Discovery

As 2018 draws to a close, it's time to reflect on a remarkable year. 

The discovery of Raymond Roussel sent me deep into the stacks of research and exploration. It's thrilling to be on the case. Yes, another poet with connections to Marcel Duchamp. In 2016 I discovered Surrealist poet Robert Desnos who channeled the voice of Rrose Selavy, Duchamp's alter ego. This year I found Roussel, a powerful influence on Duchamp— sparking his creation of The Large Glass. 

Along with an expressionistic DeKooning knock off, a frenetic Giacometti search, a swirl of white paint ala Twombly and a bit of a sad-sack feeling marooned in a maroon shirt, the fab four accomplished what I intended:  I am ready to cut loose, free the tight grip of my pencil and let the paint and graphite flow. 

               

               

A tight pencil sketch did not make the cut so it was cut up, shredded then balled up.

Marc posed as the subject for several of my art class projects — described HERE.

The deconstruction of Rembrandt portrait by erasing, a very Marc-like gesture, was instrumental in my History of Drawing lesson. Here is the scoop:

You can begin with a drawing (one of your own or maybe if you have a Rembrandt around) slowly erasing the image until you have found your resting place.

When I named-dropped Rembrandt in Lesson Plan: Lesson Eleven I was using him as the prime example, the definition of a masterpiece, his artwork so valuable that it would be unthinkable to erase. Plus, joking, imagining the possibility that you have a Rembrandt at home — nigh impossible. 

The next day while delivering several of our beach plastic artworks to Cubberley Artist Studio Program in Palo Alto to be included in Eco Echo: Art and Environmental Lab, I spied an array of frames set out, free for the taking. Always on the lookout for anything that has potential reuse I took a closer look. Low and behold - there in the free-pile was my Rembrandt — his iconic self-portrait. Yes, indeed!!! I tucked it under my arm and away it went.

Praise be to serendipity.

Back home I set about to erase with an electric eraser. On the search to discover a new constellation, a new meaning.

Here is the 2018 short of the year:
As both artist and subject DeAnsar searches for the optical phenomena of reality. Inspired by Alberto Giacometti's portrait of James Lord, DeAnsar affirms,"The form is always in proportion to the obsession." And then, there are (nothing more and nothing less than) ants.

Rembrandt to Marc and Back Again

 REMBRANDT

You can begin with a drawing (one of your own or maybe if you have a Rembrandt around) slowly erasing the image until you have found your resting place.

When I named-dropped Rembrandt in History of Drawing Lesson Plan: Lesson Eleven I was using him as the prime example, the definition of a masterpiece, his artwork so valuable that it would be unthinkable to erase. Certain with the possibility that you have a Rembrandt at home!!!

The next day while delivering several of our beach plastic artworks to Cubberley Artist Studio Program in Palo Alto to be included in Eco Echo: Art and Environmental Lab, I spied an array of frames set out, free for the taking. Always on the lookout for anything that has potential reuse I took a closer look. Low and behold — there in the free-pile was my Rembrandt — his iconic self-portrait. Yes, indeed!!! I tucked it under my arm and away it went.

Praise be to serendipity.

Back in my studio, on the search to discover a new constellation (Mickey Mouse), a new meaning (Marc's moustache), I set about to erase with an electric eraser.

Along with rooms full of many masterworks you can visit Rembrandt’s Self Portrait at The Frick Collection in NYC or from the comfort of your home you can watch this short video.

Luminous Nose

Do you know the work Edward Lear who is certainly the master of the nose? Best known for his short limericks and poems for children The Owl and the Pussycat he was also the scribe of the poem Dong with the Luminous Nose.

The Paris Review writes about Lear’s serious nonsense.

Like his cousin Diogenes who carried a lamp during that day in search of truth; in search of an honest man, Dong uses light of his nose during his search of his lost love (gaiety, beauty, truth).

Inspired by his description of the nose made from the bark of the Twangum Tree, tied with cords to the back of his head, I crafted a nose from a bulbous gourd from our garden. I intend to don this protuberance and wear it to our reading group where we will be discussing Jenny Uglow’s Edward Lear: A life of Art and Nonsense. It’s a marvelous read.

THIS IS NOT A NOSE.

THIS IS NOT A NOSE.

For detailed ruminations about the nose, what is and what isn't, go to my Lesson about how to draw a nose or not. 

obession 2018

From Giacometti's search for the face to de Kooning's deconstruction, I am ready to cut loose, free the tight grip of my pencil and let the paint and graphite flow. 

In addition to my annual commitment (since 1996) to completing four portraits and a short video, this year Marc is serving as the model for the many of the exercises I use in my teaching. 

Erased

At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one can see Robert Rauchenberg's Erased de Kooning and the infrared scan that reveals traces of the original. Each student was given a photocopy of the scan and asked to color it in. Look at the incredible variety in the students creative responses. And even when I am not intending, Marc appears in the picture. 

Special thanks to Chickie, Ellen, Glenda, Sue, Suzanne, and Tilly from Sonoma and Roberta, Kim, Gloria and Jeanette from Rohnert Park for their interpretations:   

The Exquisite Corpse - DADA game

In a game of chance and unpredictability each player draws an image, folds the paper to conceal their contribution, then passes it on to the next player for their contribution.

The unfolding of the paper is a great revelation of surprising combinations as the MOMA website describes, "all in service of disrupting the waking mind’s penchant for order."

Two-Handed Drawing, Left and Right

As an exercise to understand dextrousness, with a pencil in each hand, draw with both simultaneously.

Rubbings

There is something magical about seeing textures come alive, watching an image appear when rubbing a piece of charcoal over a rough surface. The technique, developed by Max Ernst, the Surrealists called it frottage. Who knew Marc's face was hidden in the wrought iron design of the garden table top? 

Drawing with glue

Giacometti-inspired, elongated, existential faces and figures are rendered with white glue on black paper. When dry, a quick sweep with pastels, brings the images to light.

Kibibi, as interlocutor, becoming Marc's mustache.