Untitled 26

stoic
stands
waiting
for the
gate
of flesh
and the
rage
of truth
to give
of the
essence
of bursting
shine

Untitled 11

glue
the pictures
on top
of old
ones
and
don't
listen
to bells
that whistle
and confuse
the dream
from within

Untitled 29

momentous
gestures
create
the ill-fated
assurance
of strict
command
but how
can I
be sure
when you
give cold
lust

Ren, Josey and the Burnt Smoky

Prairie Cocktail by C.Zurzolo

Driving down
Highway 59
At sunset
The sky looks
Newly stirred
Blue Curacao
Grenadine swirls
Foam and float
Imbibed
While I think
Bartender what is in this drink?

Art

Art, originally uploaded by The Stranger.

Viewing and discussing art not only soothes the soul, it also helps cure ills like high blood pressure and constipation.

A researcher had 20 women of around 80 years of age gather once a week for four months to discuss different works of art.

"The result was positive. Their attitudes became more positive, more creative, their blood pressure went in the right direction ... and they used fewer laxatives,"

A control group of 20 women who met to discuss their hobbies and interests once a week instead of art did not experience the same effects, she pointed out.

"There was a significant difference between the groups," she said, adding that the art group had continued to show positive effects many months after their last discussion.

"It's all about using art in a structured way," she said.

Art City Kids

Art City Parade, 2005

Art City rules!

I was in West Broadway today taking some pics that will hopefully be in my upcoming article.

This mural is awesome, no? Wanda KOOP and the whole Art City crew did it.

Turd

Rego Woman

Organicum Residency

Untitled 10

Poke
holes
for oxygen
gunfire
icons
dot
the
python
give it
all
you
got
ride
the feathered
muscle
of value
bells
and whistles

Untitled 21

candy-stripe
wishes
to the sooty
flow of
veins
don't struggle
it's easier
that way

Untitled 32

the touch
rises
from the
hunger
that
was never
satiated
because
of your
preferences
and tastes
bitter
the moral
poverty
is

Alex Colville and Misinterpretation

This painting is brilliant. Alex Colville, a nova scotia artist did it. The thing about him that's always talked and written about is that he was a WW II official war artist, and was there when Canadians and Americans first arrived in Bergen-Belsen-- saw the piles of bodies, etc. Said that what shocked him about it was the ability to stop caring so quickly. "You see one body and it's awful," he said, "but when you see 500 bodies it's not 500 times worse. There's a certain point at which you simply stop caring, which shocks you, really."

The "darkness" of the war has never really left his art-- it's often quite ghostly and sorrowful.

Now, read what a motivational coach and speaker says on her website about this work...

"In her office, hangs an Alex Colville print that perhaps best sums up Sue’s insatiable zest for life. A horse gallops down the railroad track to meet an oncoming train. “I’ve had it in my office since 1978,” she says. “The sheer determination of the horse always inspires me. It’s as if I can do anything. My philosophy has always been that anything is possible... anything at all. If I focus on a specific goal and am truly committed to it, I know I’ll get there... just like you can.”"

I wonder what Colville would think of her interpretation of his work. He might like it, who knows. Aside from the obvious (?) fact that the horse is not in fact galloping to meet the train, as she says, but is standing there perfectly still, almost waiting for it to hit him, I think she's missed the whole point.

BUT THIS INTERPRETATION WORKS FOR HER!!! so is that enough? i dunno.

o, art. o, humanity.

View 1

This is a pic (also from last winter) that i did some photoshop on. Things often look good on the monitor at the Label, and then not so good when i see 'em on a better monitor. That pic of Andrew kicking against that weird stitched wall, for e.g.? Can't see him in it at the Label, at all.

Anyway, the label as viewed from across a snowy U of W courtyard. Margaret Laurence used to hang out in that there courtyard and smoke cigarettes back in the 50's. Then she wrote a few little books about Neepawa (called it Manawaka) that are read, studied, and translated all over the world.

Note the subtle-ish differences between this and the image below.

View 2

Same pic before photoshopping. I wanted to remove all overtly human presence--cars and people, i guess.

My humble life

Seems that all my posts on here come from the Label. Guess it's b/c i'm there all the time. Last March 16, at 4:12 pm, it was warm and sunny.

Defeat