In the history of writing this blog...and I use the term blog loosely...I have never written what inspires me. Usually nothing. Not, nothing, but I don't see inspiration the usual way artists see it. I get images in my head. Images of paintings and sculptures. The images are very vivid and very detailed, and most of the time I can recreate what I see in my head. Its like my brain has flashed a blueprint of what to create.
However, it helps to have visual stimulation in order to have my brain work on constructing the images. I filter all the crap I see everyday. Everything I see gets filtered, categorized and filed away in my head. All the images are sorted daily and matched up for possible painting and sculpture ideas. I dunno how it gets done, but I assume little brain gnomes do all the work. Multiple gnomes sitting around a table matching up colors, shapes, patterns and textures, surrounded by mile tall filing cabinets filled with images I've seen throughout my lifetime.
Earlier this winter I socked away several more images and the inspiration was almost instantaneous. A friend invited me and my partner to the Cirque De Soleil Michael Jackson show. Overall it was pretty spectacular. I was a little weirded out at times, but that's the magic if Cirque. There were several numbers which involved 20+ dancers and actors. The entire stage covered in activity as "Dancing Machine" blared from a myriad of speakers.
The best images were from that very scene as a dozen dancers came out dressed in copper, gold and silver. Dressed as if they were robots or cyborgs. Their shiny costumes limited their movement but they quickly flaunted a full range of motion. On dancer came out in large metal circle, almost like he was in a 10 wide frame. At each of his joints were fastened pistons that connected to the larger circle. He was wired to the circle but moved as if he was free-styling. He was amazing to watch.
The bright copper, the dozens of copper dancers and the music was phenomenal. Immediately, images of new works came flooding in. All I had was my cell phone to write myself a note..."Use copper paint in sculptures, Michael Jackson Cirque show". I just hoped that I would recall what I was talking about. I don't take a sketch pad when I go out for the evening, who does, but I knew I had some good ideas to work out the next day.
That's what been keeping me busy lately. Tapping into the inspiration from the images of that Cirque show. It will not be limited to just the mummies, there are also a series of porcelain dolls that have been turning out quite nicely.
I just submitted my application for the Vancouver Recycled Arts Festival in late June. With so many artist entering, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will accepted. The bad news for the upcoming summer is the cancelled Eugene, OR ReArt festival. There is not enough funding to put on the show this year. Hopefully a show of equal quality will come up. If not this Dancing Machine will be up to his Thriller in artwork.
JP
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