Monday, September 29, 2008

the ultimate sacrifice?

Firstly, I just read an online article about up and coming features and found this lovely little thing by Tekkon Kinkreet which is this crazy amazing manga movie. Looks pretty choice to me.


Secondly, I was sitting at the front desk of the gallery and had enough of the online safety training I had to complete so I browsed the net for more information on Egon Schiele who has been tickling my fancy (amongst other things ;)) since I saw that Schiele book at the State Gallery.. so i read a couple short versions of his biography and besides some incestuous relations with his younger sister, frivolous lifestyle and horribly short life, I found his art wonderful, organic and scarily relatable. Somehow, in my eyes he transcended the limitations of his time through his style of line-making and technique in creating mystery and intrigue through minimal lines, and also dazzling the viewer with serious talent in the portrayal of the human visage.
As can be seen here.
I was so inspired I sketched my own version in my diary. His work is so down my alley, I have found myself rejuvinated and excited about drawing again. Specially recently, I've had people ask if I work on and sell canvases, because they really loved my illustrations that they saw at exhibitions and online, so the idea has been gnawing at my conscience. Somehow the idea of working on canvas seems so dry and already overdone, however somewhat unexplored by the likes of my hand. Besides the canvas, I'd love to work more with graffiti style stuff, but without compromising the detail and intricacy that exists in my work. it should be a healthy compromise. *hmm*

Back to Schiele however, I found that he was this really twisted, brooding guy. And since he lost his father at a young age, he found himself even more distanced from his mother, as he felt she never understood or aprecciated him. In one of his letters he wrote ;
"My mother is a very strange woman ... She doesn't understand me in the least and doesn't love me much either. If she had either love or understanding she would be prepared to make sacrifices."

Especially that last sentence stuck with me, and I've been thinking about that since. I always thought sacrifices were these last-ditch efforts, a last resort to save someone or something. Like the grand gesture of giving something up in order to sustain something. Really, I thought desperation fuelled sacrifice, but according to Schiele it was love and/or understanding. Theres some food for thought.

I'm going to make Lea-anne and Bek's Tshirts now, they've been waiting long enough, and I have sat on my bottom enough so I definitely think its time to crank the shirt manufacture engine again and get this show on the road.
Goodnight.
Salu.

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