Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Mixed Bag, 1 of 6 Burn Baby Burn

Well, I'm back in the studio. Yesterday was for setting things aflame. This is the first angel I've made in real summer weather, which meant that I couldn't light it outside.
We don't light fires outside in the desert, in summer.
I knew I didn't want to breathe the stuff paint becomes as it burns, so I decided to set him afire before painting.
What I learned is that unpainted paper mache burns far faster than painted.

Quite an exciting experience. In other words, what a rush!!!

Right now, our guy looks a bit like a sort of evil genie. But painting will tell a different story.

Aubrey took the photo. I told her I don't like it much. I look like a bit of a smartass. Aubrey says I generally do, so not to blame her photography. Still, I think it's something she does.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

He's looking beautiful! I think I might have squealed just a bit on seeing this photo.

I think Aubrey took an excellent picture and I also think you both have absolutely lovely facial expressions there. I can see that there is a shared secret between the two of you that I hope we hear more about in another story.

Bog higs!

ravyn said...

i was just going to say..... Lisa, your expression practically mirrors the angel's! And we likes it, Preciousssssssss!

vandaluna said...

Wow! Orion is getting big! I have, unfortunately, watched children grow up in photos. I think I know them, and I feel somewhat close to them, but often I never get to meet them. This happened with Ravyn's nieces and I finally got to meet them. I felt as if I have known them all along. I think the same thing is happening with Orion.

I think it is fantastic that you incorporate burning into the process of creating art. Burning can be almost a fettish, as can burying, ornamenting, sewing, etc. I usually associating burning with freeing from the human realm and placing a thing or concept of that thing in the ethereal world. Your pieces are not completely burned which seems to place them in an area which toys with the lines of here, there, life, death, decision, indecision. He allowed some of him to enter the ethereal world, but he remained here...hence his schmirk.

Mimi said...

Look at that hot lady with the blowtorch!

Don't think you look like a smartass, more that there's definitely *attitude*. :)

jordan's mom said...

You really can't blame this on Aubrey. She just takes good pictures. You really are a smartass.

And the angel looks just like you. Did you use yourself as a model?

ravyn said...

i keep saying, her creations look like her.....

Derek Ash said...

Why do you burn the paper-mache?

Not trying to be a smartass.

This may actually be my first serious question posted on this blog, besides that time I asked "Who's that chick with the giant man-hand?"

lisa said...

I only burn the pieces I've done for the angel series. I'd thought I'd written a rather lengthy post about why I do this, but couldn't find it. Perhaps I only thought of writing it and I have a draft of it somewhere.
If not, I should write something about it. (Just made a note to myself in the tiny notebook that goes everywhere with me.)
One reason I burn the angels is because of a Prokofiev piece, The Fiery Angel Symphony, Opus 3, I believe.
The other is because the Relic series of angels is based loosely on a memory I have of being in a burning house as a child. (I was so sure I wrote about this--Ravyn, does this sound familiar??--it's not coming up in searches.)

What I like best about burning the angels is that the burning createsthis strange bridge between the object of art and the story it represents.
Tell you what. I'm about to post photos of the new angel I burned yesterday---possibly as soon as tomorrow. I'll write about it then.

Rubius said...

Lisa, I just love the angels series... and I adore the burning... I wonder, how do you put them out? smothering? chemicals would hurt the darlings.

I really appreciate the burning...it is so visceral.

and my first thought on seeing the pic was ... wow... Lisa looks so great in that picture... what an expression!! and what an artpiece!!

jestersdna said...

but you are a smartass....

vandaluna said...

You wrote about why you burn these pieces...I'm not sure if you went into depth or not...
I'll see if I can find it.

vandaluna said...

http://slaughterhousestudios.blogspot.com/2005/04/friday-burning-angel.html#comments

This is what you wrote...and that is all I remember.
I don't think you went into depth.

ravyn said...

Vanda's link is correct. In the comments, Lisa refers to the "Relic" concept - a piece rescued from a burning house. But, there wasn't much detail in the comment. Not sure if there's more somewhere else....

lisa said...

I always keep water and towels nearby. I generally burn in only small sections, so can just blow the fire out.

I burned "Guardian of Sorrows" more extensively than most (I'll explain why when I post about him later)so I used water.
Then I stood guard for awhile. In the hot dry air, one doesn't turn one's back on something just put out else to find it completely engulfed in flames, and one's studio partner roaring with laughter...