Samwise Gamgee

A pin of Sam from an animated version of Lord of the Rings that came out in the 70′s.

So over the past two months I have been chewing through the “Lord of the Rings” movies. As I was in the theater, I was struck (as I think many were) by the character of Samwise Gamgee.  In speaking about friendship with many men, Frodo and Sam is a brotherhood that has been brought up multiple times.  Men that have read my book have remarked that I never mentioned them in A Bigger World Yet,  specifically in the Beloved Friend chapter. I guess I’d say, that chapter is devoted to historical friendships, and they’re fictional.  Perhaps when the book gets printed again, I’ll add them to the mix.

What struck me when watching the trilogy well, was fear and doubt.  Is a friendship like Frodo and Sam’s out of the question in the cultural climate we have created in America?  Is that kind of sworn brotherhood out of the question in an environment where sexual impulses are the screen in which we view our core needs through?  Is such a friendship a foreign language to us now, really?

Moreover, Is that kind of fidelity, loyalty and surrender of ones own agenda for another possible?  Especially in our “it’s all about me” culture?  That level of “Christ-likeness?”  I have heard in reaction to the stories men say they want a friend who is like Sam.  But are we willing to be, Sam?  To surrender our agenda to see that someone else makes it?  To give our all to another and carry them perhaps at the cost of not getting what we want?  If you have such stories of friendship, I’d sure like to hear them.

To whatever degree it is my hope you and I can be a Sam to some Frodo for a moment, for a day, for a week, month, maybe onto a lifetime.  Here’s a toast to the Samwise Gamgee’s of the world, God knows we need them.

(In looking around for info about Mr. Gamgee I found an interesting Wiki specifically for the Lord of the Rings.  It has some fun info, and specifically a good story of when Tolkien recieved a letter from a Dr. Sam Gamgee.  Here’s the link: 
http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Samwise_Gamgee
)

Well, lookie here, Tolkien also did some illustrations of his stories. As an art blog I thought it would be important to put some of them on here.  Pretty talented fellow indeed.

Another very nice drawing by Tolkien of his representation of Rivendell.  Here is a link to some more of his images: 
http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/tolkien/gallery.html

 

I bared my soul on OPB and all I got was this lousy mug.

We were shuffled in and out of the interview with efficiency, receiving duplicate mugs for our troubles as we were shown the door. In a cathartic moment my manufactured mug went through a transformation the following day.

To be honest it is with some reluctance that I say anything to you about this.  At least on my part, this was not tweeted or posted on facebook when it happened.  Somethings are done out of necessity, not because you want to do them.

Several weeks ago I was on a local program here in Oregon on NPR’s radio station, called OPB.  The program airs at nine in the morning and is called “Think Out Loud.”  It covers local issues and is hosted by a gentleman by the name of Dave Miller.  There has been a driven conversation this Spring at George Fox about sexuality that caught they eye of one of the producers of the show.  So a “conversation” happened on the air between an alumni from Fox, the campus pastor Sarah Baldwin, and myself.

I entered this conversation because I care about the students here, and I believe people think too small when approaching sexuality.  Well, and voices like mine are rarely heard if ever on things like NPR, and it seemed a chance to speak for many men I know.  I had my doubts about the objectivity of the “conversation” when the first question the producer of the show asked to our campus pastor the day before was “Are you a Lesbian?”  Interesting territory.  At first the producer didn’t want me to be a part of the program because I was “too interesting.”  After some dialogue the program agreed to my inclusion.  I didn’t mention my book on air because I wanted it to be about the students, not the book. And maybe that would make me too interesting?  Perhaps it would of lent more authority to the listener’s ears as to what I did say, it was what it was….

Not a good experience, but I learned from it, and I have appreciated very much the kind comments from many people who heard it.  One lesson I’ve gleaned is just as there are “fundamentalist” Christians, their are also “fundamentalist” liberals etc… where a conversation and “dialogue” are far from their objective.  Another lesson was that one can share part of a story to make their point, but if the whole story is shared in its entirety, an all together different picture would be painted.  It all depends whether truth is your objective.

For what it’s worth, here it is.   I’ll  listen to this after 6 months or so:

http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/sexuality-george-fox-university/

Now you may ask why I disposed of such a perfectly good mug? Well, let me present my four favorite coffee mugs that are used regularly in the morning. Notice they are each hand made, carefully crafted by an artistic creator. They are individuals. Notice they each are distinct and expressive, and although each a mug, they each are individual and unique and cannot be crammed into one manufactured identity, why they are intended to be different... (all right enough here I know, you get my point).

 

All The Feasting With No Fasting

"Ground Zero" 14"x6", watercolor and ink, 2008, This watercolor I did a while back seemed appropriate for this post. Whatever our predicament is, it's about us.

It’s the Tuesday before lent.  Known to most as Mardi Gras or simply, a time to party.  The term Mardi Gras is French, coming from the terms:  Mardi=Tuesday; gras=fat, as in “pate de foie gras”, which is fatty liver paste.  Tradition had it that before Lent, or the weeks of fasting before Easter you would get the fat out of your house by eating it.

Growing up Episcopalian I was very familiar with Shrove Tuesday (which is the British term for today) where we would go to church and a have a supper of pancakes.  Once again, playing on the English version of the tradition that you would get rid of the fat in your house before the season  of  lent.  “Shrove” comes from an old English term which means to hear the confessions of sins.  Something it seems we’ve lost all together for this day.

This brings to mind a conversation I had with my brother Nate at Christmas, that in our day-and-age, we have saved all the party days in the Christian calendar:  Easter, Christmas, and the like, but have thrown out all together the times of waiting, fasting, and reflecting in the church calender like Lent and Advent.  It just makes me wonder what it says about who we are:  Forget the waiting, the quiet reflection, the confessing, a time of restraint; I just want to party.  It is my hope that we’re not that shallow.

