Tuesday, June 11, 2013

On narcissism:

I once wrote that there's never been an artist worth salt that hasn't admired themselves at least from the elbow down.

Francis Bacon may have been a dirty, bi-sexual, untidy, drink loving sex crazed lunatic that the public and publicity pushers tried to reveal in his beat-up, bloated face, but why do you think he always had his sleeves rolled up? They ever take a good look at those forearms and hands?

And Picasso, history has slathered over the intensity of his stare; his big black, round, powerful eyes; but have they ever payed attention to how that guy held his paintbrushes? The power and dexterity was in his forearms. You ever see photo's of the man in sleeves (while working)?

As for me, I was terribly critical of myself from the elbow down when young. But I've grown into them.
They're my lifelong companions, these forearms; as well as a history book. They are the things that have been in my field of vision more than anything else in my life, and I'm astounded by their beauty everyday.

Woe to the man who holds in them anything destructive, woe to the man whose forearms are scented only by the handling of fiat, woe to the man who can't admire his own hands with wonder and satisfaction.

Monday, June 10, 2013























'how close I came by eye'
,  Grille retaining wall construction, setting of 5' slate slab hoofed over 1.2 miles from a long abandoned mountain farmstead.  Lion cottage  06/2013.

On Maths:

Not unlike any other pursuit; banking, legalizing, social careing, rubbish collecting, particle smashing, athleticizing, ad infinitum...an artist can only make good art by devoting at least 80% of their energies to it.
Doing it or contemplating it; it must be the thing that between eating, sleeping, scheduling, lending an ear, being accountable, sharing, ad infinitum...one thinks about most.

This two thirds and a bit ratio also applies to say...grilling steak and onions...the onions (cooked whole, within their skin) will take roughly 3 times as long as the steak.

A little over half may be the golden ratio (1.618...)
but two thirds and a bit is the proper operating ratio.

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

On habits, people and possessions:

Leaving things is more difficult than a lot of other human experience
On people, you don't have to
On habits, you can if you want to
On possessions...burning them is excellent fun

On appliances:

When I was young the microwave was maligned;
Technology from mars! My god, can't be trusted.
The television is benign, the refrigerator malignant.

On refrigeration:

I cook what I'll eat tomorrow(s). I eat and enjoy what I did yesterday(s).
This is not on purpose, just seems to have become....
Without a fridge I'd eat raw, recently living things and though I don't approve of it as fad,
I understand the Asian penchant for dancing octopus, prancing squid



To Youth:

Do it while young. Don't expect that you'll do it one day
Taking commands from fools is much easier old
Do not waste your young self on insulating for the future


On work:    (unfinished)

It's weird, when I work;  it used to be that I had to continually sweep up my work area as I was disturbed by bits sticking to the bottom of my boots. My footing was important.
Now, even when I'm building hard and dirty like a stone wall, I feel the need to periodically wash my hands.
I don't think that an artist feels the impulse to necessarily control the work, but I've come to believe that most
feel a deep desire to control the environment in which the work is created.
Maybe that's why many of them dress oddly. Work well only in one location, and tend to cocoon.

Saturday, June 01, 2013

On economics:

People justify what they can't afford by what they save. As go individuals so go nations.