A little branding mistake or a cute irony?
The missing ’s’ is alright in my books: it goes along well with the theme of rusted scrap metal. And it is, after all, what they do best.
For all your scrapping needs, I recommend Future Enterprises.
Blue: shovel, pencap, part of a mini frisbee, hook, plastic bag, crushed mini bowling pin, Breyers’ Ice Cream lid edging, cracked bottom of recycling box, section of bubbalicious gum case, pipe, rectangular object, flower pot edge, pencap.
Green: basket remnant, candy wrapper, melted plastic item, bit of lawn chair , plastic bag, mini pylon, soda bottles(2)
Yellow: frisbee remnants, tennis ball, drink caps (3).
Orange: piece of styrofoam, drug container, artificial flower, Ikea pencil, rusted metal
Red: end caps(2) remnants of pail, bottle cap, plastic sleeve.
However dry is bone or stone or dust,
vivacious living water percolates
through corpse-reviving Spirit-breath:
(re)animating antidote to death.
Father Colonel Lieutenant Francis Patrick Duffy is not the Patrick in whose honour the Irish holiday is named. The original patron saint of Ireland lived both longer and longer ago, but both he and the Solider (whose monument stands in the north triangle at Times Square in New York City) embody a common Catholicism. If the elder saint’s use of the shamrock as a Trinitarian theological model seemed progressive to the pre-Christian Irish, Father Duffy’s position as editor for the New York Review earned him a similar repute. To complement these clerical contributions, Duffy’s highly decorated military uniform speaks equally of civil sacrifice. And now a granite Celtic cross adorns 47th street with these very accurate, very truthful words: “In service of God and country”.
You have to wonder, though, with these towering gigapixel shrines to Capitalism fully illuminating the space on every side…. has that specific adornment been superseded? What kind of progressive theology is prepared to dialogue with the epic frivolity of names in lights? What does eternal life really mean in contrast to the momentary high of consumption? Does the red glass Perkins/Eastman amphitheatre (installed northwise-adjacent to Duffy’s statue) empower us to look him over, or does it invite us to overlook him? What is it about the impermanence of reflected pixels in granite that makes Coca-cola seem insignificant compared to the weight of history on which it stands? When Virgin Records employs two drunk sluts to bolster their image, is their disposition in honour of St. Patty’s day?
Although it is partly my camera whose adept lens dynamics have enabled me to ask “Where is God on Broadway?”, these and other questions have also been positively provoked by the intellectual, creative, and vibrantly visionary context of the IAM Encounter 2010 conference. My urge to dig deep into the nuances of nature and culture, and to creatively redeem the broken things around me is spurred on through the conference theme “10 Questions for 2010”, and the spirit of International Arts Movement’s vision to “create the world that ought to be.”
I’m grateful for the wonderful people in whose wisdom and joy I was able to share in New York City. Ron Kelsey is a”Non-profit Artist” and the liason for IAM in the US Military. L.L Barkat is the author of “Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places”, and the managing editor for HighCallingBlogs. Diane Collard is a speaker and writer, who has written about the role of visual art in the Church. Natalie Settles is an artist who aims to discover “new patterns in art and science”. Makoto Fujimura is the founder of IAM, who encouraged us this year to create in the loving spirit of I Corinthians 13. Christy Tennant is the host of everyone’s favourite podcast, IAM Conversations. Bethany Lynam smiles and ponders brightly. Tessa Boult is an art history student from Yorkshire, England. Annie Ling could teach me more than a few things about photography. Greg Veltman and Andrea Hensen are happily married. Spencer Imbrock was in my Bible study while I lived in the Paquis Geneva Switzerland, and it was really splendid to run into him at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Scott, Ryan, Keith, Kyle, my wonderful creative carpool from Ontario were also a tremendous blessing. And I’m sure there were more of you, whose facebook pages I’m bound to stumble upon one day.
The question that is currently on my mind is this: “How will we facilitate an encouraging creative community here in Ontario, spurring each other on towards meaningful forms of loving, artistic service?”
The answer, I anticipate, is only going to beg more (wonderful) questions.