Blessings on your day of confessing and as you prepare for the time of waiting that begins tomorrow.

 

Reims Cathedral at 800 (Happy Birthday)

The other teacher and I entered our hotel lobby in Reims after a late dinner.  The concierge behind the desk said in his best English, “What are you doing here?  You should be at the Cathedral!”

The Reims Cathedral lit up as if it was a child's coloring book.

In celebration of 800 years of being around, Reims cathedral has an electronic light show that is happening on its facade every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night this summer at 10:30.  It is amazing.  The light show made the cathedral appear to be made entirely out of stained glass, or as if it was a tapestry.  They also showed the drawing of the cathedral, as well as the construction.  In addition they give you a splendid version of what the cathedral look liked originally, for like all cathedrals, it was painted.  Did you know that about those old cathedrals in Europe?  It’s only over time that all those statues have lost their original colors. Think an illuminated manuscript in three dimensions.

Here is a French news report showing you some video of the show.  Absolutely wonderful.  If you’re in France- you should drop by indeed.

http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-we/la-cathedrale-de-reims-fete-ses-800-ans-en-lumieres-6442698.html

Here they made it appear as if the cathedral was being constructed.

 

So Sorry Chief Seattle

 

James Wheh’s sculpture of Cheif Seattle at Tilikum Place, 5th Ave and Denny Way (1920)

I read a story as of late about the naming of the town we call Seattle that just hurt to read.

In the 1850s there was a Suquamish Native American called Chief Sealth, who was friendly with white settlers in his area.  They called him Cheif Seattle.  His tribe traded regularly with the settlers and Chief Sealth encouraged Dr. David Maynard to open up a store at the little settlement of Duwanmps.  Dr. Maynard decided he would be really nice and name the area “Seattle” after the kind chief who helped him.

Unfortunately a tribal custom of the Suquamish forbade naming a place after someone living because it offended the guardian spirit.  Chief Sealth viewed it at as an attack.  When the settlers refused to change the name from Seattle, the chief asked them for gifts to repay him what what it was  going to cost him in the next life.  They refused to do that too.

Ultimately the tribe was driven from their homeland onto the Port Madison Indian Reservation.  So much for those friendly folks we were trading with and that we named the city after.  I’ve lived in Seattle and love the place, but admit that saying the name now gives me pause.  I doubt they would like to go back to calling the city “Duwanmps.”  Free trade for the Suquamish cost them everything.

We've even used him in our graphic design to sell apples. Is it just me or does he look more like Beethoven or a pilgrim than a Native American?

 

(Info from Uncle John’s Biggest Ever Bathroom Reader- a book full of interesting surprises.  I’m serious!)

 

Why I love Sister Wendy….

Well, to be honest there are multiple reasons…  Nothing like a delightful British woman who has devoted her life to prayer and art.  In heaven I look forward to talking with her for some time.

I”m teaching a course on contemporary art this semester I recently showed this clip of Bill Moyers interviewing Sister Wendy.  In it they were discussing  Andres Serrano’s photograph “piss Christ,” and nudity in art.  I love how she turns the tables upside-down in her remarks.  Her dialog about art that is “comforting” is wonderful -  Check it out.

“If people can look, and look, and always come away from a work of art enriched it is a great work of art.”  Sister Wendy

 

Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Work of Art?”

The contestants of "Work of Art; The Next Great Artist." (perhaps having a title like that is already pushing things a bit?)

The Bravo channel has decided to put out there a television show of competing artists in the spirit of many so called “reality” TV shows.  “Let’s have selected artists compete and the winner gets $100,000 and a solo show at the Brooklyn Art Museum!”  Wow.

I was hopeful.  Really I was.  I heard an interview with Sarah Jessica Parker producer of the program, who admittedly has little art experience but wanted to help promote new artists to a wider audience.  Hallelujah.  That’s a good thing indeed.

What I found after watching excerpts on line was something that was a derivative of MTV’s “Real World” with undergraduate or graduate art students that are still trying to find themselves.  In addition, there is the “Survivor” aspect of the show.  Artists go through various challenges and can get granted immunity from projects as well as folks get voted off the program.  Such contestants are told they didn’t create a “real” work of art and disappear. What was very difficult to stomach was the delayed twenty something teen angst throughout the program.  Putting personality extremes together is tiresome but does create so called authentic tension for the show (the sound track behind these arguments and scuffles I found very enlightening in terms of Bravo’s intent).  Watching I wondered if “Work of Art” was really about art at all or just a drama fest?

Art being evaluated...

What I did enjoy was parts of the art critiques.  The judges clearly show insight regarding the work.  Also when the artists are working on creating pieces and commented upon what they were doing, I was reminded of my undergraduate classes,  something I’m sure that has educational value for a wider audience that doesn’t see that kind of environment on a regular basis.  I just wish the show was more about art and less about fabricated theater.  Did Sarah Jessica Parker watch any of PBS’s ART21 series?  She could learn something.

Here is where you can find info about the show on Bravo:

http://www.bravotv.com/work-of-art

"Work of Art" judges critiquing work.

I’ll warn you- after watching clips on Bravo’s website what I can tell you is all about the ads.  Here is what you will see repeatedly:  1) singing fish, 2) an add that gives the impression that technology will destroy a rabbit, (which appears to be the last vestige of life in a desert wasteland), and 3), images of women swishing their hair about.  And some how in remembering the ads… well, isn’t that TV’s point? Programming what programming?

Here is where you can read some various reviews of “Work of Art”:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/95917494.html

http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2010/06/post_21.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-08/bravos-work-of-art-is-a-bust/