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

 

Five Friends

 

A DVD worth checking out, Five Friends is a very nice examination of a seasoned man and his friendships.  I’ve watched it with my community of men in Oregon and it provided a nice space for some very good discussion. Specifically I like how it touches upon the gift of longevity with friendship, having a deep friendship and being perceived as “gay” in our culture and in addition I liked also that it spoke of jealousy between friends and fear when a friendship is threatened- a topic that my guess happens more often than not, but few choose to talk about.  It’s well worth checking out.

Here’s the link:  http://fivefriendsmovie.com/

 

Contents

This is the title page image for the chapter "Jesus With Skin On" it's from an image I saw many years back of some men in the Korean War.

I thought I’d  give you another image from the book, and put up the contents page here in the event you’re wondering, “What on earth is this Bigger World Yet all about?”

This will at least give you an idea, click on “contents” and you’ll see a PDF:

contents

The picture for this post, I think gives you an idea of the contents too, in fact it may be better than words….

 

“A Bigger World Yet” now on Amazon.

A sketch I did called "Mercy on Me," that is one of the 69 spot sketches and illustrations that can be found in the book. Come on, I'm an artist. Did you think I would wrtie something that didn't have artwork in it?

It’s now official.  You can purchase “A Bigger World Yet:  Faith, Brotherhood, and Same-Sex Needs” through Amazon.   Here’s the link:  http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-World-Yet-Brotherhood-Same-Sex/dp/0578072173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299708123&sr=8-1

You are also more than welcome to write a check for $14.95 (the book) + $3.00 (for shipping)= $17.95 (total) payable to “Tim Timmerman.” send that to:  Tim Timmerman, George Fox University, Box 6003, 414 N. Meridian St., Newberg, OR 97132, and I’ll do my best to get you a book in a jiffy!

Blessings to you.

 

Most Valued Treasure

"Most Valued Treasure" Tim Timmerman, mixed media assemblage with reclaimed lumber, metal figures, glass rods, and cast resin dog; August 2010, 13"x10"x7"

Here is yet another assemblage/shadow box about friendship for your enjoyment.  It was interesting how this one developed.  I continually moved around the figures until I feel they finally settled in place.  I had another dog I was considering using as well, but it was a bit difficult to “read” so I went with this one.  Hope you enjoy it.

Blessings- Tim

A side view of "Most Valued Treasure"

 

Samuel May in Pate de Verre

Samuel Joseph May (September 12, 1797-July 1, 1871)

Samuel Joseph May was a Unitarian abolitionist minister in the 1800′s.  Over the years I’ve been collecting stories of friendship throughout history and was very moved by May’s friendship with the revolutionary abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison; a friendship marked with affection and longevity (the true sign of friendship according to the medieval age).  Theirs is a relationship founded in part to help others, to come up against the powers of slavery that had been holding our country fast.  (The article I read is by Donald Yacovone: “Abolitionists and the “Language of Fraternal Love”, from Meanings for Manhood, Construction of Masculinity in Victorian America).

Last summer I began working on three pate de verre figures, each representative of a different friendship in history; I decided to take this abolitionist minister as one of my subjects.   Now complete I am working on a shadow box type construction that he will be a part of. Keep your eyes peeled here as to where and how he’ll show up.  Below shows you a bit of my process in his creation.

Working on the original image in clay, his head and body were built in two parts. I had my buddy the artist Dan Callis pose for me to give me the position of the figure that I needed.

Here is the clay version of Samuel May when completed. I liked the light falling in our hallway at the University, so decided to shoot an image of the clay piece there. I wanted May's palms up which was a bit tricky to do since technically I couldn't have any undercuts and needed the back of his hands to be flush with his legs.

I have at this point made a mold of the clay pieces, removed the clay original, cleaned the mold, and have packed glass into the molds. Here Samuel May as well as another figure (Cardinal Newman) are being cast in glass. The glass has gone through an initial drying phase and I've opened up the kiln to add talc into the vessels so the sculptures can go through their final fusing stage.

Here the Samuel May figure is complete and the head and body are now attached. The grainy quality of the sculpture is due to the glass being in sand like form (called frit) that I pack into the mold.

Because I have to make the parts in vessel like form interesting things happen like the "crown like" look for the head of the figure. What I enjoy about pate de verre is that it's full of surprises. You can see the contrast of the final figure from the original clay image, and although getting detail is sometimes a little risky, I like how the work seems to take on an ancient and timeless quality. Much like friendship eh?

 

A Cry For Friendship.

A very nice print of David and Johnathan likely from the 1800's - sorry I can't figure out who created it.

There was a very nice article as of late in The Chronicle of Higher Education entitled “Faux Friendships” By William Deresiewicz (thank you Rick for sending this on to me).  It’s well worth the read.

http://chronicle.com/article/Faux-Friendship/49308/

Its nice to see others fighting on this front and grieving the loss of “the friend” in our culture.  Too many seem content with the vapid and shallow so called acquaintances in our day and age that many (Christians being no different) passively embrace.

No wonder Mother Theresa would comment that America was the poorest country she ever came to, because we were the loneliest people she ever encountered.

Go hug someone.

Blessings-   Tim