Are We Equipped for This Conversation?
“Half Animal and Half Symbolic.” 24” x 9” RA-4 direct color photography and acrylic on paper.
Half Animal and Half Symbolic
Based on Becker's theories, I'm excited to share my latest artwork, "Half Animal and Half Symbolic." This is a unique blend of direct positive color photography and acrylic painting. Measuring 24" x 9". The image takes you on a visual journey through the contrast and harmony between representational and non-representational art—or biological and symbolic.
The left side features a photograph of a tattooed arm holding golden-yellow dead grass, highlighting intricate tattoos (look close) against a dark background. The right side is an abstract painting with dynamic textures and warm, vibrant tones that evoke movement and intensity. Inspired by themes of existential struggles (death anxiety and terror management theory) via Ernest Becker.
The photograph is a RA-4 Color Reversal Direct Positive print. The abstract painting is acrylic on paper. It's abstractly mimicking the tattoos in the painting. It's a bit of cubism and color theory mixed up in mortality.
“The essence of man is really his paradoxical nature, the fact that he is half animal and half symbolic.”
Background image: SPC 4 Quinn Jacobson (aka Jake) locks in on a target 175 meters downrange with an M203 grenade launcher mounted on an M16 rifle.
The Studio Q Show LIVE! September 21, 2024 at 1000 MST
Greetings!
I hope you can join me on Saturday for a conversation about war and violence in our culture. This is episode six of Conversations with Solomon.
Some questions to ponder after watching the video:
What aspects of the video did you find the most engaging or thought-provoking?
Do you believe that war and violence are inevitable aspects of human existence?
If you agree, what reasons support this belief?
How might the themes of violence and war in our culture be expressed or transformed into artistic creations?
Can you give any examples of artists using war and violence as a topic in their art?
I wanted to have this conversation a couple of weeks ago. It's so timely; I think we should look at the idea of war and violence as a jumping-off point for creating art. This is a topic that hits close to home for me. For those that have served in the military, these ideas can alleviate some of the trauma and stress from serving. I'll share some personal insight (my military time) and how Becker had a similar experience in the Army after WW2 liberating the death camps of Europe. Ernest Becker served in the infantry as well.
If you can, spend some time with this; take some notes and wrestle with the questions I asked (above) or your own. It's 40 minutes long, but worth every minute.
Conversations With Solomon: War and Violence
The links to the show on Saturday:
Stream Yard: https://streamyard.com/tvn88jifd2
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/live/AG2mKG-VrP0?si=Rar2IUvz-shViVLW
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you Saturday!
Addressing My Existential Concerns
I feel pretty good about this one. At least I don’t hate it. For me, it’s got some interesting marks, colors, and textures. It feels like a piece I would paint.
If you watch the video, you’ll get an idea of the textures and some of the “decay” coloring. It was a lot of fun making this painting. I’ll keep making marks and spilling paint!
“Consuming My Illusion” 9” x 12” paper, acrylic, and cardboard. - September 1, 2024
I Feel Pretty Good About This Painting
In some cultures, fish are believed to be messengers of the spirit world, connecting the living and the ancestors.
I've been painting and working with these two figures for a while. I did a painting that was very "primitive" using the drawing here of the homo sapien. The fish is something that I've been working around in ideas. This is multimedia piece; 9" x 12" paper, acrylic and cardboard.
“What the herd hates most is the one who thinks differently; it is not so much the opinion itself, but the audacity of wanting to think for themselves, something that they do not know how to do.”
The Studio Q Show LIVE! September 4, 2024 at 1700 MST
Join Quinn on Wednesday evening (September 4, 2024, at 1700 MST) for a talk with Dr. Sheldon Solomon, author of The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Quinn and Sheldon will talk about how artists differ in their response to death anxiety. What can an artist do to harness this powerful psychological phenomenon? Can the knowledge of our impending deaths make us more creative?
The Studio Q Show LIVE! August 31, 2024
Engaging with Themes of Mortality
"Camera Lucida" by Roland Barthes
Join Quinn for a discussion on how artists can explore themes of mortality. The conversation will reference Roland Barthes' book Camera Lucida, which delves into the relationship between photography and death. The wet collodion process, commonly used in 19th-century postmortem photography, is particularly suited to these themes due to its unique aesthetic. Barthes' insights on photography and its connection to death will serve as a central point in this discussion.
"Camera Lucida" is a profound meditation on photography, but it also deeply engages with themes of mortality. Barthes reflects on the nature of photographs as they relate to the passage of time, memory, and death.
Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 1000 MST
Stream Yard: https://streamyard.com/ukhsywxuis
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/live/SMZ_L8Zrx8I?si=fnfegB_v7KChp_19
You can read Camera Lucida here: CAMERA LUCIDA by ROLAND BARTHES
The Studio Q Show LIVE! August 24, 2024 at 1000 MST
Join Quinn on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at 1000 MST on Stream Yard or YouTube for another discussion about creativity and mortality. This week Quinn is going to address a Francis Bacon quote, "The quality of mortality." How artists struggle within cultures that don't provide sufficient illusions to buffer their existential dread.
Stream Yard (LIVE): https://streamyard.com/rgj2b62es2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/GDVcCBPu5Fo?si=npOlCTjB1hUZlKJM
The Studio Q Show LIVE! August 17, 2024 at 1000 MST
Greetings!
I hope you can join me this Saturday for a discussion with Jeff Greenberg, PhD, co-author of The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life.
Jeff will spend the hour with us talking about how our knowledge of death influences our day-to-day living and behavior. We'll tackle what it means to be a creative person in light of our finitude (or impending death). What does creating art do for artists viewed through the lens of terror management? How does it differ from a non-creative person? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to being a creative type when it comes to death anxiety or existential terror? And what's the best way for people to understand and grasp these theories and their implications?
Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 0900 PST, 1000 MST, 1100 CST, 1200 EST, and 1800 CET
Stream Yard (LIVE): https://streamyard.com/pemntyfpd6
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/DmRTUrC8kFY?si=ZJa3lrGAraBwUDCx