ADJECTIVE ART…VIEWING LIFE FROM AN ABSTRACT PROSPECTIVE - Part One

MY CREATIVE JOURNEY THROUGH ART ADJECTIVES BEGAN IN THE EARLY 60’S,
A VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF OUR FAMILY HAD A BROTHER WHO WAS WHAT IS NOW AN EXTINCT BREED OF HUMAN KNOWN AS A BEATNIK.  NO ONE UNDERSTOOD HIS PURPOSE EXCEPT HIM AND HE EXPRESSED IT VERY WELL THROUGH HIS ABSTRACT SCULPTURES AS A TEENAGER I WAS INTRIGUED BY HIS WORK AND HE EXPLAINED EACH PIECE WITH PASSION.  AS WE TALKED I REALIZED IT WAS HIS WAY OF EXPRESSING HIS FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS THROUGH HIS WORK.

EACH SCULPTURE REPRESENTED SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT TO HIS SURROUNDINGS, HIS POLITICS, HIS FRIENDSHIPS AND HIS LIFE IN GENERAL.
OUR DISCUSSIONS LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION WITH ME AND JUST SIMMERED IN MY HEAD UNTIL THE MID 60’S WHEN I ENTERED COLLEGE.

MY FIRST CLASS AT COLLEGE WAS AN ART CLASS TAUGHT BY A BEATNIK, AN UNUSUAL FELLOW WITH A GOATEE BEARD AND HE SPOKE WORDS LIKE COOL MAN AND DADDYO.  I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY NEAT UNTIL HE TOLD US TO BRING A ROLL OF BROWN BUTCHER PAPER, LARGE CONTAINERS OF BLACK AND WHITE TEMPERA PAINTS AND A COUPLE OF HOUSE PAINT BRUSHES TO THE NEXT CLASS.  THEN I FIGURED HE WAS JUST CRAZY.

WELL I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND FOUND A VERY LONG ROLL OF BROWN BUTCHER PAPER, THE PAINT AND THE BRUSHES AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE NEXT CLASS.
THERE WERE ABOUT TWENTY OF US IN THAT CLASS AND IT WAS HELD IN THE LONG BASEMENT OF A FAIRLY NEW DORMITORY WITH PAINT ALL OVER THE FLOOR.  I JUST FIGURED THAT PREVIOUS CLASSES WERE JUST MESSY.
THEN HE PROCEEDED TO HAVE US ROLL OUT THE PAPER FOR ABOUT THIRTY FEET, AND PAINT THE PAPER LEAVING NO BROWN SHOWING.  WELL WE ALL JUST LOOKED AT EACH OTHER NOT UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE FOR HIS INSTRUCTION.  THEN HE INSISTED THAT WE JUST HAVE FUN AND EXPRESS OURSELVES, SO EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL VERY STUPID I COMPLIED.

IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND VERY MESSY AND I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT MY CLOTHES OR MY HANDS OR THE FLOOR BEING COVERED WITH BLACK AND WHITE PAINT BECAUSE IT WAS COOL MAN.
WELL IT TOOK US ABOUT TWENTY TO TWENTY FIVE MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE TASK AND HE BEGAN TO CRITIQUE OUR WORK.  THAT’S RIGHT I SAID CRITIQUE  WHAT WAS THERE TO CRITIQUE, IT WAS JUST A BIG MESS BUT HE WAS REALLY SERIOUS.

MORE TO COME...

HAPPY PAINTING MY FRIENDS...ZMAKEY

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