Category: Leonard Greco Art

It’s 6am EST, I’m bleary- eyed from a red-eye flight from Long Beach (adorable airport ), but now I sit in Boston awaiting my flight to Philadelphia.

Six weeks is long time , the longest time spent away from David and the dogs. My eagerness for the experiences ahead are tempered by melancholy. But onward, I will face my anxieties and see what unfolds .

For now , bad airline coffee …

  

The pressure is mounting as we approach the closing for our new place; deep in the throes of packing my work, carefully wrapping each painting in glassine paper. Satisfying work , labeling , archiving; looking forward . As I pack up the last of the small works I realized I hadn’t posted this small study of the ridiculously handsome Al Parker I made several years ago. Parker was a porn star who embodied the “clone” look of my youth ( early 80’s). He was celestial …and of course died too young .

For now he will be safely enshrouded in glassine , to resurrect another day.

 

This is just a corner of a large painting I am working on at the moment.  Amidst the complexities of the composition I managed to squeeze in a reference to Clive Hicks-Jenkin’s beloved Mari Lwyd.

Thank you Clive for always being an inspiration to reach further.

Uncovered a painting from a few years back as I continue to settle in.

The Eternal Cycle

acrylic, mixed media, on canvas

We moved back to LA on the first of October, a little over a week ago. The last few remaining boxes haunt me but essentially the dust (if not the pug fur) has settled and we are now officially HOME. The past few years have made me very appreciative of this city which I have missed terribly. Although our plans went awry a bit I believe the move back to LA to be Fortuna’s doing .

So much of our new home is the antithesis of the doom and gloom we have endured in San Diego, most especially the sense of optimism. LA by nature is inherently optimistic and our new landlady is the very spirit of YES. I’m promising myself to no longer dwell upon my mother-in-law and her curmudgeonly temperament but suffice to say Marsha (the landlady) possesses a spirit  that is loving and encouraging , she couldn’t be further from what I have become accustomed to. Our home is sweet little 1920’s “Spanish” duplex, Marsha lives above and we rent the ground floor. It is a bright and happy place and by LA standards relatively large. 

Studio space, formerly the living room .We have converted the larger of the bedrooms into a sitting room.

Dining room /drafting room/ art library (part of it anyway)

As it is an “old” building, at least by Southern Californian standards, the ceilings are high and gracious , plus plenty of cross breezes from the many happy casement windows.

One of the great joys of living in our new neighborhood ( a surprisingly intact collection of  charming 1920’s fantasy architecture-mock spanish,mock-Norman,mock-Beverly hills, faux Tudor…) is the ease with which I can walk to LACMA. The other evening I went to a film festival devoted to the great Mexican film-maker Gabriel Figueroa. I confess I was unfamiliar with this great artist but I was blown away by the breadth of his work (the museum has an accompanying exhibition to the film festival) and I was particularly moved by the film presented, Marīa Candelaria. A film as baroque as my own taste, more and more I believe my soul is Mexican , I am so moved by the work south of me. This film was a fictional account of an artist, a thinly veiled depiction of Diego Rivera and his infatuation with an indigenous flower vending beauty. The consequence is tragic and gorgeous. 

In addition to the film, I renewed our membership and re-visited some old friends, in this case , Mixtec treasures. The great god Tlaloc was the first friendly face I encountered.

I was indeed home.

With only a few boxes left to unpack, the computer up and running  and the dogs settled in comfortably, we are at peace. The only thing now is to tackle the new monstrously large canvas looming in the studio. We leave for Mexico City and Teotihuacan at the end of the month, I anticipate further inspiration.

Until next time, be well,

Lg

Today is my husband’s birthday , he is quite frankly an amazing man- too bad we are many miles apart at the moment. But seemingly, to compensate for that fact, not one but three Perfect Men arrived in my mailbox. Three perfectly constructed, anatomically ( although rather neutered), little grey plastic men. 

Although diminutive in scale, they are gorgeous in their detail. They are three anatomical models my thoughtful and often extravagant husband purchased as part of my Christmas present. They have just arrived and I am tickled by their beauty. This flayed mannequin has the most beautiful glass eyes.

source: http://www.anatomytools.com/allmfv2-1-6scale-p517.php

the skeletal mannequin

the flayed mannequin

the flesh and blood mannequin, although with a Barbie “package”

I am tickled by my gift , typically thoughtful of David, investing in my painting career with the proper tools. They now stand at attention in my studio.

My beautiful skeleton reminds me of my recent trip to LACMA. Although we have been going to the museum for years I have never visited the Pacific Oceanic collection, my loss. One of the most delightful and strange objects, in a gallery full of many wonderful oddities, was this Skull Rack. I was struck by the whimsy of the fellow which contrasted sharply with the dangly skulls. I was of course delighted.

Skull Rack (agiba)

Papua New Guinea

c. 1925

Detail of some of the skulls, I love the prosthetic noses, the eye plugs; I am definitely using these in some upcoming project.

This is certainly a disjointed post , but I want to wish David a very happy birthday, i am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow evening. until that time I will end with the THE  Perfect  Man ( as a boy) in a box.