rag,” as he characterizes it, insults his vision.

It is not that he is opposed to red as a color, or even as an emblem, for he has it in his own flags and banners, and it never inflames his passion when it is blended with other colors; but red alone, unmixed and unadulterated, the pure red that symbolizes the common blood of the human family, the equality of mankind, the brotherhood of the race, is repulsive and abhorrent to him because it is at once an impeachment of his title, a denial of his superiority and a menace to his power.

Precisely for the reason that the plutocrat raves at the red flag the proletaire should revere it.

To the plutocrat it is a peril; to the proletaire a promise.

The red flag is an omen of ill, a sign of terror to every tyrant, every robber and every vampire that sucks the life of labor and mocks at its misery.

It is an emblem of hope, a bow of promise to all the oppressed and downtrodden of the earth.

The red flag is the only race flag; it is the flag of revolt against robbery; the flag of the working class, the flag of hope and high resolve – the flag of Universal Freedom.

Read Full Post »

Well Put

Posted in Influences, Painting, Quote, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on August 16, 2012| 2 Comments »

“When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of “get acquainted” period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”

–Jackson Pollock

*************************************

Well put words from Pollock, words that very much fit with how I feel about my own work and process, even though our works seem to have little in common in appearance.  I think it’s the harmony that he speaks of that is our common ground.  At least, I hope.

Note:  The show, Internal Landscapes: The Paintings of GC Myers, has opened two days early at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown.

Read Full Post »

A Fine Kind of Flattery

Posted in Favorite Things, Neat Stuff, tagged , , , , on August 15, 2012| 1 Comment »

Back in February of this year  I wrote here  about a friend telling me of a group of folks at the Corning Senior Center who meet weekly to practice the art of marquetry, the inlaying of wood to create pictures.  He told me that there were some there who regularly copied my work with their work.  I have not had a chance to visit the Center yet but mentioned the marquetry group a couple of weeks ago at my Gallery Talk at the West End Gallery, explaining how flattered I was by this.

Afterwards, a friend in attendance, Kathleen Richardson, said she was in and out of the Center on a regular basis and would check it out.  A few days later Kathleen, who writes a blog called Corning NY Step by Step which documents her discoveries as she walks about the city, posted an article documenting the work of one of the folks who practiced the marquetry of which I had spoke, a woman by the name of Nellie Telehany.

Nellie Telehany at Work

There were several photos showing Nellie at work and a piece in process, including showing how she would transfer the composition from an image printed in the newspaper by tracing it on  an overlaid clear sheet of acetate.  It was great to see how well she captured the essence of the paintings with her work and I have to admit to being very flattered, thinking how neat it is that this piece of marquetry will be around somewhere for many years to come.  If my paintings are my children, then these must be grandchildren. Cheri, my wife, was even more effusive in her praise of the work– more so than she is for my own work!

Thanks, Kathleen, for looking up Nellie at the Senior Center and showing her work on your blog.  And a big thank you to Nellie for making such lovely work from my images.  I love your work and hope you’ll continue.  I look forward to meeting you someday soon and seeing your work.

 

Read Full Post »

Some Thoughts on “Internal Landscapes”, Opening Saturday

Posted in Biographical, Influences, Painting, tagged , on August 14, 2012| 2 Comments »

Well, the exhibition of my paintings, Internal Landscapes: The Paintings of GC Myers, has been delivered and is being installed at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown for its opening on Saturday, August 18.   I’m experiencing levels of excitement and satisfaction, along with my normal anxiety, at the prospect of this show.  Who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of showing their work in a beautiful world-class facility where your work will hang in close proximity to the great artists of the past?  It’s the goal of most artists to be allowed to show their work in such a setting, to feel the validation and atmosphere that the institution  offers.

I am no different.

It is also a marked point on the timeline of any artist, where they can pause for a moment from the constant creative push forward to reflect on the years leading up to it,  to once again examine all the steps (and missteps) that brought them to this point.

To look back on  the many  thousands of hours spent alone in the studio and feel as though they were well spent.

To think again about all the kind words of encouragement over the years from those who found something for themselves in the work, words that have served as creative nourishment.

To again see all the moments of serendipity that have occurred on the road to this point in time,  all the opportunities that  came unexpectedly, often at times when they were most needed.

To reflect on the many times that self-doubt threatened the personal voice that was forming and now shows in the work.  And how this doubt was overcome through a firm belief that the vision being followed was as real and as valid as any other artist’s.

I could go on but I won’t.  It is obviously a retrospective moment.  I can only hope that those who see the show will get a true sense of my work.  That will make this a successful show.  We shall see.

The show opens August 18 and hangs until December 31.  I will be giving a talk at the museum on November 7, from 12:30- 2:30  as part of their Food For Thought lecture series.

