#400 25×33″ Acrylic, canvas strips, paper on Masonite. Photo misses the 3 dimensional–curving delineation is from pieces that were left stuck on the surface when I ripped off stuffed rolls of paper and fabric from an earlier piece (#134 “Late Capitalism”)–like fat bloody infected intestines. The ‘face’ is from those fragments.The “Chagalesque” character was not intentional, and definitely not something I’ll pursue in the future. But what the fuck, I like the colors.
View GALLERY HERE.
11/29/11 Day 54
Rain. CoCo, Friend’s Center
I’ve posted these for the 55 days of Occupy Philly on Dilworth Plaza, from the first day of OWS, the days of planning for OP, to the first day of our camp on October 6, 2011 to November 30, the night of our eviction.
To view all posts to date, click: 55 Days of Occupy Philly.
Still on Dilworth. Two more days before Social Security.
Sunday—four rows of 25, — people sitting on steps
from 5 PM (time named in eviction order)… somewhere around 11:00, people disassembled. Crowd went from 500 or so (?) to about 100—OWS people from New York arrived—electric energizers! Plastic Pail drumbs—danced for hours. Straw vote to ignore Gwen-of-Labor’s warning that cops wanted drums to stop—unanimous. Congo line to Northwest corner, across to Thomas Paine—back down JFK & 15th –danced in the street past the cops.
About damn time we stoped letting the cops tell us what to do. Not to bed till after 3:00 AM. The damn orientation at 8:30 next morning—turned out to be about conditions of bail. Call in twice a week, don’t get arrested before trial or risk revoking bail and contempt of court.
Friday
12/2/2011
Day 55
The end came Wednesday. November 30. Up all night Sunday. Again eviction day. Bowled over by a horse. Last night—GA at the Friends Center… so, it goes on.
…not with a bang, but a whimper
Soon they will come, the police. The city workers with their trucks. Our city of tents, our fights–all of it will disappear. Scrub away our presence, uproot the trees. Pile up the marble slabs we slept on.
My mind drifts back in time. I am fishing on Lake Michigan with my father in his boat. This is shortly before he will die. My parents had bought a retirement cottage not far from Grand Rapids. The light on the water, that silvered turquoise water, the peaks of the waves glisten in the sun–even the Voice is lulled to somnambulant slumber. I think of my mother–of that last summer, the summer before her final illness, while she is still herself–sitting on the porch–martini hour–watching the sunset over the lake, the jet skiers droning and whining like gigantic mechanized insects, a moment I want to go on forever. A tableaux receding into the distance, like the light of stars that no longer exist.
I will always remember…
This is stage 2. Finished piece below.
#397 32×28 Stage 2 ? … or finished?
comparison with earlier stage is distorted, because the first photo was in the basement, not in full daylight. But I like the starker contrast. I darkened the tree and field background … leave it alone now. see below
11/25/11
Friday Day 51
I will be posting these for each of the 55 days of Occupy Philly on Dilworth Plaza, from October 6, 2011 to November 30, the night of our eviction.
To view all posts to date, click: 55 Days of Occupy Philly.
11:50 Am A week till Social Security. Fasted for Thanksgiving. Played chess. Chilled. Went to City Hall for a stroll, conversations. People had brought quantities of food for occupiers.
Camp is in sad shape. Number of tents dwindling by the day—but still more than 200 or near that.
Walked to the ACME. Ready to sit down and read, write, do an on-line interview about my facilitation experience.
______ hi-jacked the GA—and threw a tantrum at CoCo—with his core of body guards threatening anyone who tried to approach or speak to him. He had a 3 page single spaced proposal he demanded be presented to the GA as a unit—with no amendments permitted. This when we’ve been given a 48 hour eviction notice—cops went around sticking notices in every tent.
… a break at Fergies
Sunday Day 53
11/27/11
10:30 AM
Preparing to go to City Hall for what may be last day of the encampment.
________ tried to hi-jack the GA again last night. He’s glittery-eyed obsessed—never stops. Managed to contain him by surrounding him with bodies and then retreated to Arch St. Methodist, blocking the door, creating a double line of bodies for people to pass through, and keep him out.
