renaissance man
I’m not as big a fan of Braque as I am Picasso. But he’s worth a look, for sure. Here I’m using a late work of his, Le Banjo, as inspiration.
Mine is far from satisfactory, at present. I sense that there’s a long way to go before it starts to feel like I’m making it my own/a success!
The above, or second state, is a slight improvement. But I reckon I’ll have to go in with acrylic block colours, and be pretty drastic.
Meanwhile…
Work continues on the Max Roach Deeds Not Words themed pieces.
As both musician and artist, it’s nice to combine the two things. I recently did a couple of Herbie Mann inspired things. Now I’m having a look at Max Roach…
Although I was dimly aware of his possibly having illustrated some jazzy stuff, I had no real idea- until reading Hideki Satoh in Jazzical Moods – how much of a connection there was with DSM and Jazz.
As I learn more, I look for ways to explore this stuff. A book would be great. And there is one. But it’s rare and expensive! There’s also stuff like this, which is all about an exhibition on the theme of DSM’s jazz art.
With more than 600 full colour, and over 50 monochrome illustrations, there’s masses here to enjoy.
The cover – both back and front are made to look like a groovy LP sleeve – was designed by no less a luminary of jazz photography and design than the one and only Bill Claxton!
First published in Japan, in 1993, I’ve had my bi-lingual copy (Japanese/English) for many, many years, now. Poss as far back as ‘93? I bought it for the images. And until today I’d not read much if any of the text!
So, today I’m starting to read some of it. Immediately, the foreward type bit, on the inside flap of the ‘dust jacket’, strikes a chord. Noaki Mukoda, a photographer who has compiled all the covers here, was enchanted by the Jazz On A Summer’s Day movie, as a student (as was I!).
But he also fed his love of jazz albums in those most Japanese of places, the Kissa. We didn’t have such places here. Only bookshops and record stores. Some dedicated, in whole or in part, to jazz. For more about Kissa, go here.
I started fixing a bunch of my recent art pieces, today. After a wee spot of Spring Cleaning in the home.
I had to move indoors, as it was threatening to rain. Indeed, I think it’s starting to ‘spot’ a little already.
As you can see, on the piece below, the page opposite has ‘printed’ a ghostly image down the right hand side.
I actually quite like a certain amount of this accidental evolution type randomness. So I don’t ‘fix’ the pieces immediately. I prefer to give them a bit of time, to spread their genes a little.
I quite like seeing a bunch of ideas together. It helps me get a feel for my ongoing ‘progress’, or evolution.
Bottom left of the four is the most clearly derivative (Matisse, in that case). Bottom right is Valezquez > Picasso > me. And I love it.
The top two in this group of four evolved out of studying Picasso crucifixions (and he had been looking at Grünewald’s famous Isenheim altarpiece). I don’t know what I think of these ‘uns!?
This set of four pieces is all figure based. For a long time I eschewed figuration. With my recent art works for Dan and Amy that changed.
Bottom left and right I’m recycling Picasso, again. Top two are more my own. And are supposed to evoke or pay homage to jazz flautist Herbie Mann!
I didn’t plan how these pieces/pages would be grouped. They’re just the pages I happen to be ‘fixing’ at the same time. this set is the most ‘divergent’ so far, I suppose?
The top two of this group continue the skull/moon theme. The bottom two are the only ones left of six I did for Dan and Amy. The first pencil sketch, on the left; and one of my own personal favourites, the ‘night’ version, I’m calling it, on the right.
Two rather sketchier designs were on the reverse sides of the two I cut out and gifted to Dan. I took scans of them, of course! And photos.
Having reached the end of the stuff in one pad, it’s only two pics per photo, in the remaining ‘spreads’…
And that brings things up to date, for today. I can just let them dry out now. I may do another coat… hmmm!?
I revisited this Golgotha Variation, and tried to tweak and improve it, a bit. I wasn’t happy with the ‘hands’, nor the ‘crown of thorns’, as they were before. I think I have improved the piece, somewhat. Whether it’s worth pursuing any further? I don’t as yet know…
Looking at the newest state, I think I’ll redraw it, and develop it a bit. The blue ‘window’ is also like a picture frame: I might ornament it a bit, with a scrolly pattern. And I think some kind of sun-type circular motif would be a good stand in for a head…
I’ve begun work on a revised version of this particular Golgotha design. So far it’s a lot duller, and more muted, colour wise.
I then went back to the ‘first state’ image, and added a few little white lines…
After working on these Golgotha variations, I felt I had the time and inclination to do another piece.
This one is derived from some of Picasso’s 1932 ‘cream puff’ female nudes. That description – cream puff – is my own term for them. I think it’s quite apt/accurate?
Ankh om a minute… this is amazing! The CDs (it’s a double-disc feature) arrived yesterday. I’m listening to it now for the first time. I have to say that I’m finding it mind-blowingly wonderful.
There’s a lot here that falls into areas Inwas hoping for and expecting. And I already knew a bit about Sun Ra; I’ve seen several films about him (inc Space Is The Place), and have a few of his albums. But even so, there’s plenty that surprises.
