Sunday, October 10, 2010

Woman In A Black Hat

Drawn from life.

A bit about this drawing:

This hat is a favorite of the model's.  She put in on for the final pose (about 20-30 minutes), and her expression and body posture changed, became stronger and more contemplative.

Pastel on 12"x16" black pastel paper.

About Public Notice 3:

I spent the last few days in Chicago, and I visited the Art Institute of Chicago every day.

There's a temporary installation on the Woman's Board Grand Staircase that I recommend.  It's a site-specific work by Indian artist Jitish Kallat, titled Public Notice 3.

The risers of the staircase become lines of text, and the text is a powerfully moving message from the September 11,1893 address by Swami Vivekananda .

You can read  Kallat's statement about this piece here.

I would add to the artist's description that the way Kallat uses the diverging branches of the grand staircase to deliver the same message reinforces Vivekananda's message that there are many paths to the same truth, part of his argument for tolerance.

15 comments:

  1. You gave her an expressive face. Wish I could see you while you are drawing with color pastels. I would learn a lot from you.
    Have a nice sunday!

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  2. Fantastic. But I’ll visit the links later, because I don’t want to break the mood.

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  3. this is interesting. Swami Vivekananda was the teacher of Paramananda who established the ashrama (or Vendanta society) in La Cresenta CA. Something the hiker stumbled upon the perimeters of several months back. I later returned with friend Mary and explored. Really something

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  4. I like the strength in Woman in a Black Hat.

    Thanks for sharing the links to Public Notice 3. It looks like a powerful installation.

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  5. wow..nice post you have... love your painting... thanks for sharing it to me... really great blog..


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    thanks,
    badloi

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  6. William, thanks. I think you'd enjoy Kallat's work.

    PA, I clicked on the link. Fascinating, student and teacher both. More of these small world coincidences/links.

    Katherine, thanks. It is powerful. One thing it makes you do, that I think you'll appreciate, is go slowly on your journey up the stairs, so that you can read the message.

    You're welcome, badloi.

    I've been thinking about what Annie wrote in her comment above, and I would be pleased to draw alongside any of you, as the opportunity arises, in Austin or elsewhere.

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  7. Sounds like an impressive and thought-provoking installation. Like the hat.

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Thanks, Margaret. The link I posted in the deleted comment didn't work. I'll try again, later.

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  10. Fascinating. Next time you come back to LA, Jean, I'll show you the ashram, if you'd like.

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  11. Margaret, I'm trying again. It's Day of the God by Paul Gauguin;

    http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=1&resource=27943

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