My Kinda Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Looked at a vacant church with the thought of converting into a live/work studio/gallery.  My daughter asked if I was trying to buy my way back-in (religion).  I told this to the owner and he said, "I was supposed to be Muslim, but every time I looked around the mosque, I just thought this would make a great house.  They wouldn't let me, so I left and bought a church instead."

-North

Angry or Flattered?

Two evenings ago, at dinner, my son asked an amazing question for his ten years.

Samuel asked, “If someone broke into your studio and only stole a single painting, would you be angry or flattered?”

I didn’t know how to respond.  It has taken two days of reflection, just to piece together a plausible answer.  What I believe differentiates me as an artist as opposed to a hobbyist is my ability to perfectly recreate my own vision, on demand.  With that in-mind, one could say that art must command a uniqueness that can only be effortlessly recreated by the original artist.  In other words, for art to be true it cannot live as a single one-off of material possession.  While it may never actually enter the process of duplication or regeneration by the artist, the capacity must exist during the life of the artist for it to have value.  Not monetary value, because that is nothing more than a reflection of fashionable hive-type thought.  Van Gogh’s work does not have inherent value if his contemporary markets are to be set-up as a reputable marker for success.

With that in mind, the only plausible answer is that one cannot take art from an artist, if someone could take my art, than that would nullify the fact that I am an artist.  A thief can only steal the physicality of the item from the business entity purposed for selling the idea.

I would have no ethical reason to feel cheated, because my art would still exist.  My only reasonable response is to be flattered.

-North

Living Zen

All this madness started, a few years back, because a generous French artist named Elaine, stumbled across my blog and subsequent paintings.  She described my work as “Zen paintings” and I didn’t know how to handle that moniker.   I had run-away to Montana to create work without labels.  I saw myself in a fight for my life against the parameters of realism, abstraction and other draconian concepts of defining art.

I immediately read everything I could find with “Zen” in the title.  The most popular choice was obviously Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  I read and reread that book at least four times over the course of two years.  I initially saw him as the quick-answer to my passion; however, over time I discarded more and more of his madman cathartic theories until I was left with only a single passage to build a life:

“The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there”

I systematically discarded every one of his half-cooked, hair-brained thoughts to find the simplistic genius I was seeking.  I realized, then, after forsaking 600 pages of his rants, that the true Zen masters are lost to history.  A legitimate guru, Zen master or even dharma bum will not waste the effort of recording his thoughts, theories, or passions. 

If the meaning of life is to follow your passion to success; then a dharma-stylized life is the antithesis of measurable success.   Yet the meaning of life is exposed through Zen?

I’d love to ask Richard Branson (Virgin) if he is happy because he is a rich bugger that can do whatever he pleases or if he is happy because of his work… or if he is happy.

What brings me joy? Well, obviously painting.  But I am equally as content listening to Robert B. Parker audiobooks, drinking gin, or watching British murder mysteries.  It is only the guilt that I feel for practicing useless tasks (pretty much everything listed after painting) that has me reflecting on this question.  But isn’t that self-reproach at conflict with seeking Zen?  Living in the moment and basically doing whatever one feels like (with regard for others, but complete disregard for long-term personal consequences) is my idea of perfecting Zen.

-North

New Work on Paper

click on the image to enlarge

"Good-bye", Oil on Paper, 14"x74", 2012
-North

Opening Aug 17th

Winter Stones

WINTER STONES

OIL ON CANVAS, 2012

52 X 102 INCHES

Desert Wife

DESERT WIFE

OIL ON CANVAS, 2012

42 X 66 INCHES

Branches and Bones

                  "Branches and Bones", Oil on Canvas, 52"x102", 2012

Roots

 

"Roots", Oil on Canvas, 52"x72", 2012

White

Déjà vu accurately describes my life. Missouri, Montana, New Mexico. Missouri, Montana, New Mexico. It is the circle of life I relive every couple years – until now. There is a new plan. However, don’t get too excited for the new plan is the same as the old ones.

“I’m done moving I tell people, the kids are bigger and have school friends.” Of course, everyone knows it to be a lie; but they are polite enough to pat me on the back and feign belief while I am in the room. It helps me and certainly helps my family to have a hopeful outlook free of the burden of packing boxes and broken friendships.

Winter and snow have made the desire to transition easier to contain. The hard season of midwinter is what draws me to the north. I’m not sure if it has more to do with my surname or simply my desire for that feeling winter brings to wiping the slate clean. This week, New Mexico is trying its damnedest to keep me here and despite the inconvenience, I am grateful for the perfect white. There are already two inches of snow across the foothills of Sandia and the forecast through tonight is expecting another half-dozen.

Without even a mention of fire, the studio is still warm as I prepare to slip a few more layers of paint upon canvas before my children are released for winter break. The flawless white is freshly falling and for the moment I am home.

-North

Opening November 4, 2011

The top framed drawing is a Sol Lewitt, the bottom enamel on an easel is mine.






Opening tonight from 5-8pm at Palette Contemporary in Albuquerque, New Mexico. - North

More is coming, busy living to the fullest...

I wanna see what's never been seen,
I wanna live that age old dream.
Come on, lads, we can go together
Let's take the best right now,
Take the best right now.
-Neil Young

Summer of Fire

This summer, the fires surrounding Los Alamos glowed across the miles as I witnessed the desert’s death and rebirth through my studio window. Man and the universe are intertwined. Humanity is the best that life has to offer and like the universe, our capacity to exist is forever expanding. Only our fear can contain the scope of creation. - North