New drawing just completed, I believe this may be it . I’ve depicted the first seven Labors but to be frank , aside from our hero’s wrestling match with the fearsome Cerberus, I’m not particularly interested in drawing them . I’ll wait and see if inspiration strikes . But for now the first Seven:
1- the Nemean Lion , slay the poor thing
2-Lernean Hydra, slay that poor thing
3-Ceryneian Hind, capture that poor thing
4- Erymanthian Boar, capture that poor thing
5- Augean Stables, clean that filthy place
6-Stymphalian Birds, kill those man-eating things
7- Cretan Bull, capture that randy thing
Leonard Greco
The Labors of Herakles
2018
Sanguine pencil with chalk highlights on toned paper
18 by 24 inches
When and if I return to the balance of his Labors I will continue with the continuous narrative composition as a diptych.
I’ve finished a new drawing as a tribute to my analyst Dr. Thomas, as he is Jungian I think he will appreciate the layers of symbolism.
“Oedipus & the Sphinx or Self Portrait of the Artist as an Inquisitive Flea” 2018 Sanuine pencil, white charcoal highlights on toned paper 24 by 18 inches
My ongoing body of work Fairyland I am beginning to see has its roots and inspiration in the nursery. I find myself harkening back to my childhood. We hadn’t a nursery, or day care, in fact, due to my mother’s mental illnesses my childhood was spent in self care and self nurturance. I raised myself best as I could. One of the delights of my solitary childhood was stumbling upon the Victorian and Edwardian library of my maternal grandmother’s own (isolated) childhood nursery. One such delight was Walter Crane’s enchanting Absurd ABC. I spent many quiet hours poring over Crane’s vivid and complex drawings, imagining better worlds. I owe a huge debt to Crane.
Walter Crane “Absurd ABC”
With that alphabetic primer in mind, I turned the focus of my daily drawing practice to the ABC’s; each day producing a primer that would have suited that little boy (and the fellow I am now). Later in life I discovered other primers and have experienced inspiration in ornamental alphabets such as this medieval ( neo-medieval?) illuminated primer.
With that information in mind, my Alphabetic Primer of Fairyland:
“A” is for Aladdin“B” is for Baal“C” is for Commedia dell’ Arte ( & Chinoiserie)“D” is for Death“E” is for Egyptomania“F” is for Faun (& Fairy & Floral)“G” is for Greenman (& Gryphon & Ganymede)“H” is for Herakles (& Hydra)“I” is for Imperial Rome ( & Impermanence)“J” is for Jester“K” is for Kells, Book of“L” is for Lazarus“M” is for Minotaur“N” is for Nereid“O” is for Opera“P” is for Pierrot (& Pollarded Trees)“Q” is for Quetzalcoatl“R” is for Rococo“S” is for Salome“T” is for Theatrical Temperament“U” is for Uranus (& Uncomfortable)“V” is for Viking“W” is for Witchcraft“X” is for Xibalba“Y” is for Yankee Doodle Dandy“&” is for Ampersand“Z” is for Zanni
This isn’t my first alphabet, back in 2012 I went to task working on my Primer of New Spain ( see side bar for link ). However I lost steam and interest, as interesting as Mesoamerican art and culture is, it isn’t MY story. From now on I am focusing on what is true to me, Fairyland is home.
The following is “D is for Dog” from the above mentioned Primer of New Spain.
With that, I close this post. For the record all of the images are 8 by 10″, on toned grey paper, sanguine (mostly) pencil and white charcoal highlights. I continue my daily drawing practice, starting most studio days with at least one decent drawing. I imagine revisiting the ABC’s once again.
Those were the words I heard every Easter, fervently claiming them myself. Now, I am less certain of what I believe. It feels more complicated, more fraught ;one day the Old Gods have all the answers, the next Jesus Christ. I take the truth from where I can.
That said I feel more attuned to what has been called by the Irish as the “thin places”, the space between the world of man and the world of the spirit. This lenten season, instead of forgoing any particular vice, hindrance or pleasure, I simply drew. With a pencil in hand, promising to whoever listens to my private thoughts, that no matter what, each studio day I will produce at the least, a decent enough drawing. No promises of masterworks, just a commitment of time and energy before I began my studio day.
I once studied under a Russian Orthodox monk and iconographer Vladislav Andrejev, he, through the translation of his sweet wife Olga, told me that art making must be considered a prayer to the Divine.
That I believe in.
