Initial Singularities, Other Dimensions / Universes and Queer Icons:

In the continuing "Singularities" series I am playing with a sci-fi notion of infinite universes charted by a super-intergalactic civilization (Far, far away in both time and space). I also use them as spiritual tool or charm in meditation. Additionally, they are based in my identity as a gay man and part of the LGBTQ movement in the arts. They do these things by referencing the spectrum and rainbow using color transparency, brushed acrylic paint and stencils.

Social and Political Commentary

These two paintings are examples of my social and political commentary, and were made during the COVID pandemic (2020 – 2021). I use acrylic paints, ink, digital images taken from the masters, plus my own photos and drawing. I work back and forth between actual and virtual (digital) processes sometimes using décollage techniques to unite the various processes.

I've been on sabbatical for too long!

I will be posting on my current work. First, political and social commentary artworks made using digital processes blended and alternating with painting in actual physical space. Second, "Initial Singularities and other Universes" are prints created in Photoshop and paintings created in actual physical space. I also write poetry that tracks with both kinds of artwork. The following are two examples from the second category, "Initial Singularities and Other Universes.

“Faggot” - Double Page Spread for the LGBTQ Pictionary

The notion that the term "faggot" originates with the English, faggot, a bundle of sticks is likely. However, the word is not associated with burning homosexuals alive at the stake. The term does denote various sized and kinds of bundles of sticks, and these were standardized in 1474 by ordinance.* Alternatively the word has been used to describe a cigarette (British), and a kind of sausage meatball, also British.

The first recorded use of faggot or fag to denote a homosexual man in the USA took place in 1914, and, common use of the term faggot and the shortened version, fag to denote homosexual men and women is found by 1921. These terns are extremely pejorative though by the late 1970’s the LGBT community was actively reacquiring such derogatory terms to be used in a positive prideful manor. Fag and faggot have gradually fallen out of use. Instead, the (pejorative) “that's so gay” became more common during the 1980's. Cultural and social processes have gradually removed the stigma attached to "gay" as well. In the second decade of the 21st Century "gay" is understood as a more positive way of referring to homosexual men and/or women.

In this mixed media distressed painting I was expressing these historical aspects, cultural and social trends. The painting includes references to the centuries old “Fag” family name, to faggot, a bundle of sticks, and to cigarette as fag. It contains images of late 19th century and early 20th century sepia photos of male couples, as well as text about the word and its various significations buried in the layers of paint.*1 The text in the double page spread is different from and more detailed than the text in this blog.

Notes

*Link to details about these measurements

*1 I obtained many of the sepia images from the Website, Homo History and kept a careful log and record of these.

The Newest Art Card Is Serenity

Card, side 1

Card, side 2

During the Trump presidency discord, bad behavior and incivility have reached fever pitch though as a culture we have been trending in that direction for decades. I believe with great certainty that unless many of us act individually to counteract the cultural and social trend our democracy is doomed to go down in social and political anarchy. Because of that belief I began making the Art Cards as my individual effort to affect change in 2013. I design the cards and have them printed in batches of 250 each so that I can give them to random persons, sometimes face to face, other times anonymously. I also put them in public spaces where they can be picked up or ignored. I am not making the cards to be revolutionary because that would be foolish. I don’t show them in the traditional style of the Art World, for sale in art galleries. Instead they are meant to be gifts made to others. I know that the vast majority of the cards end up lost or trashed and I also know that this effort does little or nothing to cause change. But, I hope that the gift of these cards might inspire a few people here and there over time to join in the effort to create peace, love, joy, harmony, and serenity through their own kind efforts toward others. At the same time I understand my hope to be a Metamodern trope that goes just a touch beyond postmodern irony. *

I titled the two sides of the card side 1 and side 2 because neither side takes priority over the other. One is based on a photograph I took in 2010. The other is also photographic, but I took the photo of a section of sky in one of the seascape pastels I've created during the past 20 years. The typography, orange and yellow colors added to the pastel image, and photos of the birds are used to establish unity between the two sides of the card. In fact I have used more photography in this card than in each of the other five cards, and I'm pleased with the result.

Note

• Art during the 20th and 21st century is thought by artists, theorist and art critics to fit into three periods, modern, postmodern and metamodern. Metamodern is the most recent of these and readers can discover something about it at the following location, http://www.metamodernism.com/.

Transwoman: Double Page Spread

I’m working on the proposal for a book based on the LGBTQ Pictionary. This new double page spread is only the third of ten that includes the front and back covers of the book. Once Again I have 3 possible versions of this double page spread with type indication where future text will be. I have my preference but I will not say which one until I have some from friends on Facebook because I’m curious to see how the opinions compare to mine.

A.

Interestingly, responses to the “Transman” double page spread were evenly divided between choices “B” and “C.” Because of those responses I will make a simple change to choice “C” in order to make it work a bit more like “B” visually, that is to make the area of type slightly larger in order to make the page fit the ancient Greek golden mean (proportion 8 to 1). In conclusion, viewer opinion helped me come to the best possible solution.

Please write your choice, "A," "B" or "C" on my post in Facebook.

B.

C.

Gender Variant and Trans Woman Paintings Finished

At Last, they are done!

I took one day ignoring all other problems and issues to finish both paintings. Now I move on to producing more double page spreads for a possible book based on the LGBTQ Pictionary.

Below are 3 examples of a page from the book. The type is indicated.  I make indicated type by reversing it and flipping it upside down.  It is not the actual text. I like example "C" with the small square of type in the center of the page, but I hope to get some votes from friends on Facebook as to which they like best.

A

B

C