Your graveyard of discarded words reminds me of my photo file of brilliant but discordant painting passages. During my oil painting days, sometimes I’d fall in love with an area of the painting—but it didn’t work with the whole. So, before scraping and painting anew, I often snapped photos. I saved them on my computer for future reference. As for your entertaining list: Number 3 made me laugh out loud at its truth. I nodded in agreement at number 5–I preferred the woods and solitude to crowds and amusement park rides. Number 10 on mimetic desire made me think of Cormac McCarthy, who definitely marched to his own drummer. He lived for many years in near poverty to pursue his art, rarely gave interviews, and refused to do well-paying lectures or speeches because his books spoke for themselves. In today’s ocean of derivative offerings and AI authored content, McCarthy’s individualism and artistic integrity inspire.
Are those photos close-ups of the area? Or of the whole painting? I'm picturing a file that could potentially make an intriguing collage.
And on the McCarthy part, my fear is that type of relentlessness about art is harder for someone undiscovered today. Perhaps that's what it always feels like and this is nothing new. But I wonder if a McCarthy today, someone indifferent to publicity and trends, will still be found. Thank you for the comment, John.
The photos were only of the close up section I liked, not the whole painting. Although sometimes I photographed the whole piece before changing, and sadly, sometimes I liked it better before modifying. As for Cormac, I agree. Part of his success were others who recognized his early talent and advocated for early grants, including a MacArthur Fellowship, which he got at age 48. He'd already published four novels, but he used the fellowship funds to research and write "Blood Meridian" considered his masterpiece, although I thought The Road was disturbingly good.
#15 really resonates.
Thank you for the comment, Sherman.
Your graveyard of discarded words reminds me of my photo file of brilliant but discordant painting passages. During my oil painting days, sometimes I’d fall in love with an area of the painting—but it didn’t work with the whole. So, before scraping and painting anew, I often snapped photos. I saved them on my computer for future reference. As for your entertaining list: Number 3 made me laugh out loud at its truth. I nodded in agreement at number 5–I preferred the woods and solitude to crowds and amusement park rides. Number 10 on mimetic desire made me think of Cormac McCarthy, who definitely marched to his own drummer. He lived for many years in near poverty to pursue his art, rarely gave interviews, and refused to do well-paying lectures or speeches because his books spoke for themselves. In today’s ocean of derivative offerings and AI authored content, McCarthy’s individualism and artistic integrity inspire.
Are those photos close-ups of the area? Or of the whole painting? I'm picturing a file that could potentially make an intriguing collage.
And on the McCarthy part, my fear is that type of relentlessness about art is harder for someone undiscovered today. Perhaps that's what it always feels like and this is nothing new. But I wonder if a McCarthy today, someone indifferent to publicity and trends, will still be found. Thank you for the comment, John.
The photos were only of the close up section I liked, not the whole painting. Although sometimes I photographed the whole piece before changing, and sadly, sometimes I liked it better before modifying. As for Cormac, I agree. Part of his success were others who recognized his early talent and advocated for early grants, including a MacArthur Fellowship, which he got at age 48. He'd already published four novels, but he used the fellowship funds to research and write "Blood Meridian" considered his masterpiece, although I thought The Road was disturbingly good.
Hah! This cemetery was funnier than most.
Thank you, Rohan.