Sunday, September 27, 2009

Underworld and Interview


Hey everyone,
thanks for the really nice responses on the Lilith piece. For those who didn't hear, I am bringing it to Portland Art and Soul with me next week. I'll have it at vendor night and certainly around for the classes to see.

I also wanted to mention that I do have a piece in a Dia de los Muertos exhibit at the Guardino Gallery.

There will be a procession and opening on the 29th of Oct. I won't be able to attend, I'll already be hanging in cemeteries in Oaxaca for the deMeng de los Muertos workshop. Sounds like a great show...if you're in the area check it out. Here's the list of events

I put in my Mictlantecuhtli (Aztec God of the Underworld) Play Set. He can rule the dead in and you can take him out to play with too!

Another thing I wanted to share with "all y'all" (as they say in the South) was an interview I did with Alison Lee at CraftCast.

I spent about an hour talking art and other related mumbo jumbo. You can listen to the interview HERE.

See some of you very soon in Portland Art and Soul. Then at Tangerine in the Bay Area....and then I'm heading south...Oaxaca...woo hoo

Friday, September 25, 2009

Daughters of Lilith


So as some of you may or may not know, the last several months I've been working on a piece about Lilith. I devoted a chapter to her in Secrets of Rusty Things but to make sure everyone is on the same page the basic background of the Lilith story is that according to Jewish myth she was Adam's first partner. She, unlike Eve (who was made from Adam), was made of the same dust Adam was, thus she was his equal, thus a tad more independent than her symbolic sister...just a tad. As the story goes she would not submit to Adam (not to get too graphic...but lets just say sexual positions were part of the conflict). She wanted to be Adam's equal. Ultimately when Lilith decides she can't handle being beneath Adam (physically and metaphorically) she flies the coop. Literally. She flew off to the Red Sea where she made her new home. Adam tried to get her back, and three angels were sent to retrieve her. She had been hanging out, copulating with demons when they arrived and they threatened to kill 100 of her offspring a day if she did not return. To counter she replied that she would be on the prowl for any infants or pregnant mothers who came from the lineage of Adam. Needless to say...they stayed separated.

She is considered the mother of all succubi (plural of succubus) who are female demons that seek to steal the lifeforce from men. For me Lilith myth has always been a bit paradoxical. She epitomizes that tragic hero/heroine in which fate deals a nasty blow and sends them off on a grim path. In her case the die was cast merely for her assertion of her individuality...it was this that leads her to a darker fate. On one hand you can't help but sympathize, on the other hand...you probably wouldn't want to mess with her.

A few things to think about before I reveal the piece. One of the earliest depictions of her is from Sumeria. She is portrayed as a winged and clawed harpy-like woman.
Interestingly enough, most speculate that the Lamia from Greek myth came from the Lilith myth. The Lamia was a snake/woman shapeshifter that would lead men to there doom. the Lamia is often considered a vampire, of sorts, certainly a succubus. One interesting thing though is that many depictions of the Adam and Eve in artwork reveal a serpent with a woman's torso. The devil in female form...or Lilith...or the same?

Here's Michelangelo's version:


And Fillippino Lipi's

And Hugo van der Goes'....though if that is Lilith...she is less snake-like and somewhat more salamander-esqe.

Of course sometimes she is someone who just likes to hang with serpents. This is John Collier's version of Lilith.

Very Lilith-y...though, I'm not sure about the hair.

Sssssssassy......It always seemed that the snake charming thing had some sort of relationship with this myth. A woman not tempted by the serpent...instead... in control of the serpent. I can certainly see a Lilith metaphor. I'll stay away from the Freudian references.

Speaking of snake women, one of the most striking images I've ever come across is the serpent maidens in Hinduism. The Nagas.
Not really demons, but, as you will see, the image stuck with me when I created the daughters of Lilith.

Oh yes...and here is a contemporary Naga from the Bollywood film..."Hisss"


The reason I went into all of the information above is that I wanted to give everyone a point of reference. I wanted to show some of the various influences that went into the piece.
So finally...

It all started with a box I found in North Carolina. It was used to mold dynamite...well that is what the antique dealer told me anyway.

I knew I wanted to do a Lilith's Daughters piece, so first step was to start making the little succubi. I wasn't really sure at this point how the box itself would turn out.