The first real surprise is the doo-wop track, ‘Dreaming’, on disc one. I really wasn’t expecting anything like that! But, given Sun Ra’s hugely diverse and prolific output, he could be said to embody the phrase ‘expect the unexpected.’
Disc 1:
01. Sun Ra And His Myth- Science Arkestra- Calling Planet Earth
02. Sun Ra- Sun Song
03. The Cosmic Rays With Sun Ra And The Arkestra - Dreaming
04. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - India
05. Sun Ra And His Myth- Science Arkestra - Space Loneliness
06. Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra - Love In Outer Space
07. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Adventure Equation
08. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Spontaneous Simplicity
09. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Brazilian Sun
10. Sun Ra Quartet - When There Is No Sun
11. Sun Ra And His Astro Infinity Arkestra - My Brother The Wind
12. Sun Ra And His Astro Arkestra - Mystery, Mr. Ra
13. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Black Sky And Blue Moon
14. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Watusa
15. The Sun Ra Arkestra - The World Of Africa
16. Sun Ra And His Solar Arkestra - Cluster Of Galaxies
17. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - Strange Worlds (Live in France)
18. Sun Ra And His Blue Universe Arkestra - Blackman
Disc 2:
01. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - Twilight
02. Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra - Sleeping Beauty
03. Sun Ra - Moog Solo (Live in France)
04. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - They Plan To Leave
05. Sun Ra And His Solar Arkestra - Reflects Motion (Part 1)
06. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - Children Of The Sun
07. Sun Ra And His Myth-Science Arkestra - We Travel The Spaceways
08. Sun Ra And His Arkestra -Astro Black (Live in Zurich)
09. Sun Ra And His Mythic Science Arkestra - Somebody Else’s idea (Live in Paris)
10. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - I Roam The Cosmos
11. Sun Ra And His Solar Arkestra - On Jupiter
12. Sun Ra - There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)
13. Sun Ra And His Interglactic Arkestra - The All Of Everything
14. Sun Ra - Enlightenment
15. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - Make Another Mistake
16. Sun Ra And His Arkestra - Space Is The Place (Live in France)
What Gilles Peterson has done, as well as curate the terrific selection of incredible music, is to ‘mix it’, somewhat like a DJ (which he is, of course). So that the tracks run into each other in places. There’s a really good flow to it all. No mean feat, considering Sun Ra and co venture way off the map, voyaging across their idiosyncratic musical universe.
The whole crazy mystic schtick winds up being genuinely wonderful. Rather as it does – albeit in a very different manner – with John and Alice Coltrane. What could be comical winds up being sublime. At least to my ears.
One outcome of this acquisition, very much anticipated, but nota foregone delusion, was that I’d wind up wanting to get lots more Sun Ra. And of course I do! Who better to recommend which recordings than GP?
Working (outside n the garden) on a new idea today. The idea derives from a combo of Breughel’s Triumph of Death, and a Cuban record cover!
This one is intended to make the Death part of the theme more my own (as a theme, not as wish for demise!), less pinched from Breughel/Picasso, etc.
Also, partly ‘in spirit’, via the Cuban music connection (and the whole Afro-Latin-American attitude to Death), it’s intended to bring in a more positive celebratory note, of sorts. If ya’ ken wor’ I mean?
The colours are coming out a bit sharp/acid*. Poss’ more so in the photos than in ‘real life’? And I’d quite like to work more on the positions/quantities/hues of the coloured ‘spots’, to make the overall composition sing a bit more.
Also, the little moon/skulls could conceivably have their little scroll like shrouds in attendance, also? Hmmm… plenty to think and work on. That’s all to the good, methinks.
*An ochre/earth colour is coming out bright orange, for example!
Well, the day is over. More or less. I’m in bed. Having slipped in the bath, and flooded the floor. Could’ve been much worse!
The Dance of Death design has progressed a bit more. And I like it better, for it. But it’s not quite there yet. Do I work more on this version? Or do another, and add/remove, change, and so on…
We shall see, I s’pose?
Yesterday’s trip to The Fitz yielded beaucoup de inspiration, as such visits always do. This latest experiment is me riffing on a detail of Breughel’s Triumph of Death.
Most of this was done outside, in the garden. It’s gorgeous! The dappled light and shade where we’re sat – our ‘green room’ – makes for interesting effects on the sketch.
Seeing things slightly changed – in reflection, upside down, flipped, etc. – can, I find, be quite a useful thing.
I’m thinking of doing a piece called Dance of Death, with a circle of skulls and heads, in this series. This new piece, above right, was meant to be a study for the background. It’s a kind of skull/moon.
More moony-skull stuff…
LATER ON… 9/3/‘25
I’ve been working on other newer designs. Like the skull/moons, etc. but I’ve also been tweaking my Triumph of Death piece. Is it done now? Hard to say, for sure!
But, to my own surprise and delight, I like the trajectory it’s taken. I think there’s something here worth developing.