Meetings
and more meeting…
from 1:30 past 10—more than 9 hours. Facilitated CoCo (happily–____didn’t show up), & one proposal at the GA.
We plan to gather at Rittenhouse Square at 4:00 PM day after eviction—march to the Round House if there are arrests, as there almost surely will be.
I’m holding up pretty well.
May not be till Monday afternoon. If not arrested, have an “orientation” court ordered—for the Wells Fargo action, Monday morning. Will let Legal know
Peace and Solidarity!
32×23 Acrylic on canvas. Go through the same stages. The first, as here–shows promise. Almost enough to let it stand, as is…but not quite. The next stage, I ruin it. Put it away. Sleep on it. In a dream, or while taking a walk, I get a sense of what I need to do. The third stage–I rescue it… bring it to completion… or really do ruin it. Prepare the canvas to paint over it and start a new painting.
What will become of this one?
View GALLERY HERE.
There are many names for beings: tode ti, thing, object, primary substance, system, process, body, “this”, machine, event, etc. I’m sure there are others yet. In a certain sense, all of these terms are synonyms of one another. They all denote a “this”, an individual being, something that exists. In another sense, they denote different approaches to things or primary substances or things. In discussing things as events, we emphasize their durational nature or the manner in which they unfold in time. In approaching them as machines, we approach them in terms of the outputs they produce in response to inputs. In approaching them as systems, we explore the processes they engage in to maintain their organization and the interdependence of their parts.
Things or bodies are split between their virtual proper being and their local manifestations; their powers and their qualities. It is not qualities or properties…
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I will be posting these for each of the 55 days of Occupy Philly on Dilworth Plaza, from October 6, 2011 to November 30, the night of our eviction.
To view all posts to date, click: 55 Days of Occupy Philly.
Sunday 11/20/11
Day 47
Independence Mall
Committee of Correspondence… 62 degrees. ¬¬Gray clouds. Sitting on the grass.
Finance tomorrow at 4:00/ meet at Friend’s Center.
InterOcc—Com of Correspondence. PhilOccTogether.
Occupy Philly Media for posting info, Facebook, for Dec. cross occupy gathering.
Al Jazeera has on Occupy index
Occupy think tank—problems/ideas
Conference call 3:00 on preparing for Dec. 10.
GA report
Agenda-Iwanka and I will make a working group report to GA tonight.
Food Group—ask about lunch on 10th. Welcome—I’ll do that.
Café—fruit coffee
Political Theater—do what we did in Wells Fargo.
Tomorrow: PRESS CONFERENCE
Video
11/22/11
Day 49
17 in waiting room across hall from the court room. 14 defendants, an attorney, 2 supporters. I’m a defendant, but not for today. Here to support my fellow perps. AMP date for me the 28th (if I choose to do community service—I won’t), my arraignment set for 12/6, but trial will be consolidated.
________ sits next to our lawyer—never stops talking, endless loop.
Reading Terminal. Home—long nap. Thought I’d left Spirit Stick at Reading Terminal… bummed me out. Grumpy all GA—which was poorly facilitated.
A proposal for a list of demands that should have easily passed was tabled for a 3rd night. _______was so obsessed with pleasing everyone—drags the process on forever.
I’d left Spirit Stick outside when I went for mail… there it was when I got home…soaked. Heavy. Soggy… poor thing.
City ready to move on us—but not till Thanksgiving or after. But who knows?
We had a press conference
—Wells Fargo 14 report livestreamed at GA. I didn’t see it.
The sand is running out…
but we’re still here!
Sometimes I play with the idea–and it twists my mind–of being a “success” … in what that comes to in popular notions.
My worst nightmare!
To make stuff to entertain the rich and powerful, and worse–for them to use as investments.
THAT”S what “success” means for an artist.
What’s the alternative? I want people to see my work. I want to be appreciated for what I do. But the only way open to pursue that, is to make money, and of course, to do all the shit you have to do make that happen.. .which ends up… making stuff that entertains the rich and powerful–the ones who are fucking up this world and leading hell bent to species suicide, and worse… making art they can use to make even more money!
Better, give my work away. Or burn it.
Or make work they would love… but would leak poisons to melt their brains.
Oh… that I had that power.
Jacob Russell's Magic Names 