Here they are now...aren't they purdy in all there different headdresses?
Compare them to the Hindu serpent princesses
..same spermy bodies.

So when all was said and done...after many mind-changing moments I finally got to here. The entire piece is about 4 feet long...and twenty daughters.

Here's a close up Lilith. It took awhile for me to get her coloring right. I wanted something cool and watery. By the way the metal skull came from foundry I was at in Bali.

In my stash of goodies I had a cast iron object that had the name Adam on it. It's above the glass eye.
And yes that is actually a life sized glass eye that I picked up in shop in Soho called Evolution. I also purchased a freeze dried bat while I was there.


One of the most frequent asked questions about this piece is in reference to the teeth. You can see them framing the daughters.

They are not real. They came from a dental kit that was used to make dentures. There were hundreds of them...I put quite a dent in the stash.


This little bit of text came from the scrap of paper I found on the floor as I was finishing the piece.
I thought it was perfect in reference to Lilith and Eve. Oh yes...that is from a revolver on the bottom. I thought it appropriate...also I think Judy is going to find me some Hebrew text that would be appropriate in scroll form. They will be placed in the cylanders.


This is a bad angle but above the daughters toward the center-left you can see one of the hands that is used to open the box when the daughters want to come out and play.

And the last shot I'll show is one that I think really represents the Sumerian source
Once again here it is the Sumerian version
So there is Lilith and her brood. Hope you enjoyed storytime.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Mars or Sydney...you tell me..


I was video chatting with Judy yesterday and she was showing me out the window the crazy dust storm that moved into Sydney. Even through the computer camera I could see the bright orange sky. Eerie...weird...and really cool. I want to be there photographing. I've included a few shots I stole from some of the news feeds. I didn't take these photographs...I wish I did.It's like the beginning of some freaky sci fi movie. Or from the HBO series Carnivale
..see what I mean...here's Luna Park in on Sydney Harbour


Oh look...here's Judy now...Okay, okay...I Photoshopped this one image...the rest are real




On a more serious note

Friends of mine are involved with an amazing project that will benefit ovarian cancer research.
The project is called Ties that Bind and it is a raffle that benefits the cause 100%. The winner of the raffle receives a doll adorned with charms created by 100 different artists. Time is winding down on the raffle so now is your chance to do something worthwhile and perhaps win a nice prize as well. Click here to find out more.



Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Toy-Camera-Missoula-Morning


I just recently uploaded a new app for my IPhone (which is the coolest flippin' thing ever...can't believe I waited so long to get one)...the app is Toy Camera. I decided to take some photos on my morning stroll and set it to random (which means...sometimes sepia...sometimes zingy green...sometimes seventies brown...etc.) So here is what I saw:

I started out down my little ol' street.

Then came across something I have never noticed in all the years I've lived here...not sure what the tree is but looks too exotic for Montana.

Heading down the tracks...a raven keeps guard.

Love this photo

Here's another one I like too...but then again, I'm not going to show you the lousy photos.

Up over the overpass to see a slightly more elevated view of of my fair city.

Came across a few transients...hanging out, smoking....

Here's a bizarre sight.

At first I didn't know what to make of the chalk outlines on the sidewalk. They had done this all down the street. Then I realized they were drawing the shadows cast by the streetlights. Must go back at night!

I thought is was a brilliant idea. In some cases they shadow chalk went up on the buildings as well as multiple shadows.
Time for a quick cappuccino at Liquid Planet
That but the zing in my thing...so back to my stroll.

Missoula is a bicyclers paradise...

In fact they even grow on trees...


Look

Here's my favorite spot for antiques...the Montana Antique mall.

Not far is Circle Square Second Hand...

My friend Raven does the displays here...groovy

Dog days of summer

Time to head back...this time I'll go under instead of over. The Orange Street Underpass. Eerie at night....rumor was there was a hammer murder down there way back when.

Usually a good spot for graffiti

Here is someone's tag. I just liked the way it looked behind the chain link.



Okay...made it out without getting murdered. Looky looky. Here's a cool piece of graffiti on a fence. I'm a sucker for eyes....and devils...this is both.

Strolling home. Here's a guys place who lives a few blocks from me. He's into chopping up cars and rebuilding them. Then he blasts 50's music (and I mean blasts) and cruises the neighborhood...you can hear for miles...with a periodic squealing of tires - in between ditty bops.
Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Hope you liked the stroll.