I must have forgotten to paint Jack White......

While skimming the news and emails this morning as it's too early to use the pressure washer.. I came across an article on the Huffington Post.  Jack White apparently had big words and ideas on celebrity including a big artist, Lady Gaga.  (Gosh, I don't think he would appreciate my art either!) In the article he said..."The goal of modern celebrity is to make yourself into the lowest common denominator," said White. "'Hey, I'm a guy just like you. I like a beer, a football game.' Especially in reality television, you'll see people will go so far as to make a fool out of themselves just to prove that."

The drummer went on call out Lady Gaga for creating music that lacks substance.

"I don't think she lives it because it's all artifice" said White. "It's all image with no meaning behind it. You can't sink your teeth into it. It's a sound bite. It's very of this age, because that's what people want. They want a Twitter line, a jpeg, an MP3."

I love the comment, "It's all image... with no meaning behind it". This stirs a question in my head, Does it not take an idea that comes from a struggle or overwhelming sense of "meaning", to create an image that is so powerful and so well known?  Is it not up to the individual to have their own thoughts about what they think about an artist's "image"?  This concept one of the many elements why I painted Michael Jackson, Black or White.  Michael Jackson could be black white...or purple, and obviously no matter what he looked like his art... his power.. his "image" transcended his soul, why? Because it didn't matter.  Despite such a great icon's changing image... his body of work greatly impacted art, society, and music.  Beauty and talent can go far beyond an image.  Yet choosing a specific image or likeness to paint of such an icon can leave a mood or tone all on its own.

 

I am not sure about Jack White.. I didn't know who he was until a few days ago. I guess my fiancées hair style carried a likeness to his..

 

I wonder if he(Jack White) thinks that Lady Gaga's meat dress was merely a stylists choice... and that it was devoid of any meaning.  I wonder if the lowest common denominator when multiplied by 6 would be greater than the highest common denominator of Jack Whites definition of celebrity.  I am not sure, but I doubt Jack White is a Steeler fan.  

So many words in the big of it all!  That's what makes it so much fun.

MW

Chaos + Chaos

We were doing a little bit of filming last night.. which was a family event.  I was surprised at how competitive, and willing the little people and a few big people were with such a notion going on.  It was really great.  I realized that I think that the desire to shine, share and entertain, if unscathed is really there at birth and will grow if given proper light, stage and opportunity.  So I guess we are born that way.  

This brought me full circle back to an original work I did of Lady Gaga, or Stephanie Geramatta.  I really was visually excited with the somewhat simple image of her face for the "Born this Way", album.  Hair that looked like smoke almost... ethereal.  My mind went all sorts of places, and I thought about how amazing, talented and beautiful she is.  I thought about all her amazing costumes and the many hands of artistry that make up such an amazing creation of the production of her.. and as she sings.. "I was born this way..".  I thought ...golly, I know she has worn a dress of meat..and I can't imagine did that smell, or feel cold, slimy..? Who sewed that?  Does a meat dress need to be refrigerated? Is it like beef jerky?  Can you serge a cut of meat?  Is there a possibility of bacterial contamination?  Looking once again at the album cover, I thought she kind of looks like a gorgeous "Medusa", the snake god or whatever from the "Clash of the Titans".  Medusa with hair of snakes though, wasn't born that way... at least not according to the story I know which is mostly based on the 1970-something movie.. maybe 80's I don't know.  Never the less... I wondered why Lady Gaga hasn't worn a headdress of snakes yet.  I thought I would like to just go ahead and paint it.  Only make the snakes somewhat happy.. because I like happy things.

Once well into this painting which takes time, a person had asked me while picking up my little lady from preschool if I had any more little people.. I said yes, and started doing inventory.  The lady looked at me all wide eyed.. and said "WOW... that is amazing.. ", .....and "... how do you do it.. it must be chaos!!!??" ... I thought about what she said.  I wasn't sure what to say, that happens alot.  So I said.." Well, I suppose it is chaos.. but I think after you have a 3rd, it can be chaotic.. and really what is the plural of chaos???". "Chaos + Chaos...= .... what's the difference... the equation doesn't matter at that point.

I went back to my Lady Gaga painting.  My screens gave me WICKED issues... which I am sure comes down to some sort of magical user problem.. never the less... my own challenges.  What is a challenge, or a problem?  It is nothing more than an opportunity... so  I pounded out my ink onto lovely BFK Rives French paper.  One at a time I registered every single one differently.. much like the noise and activity around me.. the "chaos", that I wouldn't feel comfortable if it wasn't. I finished my Gaga... and looked down at my work.  I didn't like it.  I didn't understand why I would have worked so hard ... on an image I just wasn't thrilled with.. why didn't I just stop?  I guess I was just born this way.  Nah, I know I was.  Quite certain..(and that is something to celebrate)

Gaga Chaos is now one of my favorite works.  From frustration scanning my drawing into Photoshop, to redrawing it at least 4 times, to torn screens, to bad photo emulsion, too pleased initial pulls of ink, to disgust of 4th pulls of ink, to tranquil quiet moments in the gallery at Rancho Linda Vista looking at her all framed and deciding, I wasn't sure why I was ever unhappy with the painting, Gaga Chaos, is a full journey for me.  I really like it.

As I went through my collection trying to choose something for the Children Institute for donation, I knew what work I wanted to see there at the London on the rooftop in West Hollywood.  Chaos + Chaos = whatever you decide ... and you can always change your mind.  That is why it is the ever "Big of it all :-) "