Some people, when dealing with excessive emotion, may like to punch pillows. Some like to play violent video games or run. Some might like to sing and dance or yell at the sky. Splitting wood is always a good exercise, but it's best to make sure that you're fully under control before working out your anger with a maul or an axe.
I abuse art when I'm angry. I create lines and colors and shapes. I make sock puppets and let them talk with naughty potty mouths. The walls of my office are completely covered with my grafitti, my too-big thinks, my fears, my hopes, my ideas, my sketches.
A while back, I was given a tablet and light pen. A very cool hand me down that I may well break back out soon and play with some more.
In trying it out I made some... angry art.
It says, "We deserve what we have. We deserve what we get. We hate us more than you do. We tie the angels up with paperwork. Do you think there is one chance in a million? We hate what we have created. We fuel the rebelion with piss. We praise hate and reward lies. Stupid. We deserve respect."
It was wonderful to be able to switch colors and media with a click of the pen on the tablet. It was awesome to be able to make something like this without getting paint all over me or making a mess that I needed to clean up. I could get vibrant colors that didn't fade or blend or drip.
And when I was done I could just wipe the screen clean and walk away.
But that's why I forgot the piece so fast. That's why it sat in the back of a folder on the hard drive somewhere, collecting virtual dust.
I think I'll see if I can't find a piece of scrap wood around the neighborhood and drag it home. I can use this image as a study and work out one or two of the themes in a larger messier way. It's not hard to make pigments from found objects. It would be good to make a mess. It would be even better to clean it up.
It would be best to step back from a piece of cathartic art, dripping sweat and pigment and dirt, laughing and panting for breath.
Or, I can go work on the portraits I've got due in two weeks.
Oh, responsibility. Thy name is poo poo head.
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AtHomePilgrim
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Comments
I like your approach better - much more zen. I need to try it. Cathartic art, yes.
BTW - I really like what you did with your cathartic art. Would love to know what provoked the words . . .
Sometimes it seems to me that whenever we see someone who is excelling, succeeding, rising above expectations, we feel a sick desire to pull those people down.
We like to reach down to our fellows in the muck, but we don't like to reach up and support those who have risen above where we perceive ourselves to be.
Some days, people just plain piss me off.
Sounds like the barrel of crabs story. Supposedly, whenever a crab scrambles to the top, the others pull it down. People can be very irritating, frustrating, and anger inducing!
Once, when I was in the service we had to get new ID tags made up. One Sergeant verified all of our information and went to the place to make up everyone's tags. When he came back he handed me two sets.
When I looked surprised he shook his head. I looked at them back at my room. One was correct, the other had my religion listed as "Mean People Suck".
Is the Truth.
It almost always feels better to be writing things out than not, but you never can force it, you know?
Writing or not, I'm still here on your shoulder cheering you on every day.
I love the riot of colors: it looks like a Holi palette to my eyes, vibrant, happy, full of zest, with an for variety. It may have been produced in anger but does not 'look' angry to me :) (see how culture affects interpretation of art? )
what is a tablet? how is it diff from the laptop? colored pen I realize must be another kind of digital device like the mouse probably...I love this icon for yourself so very much, am glad that all tooth, face is gone...
Hiya, Rolling, I'm glad you like it. I don't think that the images are so much angry as the words are really pretty angry.
A tablet is like a mousepad that has a solid hard plastic cover. The pen that goes with it is like a mouse. When one moves the pen on the tablet pad, the sensors act like a mouse for the computer. With the pen shape it lets one use more control and easily control elements of art programs.
Mmmm, I think this is the one it is. http://www.wacom.com.sg/price/graphire4/graphire4_A6.html
I've put the tooth face safely away and she won't be lurking around here any more.