This week’s snowicane has apparently failed to make it far enough inland to really impact southern Ontario. But who needs white snow anyway? I’ve got plenty of white plasticine, white seashells, white coral, white rice, and white paper to keep me occupied.
I suppose this comes on the heels of another desaturated image. I’m beginning to find my productive groove back. Maybe this one-dimensional graphic style is what I’ll pursue for a while. It seems to jive with my ambiance these days. Anyway, taking the colour out of a work allows you to focus your eyes on its other lively attributes… I guess that here the life is in the texture.
I derive satisfaction from how the varying subtleties of bold and blustery (shadows of clay) are in epic conversation with wispy and whimsical (flowing rice) in this arrangement. Like you and I, these materials have context-specific personality.
I’m also excited about IAM Encounter in New York next week. Roadtripping with Scott and Keith.
Peace.
H
This is a self portrait of sorts. Lately I’ve been completely in the web development zone, and not at all in the art zone. And so I feel dangerously (and perhaps literally) disjointed. Either I’m in over my head, or I’ve lost my head altogether, and so that is the reason for today’s wire sketch. I missed Francine’s birthday, earlier this week, and so she got to keep the sculpture as a kind of consolation prize. You have to redeem these moments I guess. The rest of the afternoon, I hung out on James Street North, where my artist friends encouraged me to stay on as an artist (and also as a web developer). I’m grateful for the encouragement, and for all the putting-up-with that people endure in spite of my being behind schedule on just about everything. I think things will get better soon. Just gotta learn to juggle more efficiently, or perhaps to find my head back, hopefully with the capacity for vision still intact. In either case, I crave additional focus and direction for my crazy-running-around-in-circles. Principled living without wisdom is nearly impossible. Has anyone seen my head anywhere?
I’ve been inspired by zazzle stickers. I decided to do a few of my own. There may be more of these on the way. If you’ve got an idea for one, (i.e. a brand/slogan combo that would work) please let me know!
I’ve been inspired by zazzle stickers. I decided to do a few of my own. There may be more of these on the way. If you’ve got an idea for one, (i.e. a brand/slogan combo that would work) please let me know!
According to Google, “every Man’s god is”…
1. his highest ideal
2. what he attaches the most importance to
3. what he serves and loves best
4. a reflex of himself
5. but an enlarged edition of himself
6. Gold
7. exactly what he thinks it is
8. just his own perception of what God really is
9. as that man (Goethe)
Reflecting on this, I recalled a photo, which I took in July 2007 at the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. What remains apparent for me in this image is both the contrast and the similarity between the two religions: capitalism and catholicism.
In this reflection, I also recalled a talk by Karen Armstrong which I viewed on TED in September 2008. My notes on the talk included this: “every man’s god is his own creature, and in praising it he praises himself.”
These things are humbling. In the face of this postmodern mess, it’s at least somewhat counter-cultural to yet uphold the Reformation’s ideal “Soli Deo Gloria”. In doing so, it of course remains easy to claim just a little bit of that glory for oneself… whether it’s intellectual prowess, or some other gift of grace that we claim as our own.
To move forward, though, let’s recall that if there is brilliance in us, it’s because we reflect it, and not because we invented it. We ultimately remain creatures, even as we become (lowercase) creators.
Peace.
On this Christmas evening,
I want to reach out and connect with all the special people in my life who mean or have meant something unique to me.
Wherever you are…
Whenever we may have last spoken…
Whatever colour you’re wearing today…
I’ve been reflecting, this year, on redemption, and what it means to take something broken, and to heal it. To find meaning in the mud, and nuance in the neglected. This artwork, "Lo how a Rose" is made of dead flowers, revived; smashed lightbulbs, re-arranged, and simple material forms, with life breathed into them.
May you all find it in you to redeem the fractured things around you, as God did in causing Jesus, the tender shoot, to sprout from the broken stump, and in offering the world forgiveness, in redeeming us.
May you sing and pray and rejoice with the ones that you love. In this season of advent, I extend to you Peace. Shalom. Shanti.
Best,
Harold
