Jesus Was a Capricorn

I was doing some research on Becker’s theories appearing in art—all kinds of art—and I ran across this. I was listening to a podcast when I heard the host talking about the song “Jesus Was a Capricorn.” I’d never heard of it or read about it. It was John Prine's 1972 song, famously performed by Kris Kristofferson.

It sits at the heart of Ernest Becker’s theories about “othering.” Having an in-house designated inferior, as Sheldon Solomon would say. In The Denial of Death, author Ernest Becker states, "The essence of man is really his paradoxical nature, the fact that he is half animal and half symbolic." Psychologically, we try to deny our animality and live through symbolism and meaning. It's the animal part that gives us problems. It reminds us that we are going to die. In seeking meaning and importance for ourselves, we deny it to others, and especially to those “others” who threaten our truth. In the end, we all have the same goal: to raise men above nature, to assure them that in some ways their lives count in the universe more than merely physical things count” (Ernest Becker).

“In The Denial of Death, author Ernest Becker states, “The essence of man is really his paradoxical nature, the fact that he is half animal and half symbolic.” Psychologically, we try to deny our animality and live through symbolism and meaning. It’s the animal part that gives us problems. It reminds us that we are going to die.”

Here are the lyrics:

[Verse 1]

Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods

He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes

Long hair, beard and sandles and a funky bunch of friends

Reckon they'd just nail him up, if he come down again

[Chorus]

'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on

Prove they can feel better than at any time they please

Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on

If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me

[Verse 2]

Eggheads cussin', rednecks cussin' hippies for their hair

Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares

Some folks hate the Whites who hate the Blacks who hate the Klan

Most of us hate anything we don't understand

[Chorus]

'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on

Prove they can feel better than at any time they please

Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on

If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me

[Outro]

Help yourself right on

Help yourself, Jim

Help yourself, Reverend

“Flowering Yarrow and Granite Stone,” 10” x 10” (25,4 x 25,4cm) RA-4 Reversal Direct Color Print July 17, 2023

Emerging Answers About Art: Wonder, Serenity, and Non-Comforting

The title of this essay sounds contradictory, but it’s not. There are several pieces to the puzzle we call art; these are just a few more to ponder. It may seem like a case of cognitive dissonance, but it’s not. You can hold all of these ideas about art in your head at the same time and have them make sense. That’s the lesson I’ve learned. It’s not about entertainment. It’s about a long, solid journey of growth and a desire to understand yourself and your place in the world. The personal narrative is where art is born.

For over 30 years, I’ve been pursuing visual art with passion and vigilance. I’ve always had the desire to unpack what it is, what it means, and the best way to approach making it. While I use labels, I’m not really a fan of them. For me, it’s the best way I can contextualize and address something, comment on something, or answer something. Art defies labels and words in a lot of ways. And it should; that makes complete sense to me. It has its own language, its own context, so to speak. It’s the creator of the art that needs labels, and words always seem to fall short.

“The justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.”

— Glenn Gould

While I’m not an expert, nor would I consider myself any kind of “master” regarding the creation of art, I’ve spent over three decades studying and working in art. It’s taught me a lot. In those three decades, I spent seven years completing both an undergraduate and graduate degree in art. The academics helped me organize and conceptualize my narratives. My undergraduate degree gave me a foundation not only in art photography but in several disciplines. I studied science, social psychology, social science, history, and language. My graduate degree was more focused but still involved a lot of other disciplines. I owe a lot to my education. I’m grateful to have it. I know there is a growing sentiment that higher education is a waste of time and money today. It wasn’t for me. I enjoyed all of it, and it played a big role in who I am today and how I approach life.

I’m beginning to realize, as I unfold all of these ideas in my book (In the Shadow of Sun Mountain: The Psychology of Othering and the Origins of Evil), that I’m learning about a deeper, more meaningful way to make art. That depth also applies to how I think about art; what it is, it's purpose, etc. Without employing other disciplines, such as history, psychology, anthropology, theology, etc., it wouldn’t complete the ideas and theories I’m addressing. The Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould said, "The justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity." I couldn’t agree more.

