Cogs 2

I did this sketch a few days ago. I used an 18" x 24" sheet of sketch paper (Canson, I think...). The drawing was sketched initially in light, bright yellow using a woodless colored pencil (Prismacolor Art Stix). I developed the image with additional colors of woodless colored pencil before touching up some of the finer details using regular wood-ful colored pencils. The final touch was my cog stamp. For the stamp ink I used an archival-style ink pad and daubed the entire pad on my stamp (which I created using the design shown in a previous post (see "Cogs")).

I think this fits nicely with the idea I was trying to communicate in the "Cogs" post. Apart from wondering about the reality of a 'Jesus,' I think someone might try to fabricate a second coming of Jesus, and might succeed in convincing a frightening number of the masses. Either way--historical or contemporary, in application, Jesus is just a cog that people use to achieve their ends. The 'Jesus,' or messiah, or god, or gods are all just means to the ends to which certain groups and/or individuals work.

While discussing the idea of the cog with my father, his response was interesting and frustrating. I don't like the idea that someone else is deciding what I will do, what I'll produce, to which end I will work. The idea of an engineer or machinist using me as a cog profoundly bothers me. Having mentioned the idea of someone outside the machine, his response of, "Oh, like a Grand Designer?" showed me a different interpretation of my work. However, I want to be the engineer of my own existence. I decide what my life means, to what end I strive and my relationship to everyone else on this island in space.

News

I thought she would say more, do more. He told her and she responded with another chop of the carrots. And another. Finished the carrots and dropped the slices in the soup.
"Well, I guess we'll have to make some arrangements," was all I was going to hear.

Cogs

I'm currently working on a new piece. I've done some preliminary sketches. The basic premise is the human cog and how odd it seems that a cog is happy...content to do its job. So, I have a happy cog. The cog fits into the machine that makes the world. The cog does not see what it produces, only those outside the machine can see that. To the cog it does not matter. To be useful matters. To keep turning is important.
The form of the final piece will include several prints of the stamp I'm carving in an artist carving block (from Moocarve?). The basic sketch follows:

The final piece will be done on 18"x 24" cold-pressed watercolor paper. I'll do various pre- and post-production work in the form of creating a background for the prints. I may apply some inks over the prints.

The inspiration comes from various sources, primarily the feelings of frustration and manipulation that I have felt, especially in times past (not as much at this point--but perhaps this is my naivete speaking). This feeling was captured well in Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and therefore I borrow some of the imagery from one of his insightful films for this piece.

The late mirror

He opened the door and started down the stairs. The light doesn't light. The walls are unfamiliar and the floor cold. The loneliness feels larger. He turns and says he must. I encourage her not to. He insists. He complains the lack of light but continues. As he begins to fade, I turn.

Print Transfer Piece

Untitled #1,    25cm x 71cm, 2011

Mixed media (solvent transfer, colored pencil, water color, ink) on Bristol-type paper

This picture represents my first attempt at this type of print transfer. The images were taken from three books, photocopied and then transferred (all but one) using acetone as a solvent. For the image of the human form exploding (the first transferred) I used T.R.P.S. (a kind of turpentine replacement solvent). With this type of photocopier toner, the acetone worked much better and was much more pleasant to work with the the residue-producing turpentine replacement (which also had a more difficult fume for indoors work conditions).
The piece itself contains images from three books. The first, and likely most recognizable, is Watchmen. The second set of pictures came from a book about northwest (United States) animals. The third book used for both images and text is a Russian-language book containing an epic poem about three heroes (Tri Bogatyri).
As viewed from left to right, the viewers eye follows the path of the pale blue and is naturally drawn to the reds along this path. The path represents the path of humans. Humans create their own path and see around them achievement, comparison, struggle and the compulsion to complete, be victorious, to conquer, to win, to lead. While humans travel this path, the natural world looks on with indifference, as reflected by the cougar and bears. They are found outside the path and might glance at the spinning wheels of the human, but soon return to paying no attention to the humans as they pass. They do pass. They will and they'll move on. Nature will remain while only traces of the humans will. Man struggles against nature, both the natural world and his own, only to feed hermself into it when all is done. In vain.
So, is it all about the evolutionary struggle? Win, make lots of babies, pass on your genes for competition and aggression? Maybe. Maybe that's why so many humans act the way they do. It's merely a reflection of wanting to conquer, win, offer security so someone will want to make babies with them. That's why they compete.
Considering this, then why do some not compete? Why do I not want to fight? Am I a failure or were those that came before me not as competitive or aggressive yet still somehow able to reproduce? Has my lineage learned to settle with mediocrity, to settle for any kind of reproduction just to keep the genes going? Where does that leave me? My kids (and I have a few)?
Maybe I can rationalize this behavior and drive (lack of behavior? drive?) by speaking of post-humanism. And so I shall. How do we transcend this need to compete and become caring people conscious of the social good? How do we bring civilization out of the 'civilized caveman' mode of action into something beyond our competition and survival based roots?

Updated 21 March 2011: added image information (dimensions, media, title, etc.)

Begin

She ran from the building as the lace began to blacken and devolve into a prior form. The heat was stimulating but the smoke prevented any further lingering within. She turned, rubbed the smoke and soot from her face, took deeper breaths and watched. The flames licked the forms within, but they did nothing to prevent their further demise. Now satisfied nothing would walk from what was quickly becoming the remains of a three-story tudor, she turned and her feet carried her from the collapsing frame of a job done well.