The following is a result of my Lenten Indulgences ( a little nod to dear old Luther) :
2018 Feb 6 Jezebel and Ahab2018 Feb 7 untitled2018 Feb 8 untitled, neomedieval study2018 Feb 9 Ecce Homo2018 Feb 12 Betty Brown2018 Feb 13 Mummer2018 Feb 16 Perseus2018 Feb 16 Young Anchorite2018 Feb 19 Faun2018 Feb 20 Arlequino2018 Feb 21 Studies2018 Feb 22 Centaur2018 Feb 23 Folly2018 Feb 26 Polyphemus2018 Feb 27 Birdboy, marginalia study2018 Feb 28 Womba (Ivanhoe series)2018 Mar 1 The Fair Rowena (Ivanhoe series)2018 Mar 2 Bauble study2018 March 5 Frontispiece design2018 March 6 Proserpina & Cerberus2018 Mar 7 Hades2018 Mar 8 Underworld mummer2018 Mar 9 Eurydice2018 Mar 12 Night terror, dream memory2018 Mar 13 Orpheus2018 Mar 14 Mummer2018 Mar 15 The Jewess Rebecca (Ivanhoe series)2018 Mar 16 Leprechaun2018 Mar 19 Winter2018 Mar 20 Spring Awakening/Cernunnos2018 Mar 21 Rape of Europa2018 Mar 22 Pilgrim’s Journey2018 Mar 23 Lavinia2018 Mar 26 Abraham and Isaac2018 Mar 27 Jonah and the Leviathan2018 Mar 28 Job
2018 Mar 29 The Tree of Judas2018 Mar 30 La Dolorosa
The Harrowing of Hell 2018 Sanguine pencil, white charcoal, toned paper 24 by 18 inches
The theme of the great Harrowing of Hell, that period in time in which the Church seems to hesitate a bit, unsure of what really happened, that time after Christ sheds the mortal coil and isn’t seen for a few days. Where he is said to have descended into the Underworld as a triumphant New Adam and liberates lost and languishing souls- that, that moment , fascinates me.
It has for quite some time, as a youth I placed ink to paper in an attempt to imagine such a mythic moment ( the use of pomegranates as a decorative motif, seemed at the time, a brilliant allegory and subtle reference to Eurydice)
Youthful stab at a subject too grand…(1980-81?)
As the first(and latest) image attests, the theme still beguiles. Having only recently listened to George Saunder’s astonishing Lincoln in the Bardo (thank you Audible, now I must actually read it). I have been taken with the in-between time of death, redemption and the ambiguous souls left floundering; the Bardo as Saunders asserts. Death isn’t always with me in a dismal way, but it is endlessly fascinating. I don’t actually want to know for sure what the path ahead holds for me, but I am darn curious.
The first introduction to the theme of the Harrowing was Albrecht Dürer’s spectacular depiction of it (Dürer is a heartthrob figure for me in so many ways).
Albrecht Dürer Descent into Limbo
One can easily see Dürer’s influence on my work, going back to my teens. Clearly I stole from the Master in this youthful depiction of the Fallen Adam.
Unfinished drawing of Adam and fallen Bishop of Rome.
What I had failed to comprehend was what was meant by Hell. In time I came to realize not so much the eternal fires of a wrathful God, but a waiting station, the vague Limbo of my youthful Catholicism.
The theme has been explored countless times; the following, are a few favorites.
The ubiquitous follower of good old Bosch.A lovely example from 1504.14th century Petites Heures de Jean de BerryA gorgeous depiction of the Harrowung of Hell, only vaguely attributed as “Renaissance”. Lovely nonetheless.
My own inspiration was more random, less planned; in my last studio move, an accidental composition made itself available to me. I suspect I will returning to theme again. Perhaps next time Christ will be more triumphant, more muscular in spirit, less hesitant. Although, truth be told, hesitancy seems a reasonable stance.
The Harrowing of Hell 2018 Sanguine pencil, white charcoal, toned paper 24 by 18 inches
Adolf Loos first decried the use of ornament in 1908 in that loveliest (and ornamented) of cities, Vienna. His groundbreaking essay Ornament and Crime (I’ve also seen it entitled “Ornament is Crime”) is astonishing in its prophetic belief that ornament “dates” objects, creating a desire for new and seemingly more fashionable objects, dress , even homes. I actually adore Loos, he was a genius, his buildings are starkly luxurious, his aesthetic judgement without question.
Yet I’ve always taken issue with the wholesale rejection of ornament in the 20th century (sadly that seems the only Loosian dictate to have secured root). Be it fine art or the applied arts, there is a general suspicion if not loathing of the decorative.
So with that understanding, nearly three decades ago, I had the hare brained notion to start my “career” as an ornamentalist . It was physically demanding work, frequently unappreciated and until I moved to LA, not well compensated. It wasn’t until the recent recession that I decided to hang up that cap and pursue a long suppressed desire to be a REAL artist.
In my current incarnation as a studio painter I had thought I had moved away from that phase of my life; shunning baroque acanthus , intricate strap work and pretty blackamoors for something seemingly more substantive .
Apparently not.
It is ironic that as an example of ornament’s criminality , Loos cited the “degeneracy” of Papuan full body tattooing, for the full body “tattooing” of my studio mannequin Massimo is what compelled me to dust off my folios of decorative designs.
