Friday, August 6, 2010

MOBY-DICK, Page 335

Title: In some particulars, perhaps, the most imposing physiognomical view to be had of the Sperm Whale, is that of the full front of his head. This aspect is sublime.

7.75 inches by 10.75 inches
acrylic paint, charcoal, collage and ink on found paper
August 5, 2010

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3 comments:

  1. Matt KishAugust 6, 2010 at 11:16 AM

    Before anyone comments...yes, I know. I don't think it was at all intentional since nearly all of these illustrations are immediate and intuitive responses to the text. But at some point while I was working on this I figured it out. It actually made me laugh a bit, and Melville himself was never above a crude joke or two, so I kept at it. In the end, I am quite pleased with this and it turned out pretty well considering I was mixing a lot of different kinds of media that I'm not really used to.

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  2. RudyAugust 6, 2010 at 1:29 PM

    I think it's a great picture, and really appropriate given how overwhelmingly male the book is. I won't get into all kinds of psychoanalysis, etc., but it's really an effective image and works quite well aesthetically, crude jokes aside.

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  3. Matt KishAugust 6, 2010 at 3:48 PM

    Ah, Rudy, that is actually a brilliant comment! Psychoanalysis and homoerotic themes aside, "Moby-Dick" is indeed and overwhelmingly male book in so very many ways. I think sometimes, being a male myself, it is too convenient for me to overlook that. But in that context, this is an eminently fitting image for both this line of text ("This aspect is sublime" indeed!) and the entire novel itself. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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