Monday, October 23, 2006

Zorro with a...Pen

A pen is a potential weapon - how much paper have I trashed because the rip was not intended, the gesture too hard or too soft. I've dedicated my efforts to finding that subtle balance between the delicate surface of paper and the sharp point of the pen - a hairline off can render a potential masterpiece non-existent. The rip that appears in my drawings is a result of the increased dynacism in my work. It all started from the days in the factory when I made that simple motion to personalize my workspace on the assembly line - with a drawing board. In those seconds between running the next widget on the line, I developed my drawing style. The rip appeared out of the adaptation of my drawing style to the demands of the fast-paced setting of the factory. I was so frustrated living on the street, unable to afford a studio, and only enough money to buy the bare necessities. Sometimes when I couldn't afford paper, I drew on the backs of old factory invoices. The whole drama of all these years was put to paper. Mythological contents, archetypes, a running commentary on coffee stained pictorals of my journey. It's a gradual unfolding of something missing in today's quick fix "ascent" to success - namely, STORY, something that goes the distance where STORY has a chance to unfold, where song reaches climaxes, pianissimos, arpeggios, and rears its beautiful head in defiance of the existing situation, invincibly defending the turf where dreams are made, where dragons are defeated, where light is found.

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