Read Full Post »

Release

Posted in Favorite Things, Music, Video, tagged on August 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I’m in the studio on a Sunday morning and itching to get back to work.  Sounds like a good time for a musical interlude, something bright and positive.  This song  comes to mind.  It’s from Laura Marling, a young British singer/songwriter that I highlighted here back in December.  It’s titled All My Rage and, despite the title, is quite upbeat, with a line that serves as a mantra:  I leave my rage to the sea and the sun…

Good advice.  Have a great Sunday.

Read Full Post »

The Fatigue Factor

Posted in Biographical, Opinion, Painting, tagged , on August 11, 2012| 4 Comments »

   Yesterday, I  delivered the group of paintings for my show, which opens next week,  to the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown.  It felt pretty good to finally have the work out of the studio and in place for this show which I have been anticipating for so long.  Relief set in on the drive home  and soon turned to fatigue.  I had a chance to think and began to consider all of the things that one has to do in order to pursue a career such as mine, all of the seldom thought of aspects that are necessities but have little to do with the actual act of painting.  Things like dealing with galleries, framing and matting, packaging, delivery, pricing and the endless promotion of the work.  The gritty unromantic details that take a toll on one’s energy.   Basically, the same things any small business owner has to face.

It’s like someone who has a gift for cooking, making glorious food in their kitchen with great ease.  They dream of opening a restaurant where they can share their gift with the world and make a living doing what they love most.  But once they open the doors they find that the act of cooking, their great pleasure, is only one aspect of being a restaurateur.  They find themselves buried in heap of things far from their love of cooking.  They must deal with staff, advertising and promotion, dealing with suppliers and a thousand other details.  They find themselves fatigued like they never felt before from their cooking.

That’s kind of how I felt yesterday.  I was fatigued from all of the detail work– the driving, packing and shipping, framing paintings, the talking about and  promotion of my work and events.  Even writing this blog.  They were all things that, while necessary, were far from  the creation of the work itself.  Actually, I never felt real fatigue from the act of painting.  In fact, quite the opposite.  For me, painting is invigorating, energizing.  So much so that it makes these other tiring details tolerable, especially if it  means that I can do what I love as my livelihood.

I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m complaining.  I am definitely not.  Every job, every career, is tough in it’s own way and I have done enough other things in my life to know that  this is, by far, the sweetest gig I have encountered.  The many positives of my job far outweigh the negatives.  It’s just that occasionally when I am away from painting for too long, I get a little tired and stressed, feeling that need for the rejuvenation that painting offers for me.

Probably like that onetime cook-turned-restaurateur who, standing in the midst of a busy dining room,  longs to be in front of  a stove, simply cooking and happy.

Read Full Post »

Captain

Posted in Favorite Things, Recent Paintings, tagged on August 7, 2012| 2 Comments »

There is usually a piece or two in most of my gallery shows that never get the attention that some of the other paintings despite the fact that I often think they are really strong and are often some of my personal favorites.   It may be that the strength that I’m seeing is based on a different criteria than that of the average viewer.  Maybe I am influenced by my knowledge of the history and process of the painting.  Or maybe it is one of those instances where a painting has to find the place and time to shine fully.

The painting above is one of these pieces.  Called Captain, it is a 12″ by 36″ canvas that is part of my current West End Gallery show, which hangs there until the end of August.  It was a piece that really hit for me when I was painting it.  I liked the color and motion of the trees in the foreground that reminded me of dance.  The Red Tree seemed to be standing back,observing and supervising the movements of these dancing trees.  A sort of choreographer or dance captain, from which the title is derived.

There’s a lovely color harmony in this piece, at least for my eyes.  There is a mix of contrasting  richness and transparency in the colors that makes the piece very musical for me.  I can’t explain this fully and it sounds a bit goofy to even write this but seeing this painting reminds me of a piece of music, the dancing trees turning into  notes that hover and dance above the lines of the musical staff.

Maybe it’s this lack of a single explanation that makes this painting an enigma for me.  I see a lot of things here and hope that someone someday discovers it for themselves.

Read Full Post »

The Treasure of Ulysses Davis

Posted in Favorite Things, Folk Art, Neat Stuff, Outsider Art, tagged , , , , on August 6, 2012| 2 Comments »

Ulysses Davis- Lost Tribe in the Swamp with Alligators

I recently came across the work of another folk/outsider artist whose work really resonates with me.  It is by Ulysses Davis, a barber who lived in Savannah, Georgia, passing away in 1990 at the age of 76.  His medium was woodcarving and over the course of his life he created a very diverse body of work that had both the simple and free feel of the Outsider artist’s vision and the compositional sophistication of a fine artist.  His subjects covered a wide spectrum,  ranged from the fantastic to straight portraiture including a series of busts of all of  the US Presidents up to the year of his death. Very striking stuff.