When I read this statement for the first time, I was so moved by it. He articulated what I’ve felt for a long time. He said it’s a “lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.” Wonder is a feeling of surprise mixed with admiration brought on by something beautiful, unexpected, foreign, or mysterious. And serenity is a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Gould argues that art should contribute to the ongoing and gradual development of a profound sense of wonder and tranquility within individuals. Instead of providing momentary excitement, art should strive to create a lasting impact, fostering a sense of awe, curiosity, and inner peace that endures throughout one's life. It should help a person understand, at least in some part, their role in life.

His statement emphasizes that art's true value lies in its ability to deeply affect individuals, evoking powerful emotions and facilitating personal growth. He suggests that the purpose of art is not to provide temporary thrills but to contribute to a lifelong journey of experiencing wonder and serenity.

On the other side, I like what the American writer Joyce Carol Oates said: “My belief is that art should not be comforting; for comfort, we have mass entertainment and one another. Art should provoke, disturb, arouse our emotions, and expand our sympathies in directions we may not anticipate and may not even wish.” This is what I have always felt was true about the pursuit of art: to be socially active and, as Oates says, provocative in some way. Provocative doesn’t necessarily mean vulgar, sexual, or shocking, although it can be. For me, it’s about arousing a strong reaction. That can be accomplished in many ways. In my current work, I’m blending a dark historical event with some very life-affirming ideas that complement each other and tell a powerful story about the human condition.

“ My belief is that art should not be comforting; for comfort, we have mass entertainment and one another. Art should provoke, disturb, arouse our emotions, and expand our sympathies in directions we may not anticipate and may not even wish.”

— Joyce Carol Oates

The Getty & My Wet Plate Collodion Photographs

Last Friday, I received a package from The Getty Institute. It contained information about my photographs I submitted for their analysis and collection for the project, "Preserving the Chemical Photography Era".

It's packed with information about the Wet Plate Collodion images I submitted. There's a lot of "geeky" scientific stuff (Get Your Geek On!). I'm going to make some more images for them - they've asked for some specific things to help them with their research and moreover, for future generations. I believe that there will be a time, in the not-to-distance future, when "photo students" won't know what film is, let alone a process like Wet Plate Collodion. It makes me feel honored to be a part of this project!

The Getty paper.

Analysis on my Collodion photographs

Details of the analysis at the Getty.

October Video Podcast: The Three Fixers

Enjoy! Remember, you need a username and password to access the videos.

The three fixers - KCN, Ammonium Thiosulfate (RF), Sodium Thiosulfate (Hypo).

Self Portrait: Collodion & DNA

I have a couple of really important goals that I want to accomplish in the next few months. One of them is to make work for my project, exhibition and book.

I thought I would get creative with my time and my commitments. We are leaving Thursday for ten days and wanted to post the October Video Podcast on Chemical Pictures before we left. I also had an image in mind that I've wanted to make for a few weeks. I thought, why not make a few plates, create an image for my project and cover the podcast, too? So that's what I did today.

These image are about numbers, labeling, skulls & sockets, history, evilness, genetics and otherness. I distressed plate #3 a little bit. I varnished it shortly after making this copy and it cleaned up quite a bit - I was a little disappointed about that but I still like the image. I look so different in each image, it trips me out a wee bit.

It took four plates to get two that I really like.

"Self Portrait #3 - Jewish DNA" - 8"x10" Alumitype - Viernheim, Germany 2009 
Self Portrait #1 With Y-DNA Sequence Backwards (written by hand)

September Video Podcast: Exposure

For all of you Chemical Pictures members, I just uploaded the September Video Podcast. It's all about exposure: Over, Under and Spot On. I show some working examples using my Cigar Box Guitar, and yes, I play a little bit, too - I hope you enjoy it.

Exposure: Making A Good Image

Making Albumen Prints from Wet Collodion Negatives

Albumen printing is tricky, but pays off once you get it down.

Today, I was having issues with sensitizing the Albumen paper. I wanted to check the difference between the single coated and double coated paper that I made a coupe of weeks ago. I'm going to be floating a bunch this weekend and wanted to make sure that the double coated paper was worth the effort (it is!).

I used a Hake brush to sensitize (brushed the silver nitrate on the Albumen paper) and got some "measles" on one of the prints and "weakness" in areas of the other print. Tomorrow, I'm going to use the 3 minute float on the AGNO3 - it's much better.

So far, my German Albumen paper is "da bomb"! The final images on Albumen paper will be much better than these, but I wanted to show you the process - as you can see, it's not for pussies.

