Covers Title

Covers Title

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Realm of Figuro, Cover Nr. 32, July, 2001







This is "Covers" work Nr. 32 --- ink and gouache on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "There is No Escape from --- The Realm of Figuro." In the Approval Stamp image: "Glance Sideways!" Price "10K x 15¢." In the company box: "Vast Referentiality. M.S.B., T.E.H., D.F.A. & Co." For the first time in this series, my signature is in my own actual style. The image is apparently abstract, yet actually based on a detail of a drawing the famous and great comic illustrator Gene Colan made for me, an artist who to me is my "master."


Monday, August 1, 2016

Das Sprechen von Joseph Beuys, Cover Nr. 31, July, 2001



This is "Covers" work Nr. 31 --- ink and gouache on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "Das Sprechen von Joseph Beuys wird überbewertet!" ("The Words of Jospeh Beuys are Overvalued!")  "Deismal: das Geheimnis der Eurasia-Landbrücke von einer von Beuys Boys!" ("This Time: The Secret of teh Eurasia-Landbridge from One of Beuys's Beuys!") Price "Uu-viele CHFr." ("ooooh- a lot of Swiss Francs.") In the company box: "A Personal Neo-Fluxus / F.I.U. Boondocks Zeichnung." My signature mimics his.

I am an admirer of the artist Joseph Beuys, I even built an installation and did a performance of his at his behest at ISU. I was riffing here on his famous performance where he says the same about Marcel Duchamp's Silence. The interesting part is that i did a latter version of this on one of his woodblock postcards as well. Anyway, other German-speaking fans of Beuys who saw either of the two works were irate with me about it! They felt it was correct to for Beuys to criticize Duchamp, but that Beuys cannot be criticized. I, of course, was criticizing both as well as honoring them by staying within the dialogue, making an homage. Amusing. One as an artist gets either detractions or exaggerated nobility, rather than real understanding and thoughtfulness. He is and was a great artist, not a saint. Stop quoting him emptily and start treating art itself with the value he did.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Cheerful Error, Cover Nr. 30, July, 2001



This is "Covers" work Nr. 30 --- ink and gouache on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "Cheerful Error Drawings Price "Two Thou. x 10¢" In the company box: "The Assemble Mistakes Co." Lower Caption Box: "Referential Aberations --- All New !?! All Wrong?!! Our Goal!" A few years later I redid this bigger and in color. The image is an metonymic / synecdochal abstraction based on a Chester Gould drawing of a water spill. My signature here mimics his.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Stand Back, Cover Nr. 29 and 29a, July, 2001







This is "Covers" work Nr. 29 and 29a --- ink and gouache on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "Stand Back!" "Simple Drawings! Easy to See! Pretty Much All New! Price rectangle: "$200. -- Now Much More!" In the company box: "It's Fun!"I enjoyed the simple multi-leveled allusiveness of the words, that i did it first in black and white, as was common at this, the beginning stage, of my "Covers" works, then redid it in color.

Friday, March 18, 2016

The Academy of the Spectacle, Cover Nr. 28, July, 2001



This is "Covers" work Nr. 28---  ink on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "The academy of the Spectacle" "Follow the Unwritten Rules of Superficial Extravagance! Price circle: "Price to Pay" In the company box: "Look at Me!"

Friday, January 29, 2016

Not Technologically Correct, Cover Nr. 27, July, 2001





This is "Covers" work Nr. 27 ---  ink on paper. 21 x 15 cm / 8.25 in x 6 in. Dated July, 2001. "Not Technologically Correct" "Astounding! How Can He Be So Educated --- and Yet Still Use His Own Hands?!!" "Neither Luddite Nor Instromentocultist!" Price circle: "2K x 13 ¢." In the company box: "I Also Like Machines. Visit www.markstaffbrandl.com." In fact, similar accusations have indeed been made against me!