February 14, 2012 - Breeding Discontent
Chinese proverb. Image ‘Amish children on their porch, Pennsylvania, 1938 by J.Baylor Roberts’ found in Lapham’s Quarterly publication.
Stories
February 8, 2012 - The Red Tree Comes to Life
‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan
‘Darkness overcomes you’ (by Shaun Tan)
Shaun Tan’s book, ‘The Red Tree’ has been adapted for the stage by the Barking Ghecko Theatre Company, Perth WA. Showing from Saturday 11th Feb – Tues 14th Feb. Tickets available through BOCS. Check out the short film of the Red Tree previously posted on Black Dog here. And another story here from his book ‘Tales of Outer Suburbia’. View interview with Shaun Tan and Director of the stage play here as they talk about the themes of depression and anxiety in young people and how the book/play explores these themes.
February 7, 2012 - Dad’s coming home
‘Dad’s Coming Home’ by Winslow Homer, 1873 (Source ‘Lapham’s Quarterly Winter 2012, a magazine of history and ideas).
Art is for everyone – or should be. It invites us to explore meanings of things. Seek deeper understanding. Tell our own stories. It also allows us to practice the questioning of things. The ‘reading’ of what we see, and grow ourselves through this process. Art also suggests untold stories and whatever story arrives through our own perception of it, is ours alone. We can never make a mistake in the interpretation of its meaning. It may (most likely will) differ from the Artist’s meaning but we can never be wrong. Some questions that came up for me about this piece, were….
February 2, 2012 - Word travels
Installation and projection from Preparing the Flute, by William Kentridge (2005).
Received an email from a school in California where the 10th grade students were learning about suicide prevention - saying they “loved the Black Dog website” and were using it for researching their project topic. One of the students suggested adding a useful link on our website that she’d found - so I’ve added it to the links page. Thank you for sending this through - I’m sure it will be very useful to people visiting Black Dog and congrats on being awarded extra credits I hear, for your find!
January 31, 2012 - Tomorrow comes…
…and so does the mail.
Words on the card ….. To overcome adversity, is sometimes the only way to survive. To fight against the odds and to win is sometimes the only way to get to tomorrow. So when each new day dawns and you awake to see it, always believe in tomorrow. That dawn will come. When the battle is won – when the fight is over. When the triumph is truly yours…..then each new day can be filled with life. And remember….where there is life there is always, always Hope. (Art by Anna Nielsen/card from Mags as we miss our four legged friend, Chelsea).
And postcards from friends with stories of travels – and art (‘Echo of a Scream”, by David Alfaro Siqueiros, 1937 from Museum of Modern Art, New York) …
January 27, 2012 - Army of Ink #82
She arrived with a carpet bag and a dream …
This ink arrived around the time of making bags to fill with books to gift to young people. And I do have a thing for the Mary Poppin’s movie/story too. But I also think, to survive, you have to have a bag of sorts (imaginary or real) to carry with you. Something to keep filling with things collected along the way that help you get through the tough times and tricky moments. Serve to map a path forward. Contain what we’ve achieved so far. Store things that support us to be strong, independently minded individuals – to survive and create positive changes in our lives. Clunk and Jam notes even? Or imagine it’s a bottomless bag (like Mary Poppin’s), forever sprouting new treats, treasures – ideas and directions. And the beauty of this drawing (of all art and drawing), is that it allows others to have their own perception of the image – invites their own story to the page. So please pass her on, no doubt there’s plenty of stories in that old carpet bag - awaiting an ink pen or an old typewriter to help them spill …. pop back soon for more art and stories…