Lines: what to move: the paper or the hand?

 

Flying with Friends, drypoint, 2000.

Dear Drafters and Pencil Wielder's,

You may have recalled me gushing over what is sometimes called an action art work of Tom Marioni's; a drypoint made by people jumping and simultaneously marking a copper plate.  I love this print, and I want to draw your attention to the the amount of marks- this is where someone (I am guessing it was Tom Marioni) made a decision to stop adding.  The how is big, of course, but the when is also very important.

Up to and Including her Limits, 1973 to 76.

Next, take a look at Carolee Schneemann's wonderful drawing/space made by suspension in a harness.  It's so poetic to think of her floating and marking, of course, and that would be enough, but there are also all kinds of delicious decisions she has made: how long the lines, when and where, how many, what color.  As you see it here, it is being displayed as a relic of the performances, hence the monitors.  All those should be hauled away, and the harness, too.  

Pink Mound with Eruption, 1993.

Lastly, let's look at another terrific drawing, by Carroll Dunham; dun't you know him?  He is Lena Dunham's Dad, and I love some of his drawings, but not all.  Why just some?  Well, it's got to do with a thing that I have about Philip Guston, too.  Sometimes, and by sometimes I mean in some of the pieces, it is too much-  too much comic* book subject matter, too much pinky, bloody, bodily colors, too much stupid male humor.  This drawing, well, it isn't anything but 'just right,' with the exception of the slightly puerile title.  

Let this be your project for today; marks (which you might decide to call a drawing) made through the application of a system or structure, or both.

*R. Crumb indeed, but he isn't really Our Crumb, he is someone else's, surely?  All those lines, all that facility, all that paper; the question just cries out:  what if he had used his powers for good instead of being culturally clever?

PS  Lena Dunham's Mom is also an artist; Laurie Simmons.

line & sign

 

these lines

Dear Luvs,

It was over a decade ago that I first noticed on a book jacket Joan Didion's dark under eye circles-  they were devastatingly sexy.  I wasn't sure then if I should dare to hope for such bags under my eyes, but, the gods have smiled upon me, and I have them, and they are sexy.  I take a lot of photos of myself in light that emphasizes them.  I shudder at the idea of eye creams that would lessen their appearance.  I smudge eye shadow, mascara, and kohl on them, to make them appear more prominent.

If you don't believe me, have a look at some images of Joan D. She is very photogenic, of course, but even mortals like me can have a moment or two of this kind of raw beauty.  Why is she so beautiful?  I think it is because she is whip-smart, and also tough, aware, kind and...I was going to write the word 'sweet' but I thought that she might not want me to say so, so I will use the word compassionate instead.

Of course, the very best way to see what Joan Didion looks like is to read what she has written.  But I warn you, it will change you, you will want to be a writer, you will hock your fur stole for a typewriter; you will send your children out to play in the street will you scribble in notebooks.   You will want bags under your eyes.







PS 
When you get done reading Joan Didion, you oughta read another of my favorite dames, Patti Smith.  I am savoring every word of M-Train this fall.  I hope to recite it to you without looking by March of next year.