Ulysses Davis- No No Bird

He  seldom sold his work, saying “They’re my treasure. If I sold these, I’d be really poor.”   As a result, his work never garnered the exposure or the recognition it deserved although he did receive a few honors before his death, his work showing in an important 1982 exhibit of modern Black Folk Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.  In the years since, the American Folk Art Museum did mount a retrospective of his lifework in a 2009 exhibit called The Treasure of Ulysses Davis,  the title playing off of Davis’ own words on his work.

And what a treasure it is, one that we are fortunate enough to at least share in images and in a few museums.  Beautiful work with a unique vision…

Ulysses Davis- Get Off My Back

 

Read Full Post »

Beyond Limits

Posted in Current Events, Neat Stuff, tagged , , on August 5, 2012| 3 Comments »

I’m an Olympic junkie.  Summer or winter, it doesn’t matter to me.  I revel in the thrill of this global competition and find myself watching things intently that in other times would not draw even a glance.  Trampolining.  Badminton.  Racewalking. Of course, there is the draw the household names, mainly professional athletes like NBA stars and tennis players.  Or Michael Phelps who has made himself a household name in a sport , swimming, that really only has a huge following in Olympic years.  Hard not to marvel at the accomplishments of these finely tuned athletes on this global stage.

But it is the stories of the other participants, those who most likely will never stand on the podium with medals around their necks, that makes these games so special.  Stories of people who have overcome the greatest of adversities to stand equally alongside the household names.  Simply being there and giving their all is a victory.

Today, Oscar Pistorius of South Africa continues the most unlikely of quests as he runs in the semi-finals of the Men’s 400M.  Unlikely, because he is without both of his lower legs,  born without fibulas in both legs.  Running on carbon fiber blades, Pistorius has trained, raced and fought legal battles over a number of years to simply run in these Olympics.  He doesn’t figure to medal or even make the finals.   The legal battles stem from those say the blades give him an unfair advantage which sounds pretty humorous that anyone is accusing a man without legs as having any sort of advantage.  I don’t want to focus on that aspect of this story however.

For me, this is a story about altering our perceptions of our limitations, both physical and mental.   His journey should be a gold medal  example for any of us who has ever sold ourselves short and taken the easier path because of  limits imposed by ourselves or others.  Watching him makes me wonder how many times I have limited myself, how many times I had listened to those who said that I couldn’t do this or that and gave up.

So, I will be watching today, marveling at a man who had the will to follow his dream, as well as wondering at a world of evolving medical technology that allows a legless man to go from a life in a wheelchair to being able to run with power and grace.  In a world that sometimes seems ugly and hard,  that is a huge change in perception.  Makes me believe we might live in a time of miracles if we decide to look at it that way.

In a story  in today’s Miami Herald, Linda Robertson writes about Pistorius’  mother and how her   perceptions changed Oscar:

Pistorius’ late mother, Sheila, didn’t think Oscar would be able to walk, let alone run when he was born without fibulas. But after his legs were amputated at 11 months and he was fitted with prosthetics, she decided not to give him special treatment. Pistorius recalled Sheila, whom he described as “a bit hard-core and no-nonsense,” once telling him and his brother, “ ‘Carl, you put on your shoes and Oscar you put on your legs, and that’s the last I want to hear about it.’ I didn’t grow up thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.”

Put on your legs and run, Oscar.

Read Full Post »

Aftermath

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on August 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Had my Gallery Talk at the West End Gallery yesterday.  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who turned out.  It was a great group who engaged in discussion almost immediately, asking questions and offering observations.  They heard many of my familiar stories, such as the one about me as a child of about 9 seeing a woodchuck who had died next to the old barn across from our home.  His body desiccated over the course of that summer and a vine grew his carcass, lifting it a few feet into the air.  It was a  striking image that several decades later led to my Red Chairs hanging in the trees of my paintings.

Some of the observations offered interested me.  One, from a man who has followed my work for many years,  thought that this new group of work displayed an emotional anger behind it, which at first caught me off guard.  But the more we talked, the more I had to agree that these were indeed painted in response to things that bothered me , frustrated me and angered me.  It was obvious that they acted as a sort of pacifiers for me against the outer world.   It was interesting that he could sense the anger behind them.  I don’t see it myself, focusing more on the tranquil aspects although I know that the darkness around the edges and behind the placid colors refer to deeper and darker emotions.

Of course, time dictated that there were stories that were left untold, that there were subjects that were not broached.  I always fret about that afterwards, that there were things I wanted to discuss but somehow lost my train of thought during the talk or that there were questions that I didn’t answer fully enough before being pulled in another direction.  At least I have this forum to fill in the voids that I may have left yesterday.

But overall, it was a good talk and I couldn’t be more appreciative of those who attended or those who have followed my work over the years.  My work is nothing without their participation and feedback.  Thank you for taking part in this journey.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »