“New and Improved!” (and an excuse to post a cute picture)

Yes, after three years there has been a change.  I’ve revamped my website and it’s now in a format that I’ll be making updates and adding new art to it regularly.  Some new things I threw in there are views of the work in shows, and also images of art in process and the studio.  Check it out:  http://timtimmerman.com/

My niece is saying to you, “Hey, lookie at my uncle’s website because he makes stuff.” Well, maybe that’s what she’s saying, when she was this age unless you were her mother it was anyone’s guess.

 

A Matter of Scale

A lovely image of Bergenz Austria on Lake Constance

In Drawing 2 we were going to Portland Opera’s rendition of Tosca (http://www.portlandopera.org/),  in my 3-D design class we were talking about scale and how it relates to sculpture.  Those two concepts collided in gigantically marvelous images I found from an event every summer in Austria.

I had noticed in my DK Eyewitness Travel Book for Austria a very curious image last May.  It was what appeared to be a dining table and chairs partially sitting in a body of water.  On closer inspection I realized it was a stage set, making humans look Lilliputian!   What I was looking at was Seebühne, a floating opera stage, that is a part of the Bergenz Festival in the summer.  You may have seen their set for Tosca which was featured in a James Bond film:  Daniel Craig ran along scaffolding battling bad guys amidst a humongous eye.  Check out Bergenz’s incredible interpretations of  great operas,  there is a wonder-struck element to them indeed!   http://presse.bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/history-bf-20090000-0

Yes, those are people around the rim of the table of this set of La Bohéme! This was the set that introduced me to Seebühne. Click on the image to make it larger and scrutinize all the little folks running about.

Downright haunting, let me say they do a phenomenal job getting good shots of their productions as well. This set for A Masked Ball is just epic!

A beautiful contrast in skies and a wonderful use of repetition makes this set for Fidelio quite a site.

 

A Shout Out For Misericords

A winged man and sea creature misericord from Carlisle Cathedral in the UK.  I would like one of these in my home.  Either the carving or the actual creature would be fine.

Fifteen years ago when in Europe for the first time I stumbled onto them in England.  Then in London I had to snag at a museums store the book A Little book of Misericords by Mark Harding.  I ate it on the plane trip home.  Nothing like a bunch of crazy narratives and characters that were carved in pews for few to see.  My kind of art.

A creature from St. Mary Godmanchester in the UK, carved around in the 15th century.

Misericord:  Created from the 13th to the 17th century (and even still created today), these were shelves that supported a folding seat that could be put down during a church service.  These were made at a time when clergy stood for the majority of a service.  The advantage of having a misericord supporting a secret little seat is that you can kneel or sit on it during the service, and it appears that you are standing.   Largely found in the choir stalls or areas monks or clergy would be, these had an obvious advantage.  Hence the name simply means “a mercy.”  (Thank you Jesus, my dogs need a break!)  Why it would like having a little character in church that is your own personal secret.  I wonder if the monks had favorites- “Wait, I get the pigs dancing!  I always sit there.”

The Misericords are an adventure in terms of imagery.  Ranging from the sacred to the profane, to me they are a testimony that the church of God can handle all of man’s oddities, and is in fact, it’s a place for it.  I love pointing these out in museums and churches as I travel with students.  Part of me wonders where is the place for such craziness in our churches now?

Sadly many Misericords were either destroyed in a wave of iconoclastic bombasitic enthusiasm (thank you Reformation) or they were burned up when wood was scarce and folks needed to keep warm.  I discovered a wonderful website that chronicles almost 150 sites.  It’s a excellently researched site for one who would like explore and learn more.  Have a nice time!:  http://www.misericords.co.uk/

Why here we can find a 15th century carving of a spanking.  This is from Sherborne Abbey

This image was taken of Boston Stump in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. It gives you a good idea of what one type looked like in context.  This carving is actually on the bottom of the seat.  Some of the carvings are on a shelf that the seat would sit on.

 

Marco Brambilla is not a lousy video artist.

The bar doesn’t seem too high in some art in museums out there.  And having taught “Contemporary Art Forms” at the university level for over 12 years now, it’s amazing the volume of bad contemporary art you can find, and with a video it’s worse, you have to sit through it.

My friend and artist Dan Callis and I were visiting Bergamot station in Santa Monica about a year ago and happened into the Santa Monica Museum of art there:   http://smmoa.org.    There they were having an exhibit of the video artist Marco Brambilla.  Dan and I literally turned around to leave so as not to pay the entrance fee when the man at the gallery told us he would return our money if we didn’t like it.  The show was wonderful and engaging, and as eye candy-esque some of the work was, there clearly was thought behind all that we were seeing.  Here was one video artist worth taking time for.  http://marcobrambilla.com/  After viewing the work, my students in my current class felt the same.

What’s engaging about his works like Civilization, and Evolution (which each took up an entire wall and that we watched through 3-d glasses) is that they reference both popular culture and great painters like Hieronymus Bosch.  Although I will admit I’m not sure about Brambilla doing a video recently for Kanye West, but I guess artists even have to pay the bills.  Regardless, MOST of his work IS smart as it taps into our day and age in a very unique way.

Below is a more recent video working with the Formula One drivers point of view.

 

Radio Lab on Color

This is an image of my buddy Dan Callis’ work: (hev, oil on canvas, 14″x14″). This program really gives you a very different perspective about the history of the color blue, as well as our ability to see colors. Kinda makes me wonder what I’m not seeing.

If you have yet to have had the pleasure of listening to WNYC’s program “Radio Lab,” may I have the honor of introducing you?  Specifically this week I listened to their program entitled:  “Colors”  Give it a listen:  http://www.radiolab.org/2012/may/21/

Jad Abumrad, and Robert Krulwich do a splendid job tackling topics of interest in the sciences and life within a radio program that has to be one of the most creatively edited ones out there.  Not to mention too that it just has a good sense of humor.

If you listen to this regularly, you will be very interesting at parties and have very curious topics to talk to friends about.  I know my brother Nate and I always enjoy chatting about what we listened to from Radio Lab, remarking “Could you believe….?”

Enjoy

 

Showing up for your Genius

Author Elizabeth Gilbert

An extremely talented dancer and friend recommended this TED talk to me, and I had to pass it on to you.  Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of “Eat Pray Love” but here reflects on creativity itself.  She comes at it from a very refreshing perspective.

Click the following for the link:  elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

I find it assuring that as an artist it is simply my job to show up regularly and do my job: create.

Get to work you all…

 

The Power of Vulnerability

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 1606 – 1669 The Return of the Prodigal Son (1642) drawing with pen and brush, 1642 Teylers Museum, Haarlem (This seemed like an appropriate image to put on here when talking about vulnerability.)

Perhaps you too have enjoyed feeling a little smarter after listening to a TED talk as of late.  I know I have.

A good friend of mine Tom, recommended that I check out social worker Brene Brown’s talk, “The Power of Vulnerability.”  She begins her presentation speaking about how she dove into trying to understand human connection, and what she found herself exploring was shame, and our fear that if we were really known, no one will love us.  It’s a wonderful talk negotiating the risk of vulnerability and the truth of loving others regardless of the pain it will cost you.   For me I found her talk also resonated with 2nd Corinthians 12:9 for me:   “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

The talk was so good I took notes! Can’t say I’ve done that before with one of these – Hope you get as much out of it as I know I did.

Click here to link to Brene Browns talk on vulnerability

 

Good Relational Reads

I find a variety of things influencing my art and life.  For a winter night may I recommend two books I have read as of late that I found good fodder for thought?  Here they be:

The Author Shusaku Endo

Title:  Deep River  Author:  Shusaku Endo

His book Silence  knocked my socks off many years ago with the harrowing dilemma of faith it proposed.  Deep River continues examining faith this time looking at it through our longing for resolution both relationally and spiritually.  Following a group of older Japanese tourists traveling to India, their back-stories unfurl before us revealing secret motives and hopes of resolution that are drawing all of them on the trip.  Profoundly aware of a God that pursues us like a lover, Endo paints a broad picture of humanity longing for hope, connection, and redemption or simply journeying to say thank you.

Title:  Doc  Author:  Mary Doria Russell

I fell in love with Mary Doria Russell with the amazing spiritual science fiction novels, The Sparrow, and Children of God.   Creating the western themed historical novel Doc was a wonderful surprise to read from her.  Still showing her skill in creating three-dimensional profoundly human characters, Doc follows the life of Doc Holiday, of the famous Tombstone Arizona gunfight.  The books surprised me as being a story of friendship and survival.  It’s worth your time indeed.

The Author Mary Doria Russell and her book “Doc” (Although unintentional with the photos I chose here, it seems to have your hand on your chin is a good move if you are an author getting your photo taken.)

 

Thank you rebel design…

It was Rachel Belgard's idea to have me do a shadow box for the cover of the book, and so, if you've followed the blog here, you've seen all three I created for possible use. This was the first version Rachel came up for the cover. How the marbles tie-in from front to back cover was a lot of fun, but I felt like the image read too much as a single image of an old legend or myth. It also looked too little boy-ish for me. It was a possibility, but I liked the final she came up with using the shadow box that was a deeper color that used the lion, doctor, church, and soldiers. It seemed to have a richer quality to it.

Two designers worked on the book.  The one who designed the cover:  Rachel Belgard, was a student of mine and is a phenomenal talent.  See her wonderful work on her blog at:  http://rebelgardesign.blogspot.com/

May I say a kind shout out to her as well for her post on March 4th 2011.  Monday of this week I went hiking in Silver Falls for the day, only to get my bag soaked with waterfalls and rain.  Getting home my phone which was in the outside pocket was very wet, the screen flashed for a bit, and then went out.  Thanks to Rachel’s post, I quickly took it apart, and immersed it in a tupperware container of rice.  Tuesday morning and since, my phone has been working fine.

Rice is a very good thing.

 

The Five-Year-Old

"Portrait of the Five-Year-Old," approximately 6"x12" colored pencil on paper, 2001, Private collection AZ

Well, continuing the colored pencil drawings I wanted to show you from a while ago (see posts Jan 31, Feb 3, 10, and March 3)  Here is yet another element of myself I chose to embody in a drawing.  I guess I’m keeping with some of the writing of Madeline LeEngle when speaks of the truth that someone who is an adult is able to be all their ages at once; that an adult can play with a child because they know exactly what it is to be one, and are in touch with that part of themselves.

My five year old has never been far from me.