3:50 PM. Using decoration and symbolism for a narrative. Here’s Freud, hypnotic rays and another fake book painted in gouache. My focus was on the intense gaze and everything else fell into place. The imagery is a suggestion of showing the “power of suggestion”.
12:56 PM. Working with camouflage. I used the black bar at the bottom of the original book design in order to continue this gouache painting allowing Bowie’s face to peek through the openings. The movie version by Nicholas Roeg from the ‘70s is great. Its plot involves an alien visiting our earth in search of water for his dying planet and family. Right now, Los Angeles is experiencing its own lack of water due to 4 consecutive years of drought. No one’s dying that I’m aware of but the coincidences between cinema and reality are surreal.
12:56 PM. Another reason to explore layers. Interesting things can happen and in this case, there’s an upside down heart shape on top of a paperback book cover. The book is Dirty Harry and a crime/action movie by the same name starred Clint Eastwood. Actually, I don’t know if the book preceded the movie.
12:55 PM. A return to gouache paint. I began by thinking about my recent use of shapes, patterns and repetition and I’ve always had a thing about books. The two subjects have merged and formed a new kind of library. Now these painted versions have new covers with a twist. This famous novel started as The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
#1016, 8:55 PM. Here’s a partial list of titles pulled from my collection of vintage paperback books. On the upper right hand corner is Phase IV by Barry Malzberg between other favorites like Froomb and The Chinese Kiss. It’s memorable for me because the well-known American graphic designer Saul Bass directed the movie version of the book. It was a great experience for me to work at Saul Bass & Associates way back when.
#984, 7:00 PM, Fake Portrait.
#925, 3:04 PM, Fake Wurm.
#926, 7:05 PM, Fake Dobermans.
#922, 10:16 AM, Fake IQ.
#916, 7:44 PM, Fake Dreams.