Checking the print in the contact frame. You can see I have some "brush strokes" there - weak silver from a previous batch in the brush - and my technique wasn't perfect either. Just some quick prints for testing.
Here, you can see those "measles" - other than that, it's okay. Keep in mind, these are "in camera" negatives, or foundation negatives, they have not been intensified or re-developed (yet). That's my next step - I'll compare Albumen prints - before and after.

 
This negative was a bit more dense (maybe 1.75) You can see the "silver issue" in the bottom right. Both of these images are gold toned.

August 2009 Video Podcast

For my Collodionista brothers and sisters that are signed up for my Chemical Pictures Workshop: The August 2009 Video Podcast is online - you can find it here.

Comparing Varnishes - Old & New

Shifting Priorities & Making Albumen

I've made a commitment to myself that I will spend more time making my personal work (completing my project here in Europe), and exhibiting/publishing my work. And I will spend less time teaching, answering email, and spending numerous hours on the public forum board.

Don't misunderstand me, I've enjoyed doing all of those things, but my priorities are going to shift to more personal goals - it's time to focus (pun intended)! My time will be spent making my personal work, following up on my commitments to the new book, DVD and web site and sharing some of my work and experiments with close friends. I'll still blog and I'll still post work occasionally, but I'm going to put more time toward my personal work - period. I'm an artist, and I want my life to reflect that.

I have a few workshops left this year and one scheduled for March of 2010. Other than those, and maybe one in Paris with a show, I probably won't do anymore workshops. I really enjoying teaching, but I need the time I have left here in Europe to complete what I came here to do.

It feels like a good time to do this, too. I think it was the completion the new book/DVD that allowed me to make this commitment to myself. It's like I can really focus now on making photographs. It's not that I want to close my site down, and become a recluse, I'm just seeking more balance. It seems that I'm always teaching or doing something instructional for other people. I've actually had a couple of people email me and tell me that they had no idea I made art. Those are not good emails! I know artists that don't even have a web site, don't answer email and are very successful making and showing work - doing their thing - no distractions. I'm envious of them and I need to follow their lead. It's true what people say, "You become what you do," and I've become a teacher when I want to be an artist (nothing wrong with being a teacher, but you know what I'm saying in this context).

Making Albumen

Friday, I stopped at a roadside Bauernmarkt where I get fruit and vegetables a couple of times a week. It's wonderful food. On Friday, I picked up 40 large eggs, too. They are big, fresh free-range chicken eggs. Dresden, Germany is a few hours north of us. It was the epicenter for Albumen paper in the 1860s - 1880s. They used 6 million eggs a year there! I'm hoping the genes of some of those chickens are in these!

Albumen Prints: The albumen found in egg whites are used to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper and became the dominant form of photographic positives from 1855 to the turn of the century, with a peak in the 1860-90 period.

There are very few people in the world today making Albumen prints with Collodion negatives.

It was the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative.

The albumen print, also called albumen silver print, was invented in 1850 by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard.

Summer's going to be making a lot of custard!

2 Liters of Albumen!

Thanks to Summer and Jeanne for shooting photographs of me making Albumen today. images!

Chemical Pictures - It's Finished!

Well, I didn't provide salvation for mankind, but I did finish my book, DVD, and web site.

After an inordinate amount of time, money and obstacles, the Chemical Pictures book, DVD and web site is ready for prime time (opening next week - July 20 - Summer's 17th birthday).

I'm elated, but at the same time, relieved. This has been a trying task, to say the least. While I understand that it's not perfect, I am very happy with it. If I had a couple of lifetime's and all of the resources I needed at my disposal, I could probably do a better job, but this will be fine for now. I think the users will be happy with it, too.

I'm most excited to hear what people think. About half of the content is malleable - at least the web site portion - so if users have suggestions for making it better, I'm going to listen. It's dynamic, too. I will do monthly video podcasts on a wide variety of Collodion topics. The technical forum board (yes, another one) will be active as well - but without the "noise" you get on public boards.

My biggest hope is that the students of my system will understand what I've put together here and maximize the opportunity to have access to a live, dynamic learning system. I hope that they will see the value of spending time with each video, each chapter in the book and ultimately really grasp the process and moreover, enjoy it.

The web site opens on Monday, July 20, 2009 and the book and DVD begins shipping the first week in August.