My first work of art in 2023 is a confluence of two things.
The first is a show I saw at The Warehouse gallery in Milwaukee in late 2020 called I Am a Story: Self-Portraits. This show at The Warehouse featured 50 artist self-portraits from the collection of the gallery owners, Jan Serr and John Shannon. The artists in the show included Cindy Sherman, Jim Dine, David Hockney, Carrie Mae Weems, William Kentridge, Keith Haring, Edward Steichen plus more. What impressed me (once I got over whose work I was looking at) was how many different approaches there are to making a self-portrait.
The second is a continuing blue feeling I have over the current state of affairs in the world. Mainly, I thought we had pushed past the Covid-19 pandemic but more and more I realize the disease may be here for quite a while, the world has changed because of it and I am cranky about my wants and needs being limited by the experience (with apologies to those who have suffered real loses because of this disease). Also I am worn out by what appears to be my country's inability to govern itself.
While I would not call myself depressed, I would say that I am not happy as I wish to be. So, why not make a piece of art to challenge my state of being. And, why not a self-portrait.
I bought a child's sled and from the start it was tied to Rosebud and the great film, Citizen Kane. I knew some day I would make a piece of art with the theme of Orson Welles' film in mind. So I got that Sno Plane sled out for this project.
Denice was kind enough to assist me in make a self portrait to use on the sled.
Then, it was on to the art making.
Thus we have Self Portrait or The Winter of My Discontent. My from a Sno Plane sled, two paint brushes, a metal star, a clock face, a strip of copper metal, foam core, four crystals and collage with paint. It is 39"H X 24"W X 9"D.
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