The Jar Project is a show that as I have informed you will be at Whitney Art Works here in Portland, ME. It will be the first time that I am showing in a well recognized East Coast gallery. I am very excited for the opportunity.
I thought that I would begin the year by showing a little bit of the process behind this piece. I had intended to use the overlapping blocks like I described earlier. I set out with 7 or 8 painted blocks and looked at the different compositions that I could make with them, thinking that I would only incorporate the blocks in the final product. I wasn’t really into the final piece with that in mind, but more into the process, which from the perspective of the post-modernists may not be a bad thing, but keeping in mind that this is a project about jars and things that are kept in them, it seems important to think of the object within the jar and therefore this post-modern thing just won’t work on this piece.
So I said to myself, self, I need some cartoons in this bad boy. My friend Mattie came over and I started drawing out a squirrel for the inside of the jar. Later that night as I was walking home I found a piece of what I assume was a cross on the side of the road at some point, but had found its way to the road way. The piece of wood read “Cuddles / We Love N Miss You / 1 – 2008 to 8 – 2010. It’s kind of a sad thought, but really got me thinking so I started working with this:
I decided to add some direct references, another block and to paint the lid of the jar and came up with what I presently have. It interested me to put the monument of a pet within a glass jar much as we keep the living animals in captivity within a glass jar, cage, or at least our doors and windows in our houses. Anyway, here is how the piece currently looks:
I am not sure at this point how close to done the piece is. I kind of feel as if I should paint the squirrel more, but I am not sure that it is necessary. Either way, I think the piece is a big step for me, and I am excited with the results.
See you soon.
Peace
-Mike