I found myself rustily trying to remember how to create patterns and ornamental compositions, in the end it came back as easily as remembering to ride a bike. I find myself now interested in exploring ornament, how to synthesize it into work, attempting to transcend superficial attractiveness. I’m excited by the possibilities as ornament making is a skill I possess, it pours out of me. How do I use this ability in an interesting and compelling way? My studio work has always contained an element of the decorative so I’ll be curious to see how it progresses with committed intention.
“Massimo” and preparatory sketch (“Herakles”)
The following are images taken from my vast collection of preparatory drawings.
This was my first big break, a huge job, close to two years to complete. I was so naive, underbid myself, underestimating the scope of the project. This massive overmantel ornament a mere sliver of the actual project.
Design proposal , Main Line, Philadelphia
Back to the here and now, I did finish the ornament for Massimo, and as Loos predicted it IS indeed degenerate!
“Massimo”,detail 2017 oil on mannequin
Loos, in condemning “primitive” ornament, particularly full body application, could not have imagined a world in which a comely young man ( image discovered on internet search) would adorn himself so prettily and to great applause.
I haven’t the information for attribution; will do so upon discovery.
In my enthusiasm I’ve started a new piece, The Apotheosis of Herakles. It will be one of my faux tapestries, which in of itself allows me to play with fiber, sewing, domestic “feminine” craft, which along with ornament , has been traditionally eschewed- yet I’m drawn to both. The following is the beginning of the work.
My current body of work that I have placed under the encompassing umbrella of Fairylandis an ongoing project, transforming itself almost daily. Ultimately it will be a large and complicated installation project involving diverse disciplines: painting, fiber art, printmaking and possibly some performance. A classic example of gesamtkunstwerk.
Ultimately given full expression at my 2019 solo show at MOAH-Cedar in Lancaster CA. I also have a month long residency with Shoebox Projects in December where I will further examine this magical place I call the land of fairies.
But in the meantime I am submitting Fairyland for possible solo shows. The following is my latest submission, and let me tell you applying for residencies or submitting for solo shows is on par with the Harrowing of Hell. Shaken and now nervous, I know I’ve done my best. Rejections have become a part of my reality, but in my heart I know this could be a pretty nifty show.
The following is what I presented.
Wish me luck.
Fairyland
Grappling with ways in which to express “being-ness”, I find myself reaching beyond my usual studio practice of painting into diverse disciplines including fiber-art figures . The figures are fashioned by fully embracing the pre-conceived “sissy” element of this art. Thus exploring my identity as a queer and terrified man, the series validates a long suppressed self loathing.
“Fairyland” an ongoing project, bears a title once a slur, now declaring a message of empathy, pride, and hopefully, humor. Embracing the fairy has been empowering ; the art created expressing a spirit of furtive repression breaking free.
Detail from “Reflection of a Harsh Super Ego”.
The following is a “walk through” description of what I propose:
“One enters Fairyland through a swagged theatrical portal, embellished and festooned with luxurious passementerie, the ornaments fashioned from trashed rags, the “rich” cloth of stitched and patched recycled fabric, all evoking a glorious if tarnished sham splendor .
This initial dramatic entrance into the Wurdemann Room is not mere camp , it is a sincere appreciation for aesthetic visual redundancy, one that is deeply personal and I believe a trait familiar to the queer aesthetic, the need to elaborate, to further explain.
To offer alternative truths.
It is in the elaborations that I explore familiar cultural narratives through a queer prism, doing so in multiple mediums: stitched and painted fiber art , relief prints, book making, drawings, easel and wallpaintings .
Once entered, the visitor encounters a hushed dark room , it’s walls swaddled in lush fabric , faint chants heard muffled behind the plush. At the far end of the gallery an elaborate neo-baroque mirror hangs, confronting the pilgrim with a chilling memento mori. The mirror titled Reflection of a Harsh Super Ego is of mixed media and fiber arts and is flanked by near life sized fiber-art figures such as Daphne and Icarus which act as sentinels of life, death and transformation.
Reflection of a Harsh Super EgoDaphneIcarus
To ones right and left, floor to ceiling (faux) tapestries entitled Orpheus’ Lament and Eurydice’s Response (of painted and stitched un-stretched canvas), depict alternative tellings of the Orphic drama.
Preliminary sketch for “Eurydice’s Response”, faux tapestry.
As the Wurdemann gallery is set as a private salon/wunderkammer with approximately 12-15 pieces, various paintings such as the large scale oil paintings Goblin Market and Hadesville will be interspersed amongst the “tapestries”.
Goblin MarketHadesville
In the center of the chamber, on an elaborately draped library table, one finds hand blocked , hand stitched books, opened for viewing. Further stitched and painted figurative ornaments also bedeck the table’s surface .
Sensory overload is the desired affect in this gesamtkunstwerk that I call Fairyland- this particular Fairy’s private retreat made public.”
“Fairyland” Ave 50 Gallery, Los Angeles July, 2017Detail “Reflection of a Harsh Super Ego”.
