"Of Clay, Concrete, and the Sketchpad" (or how he convey myths by art)

 "Of Clay, Concrete, and the Sketchpad" 

(or how he convey myths by art)

It was years ago when this writer used to mold sculptures trying to replicate that was, ancient.

Trying to infuse the ancient east and those of the west, it's all but strange as if trying to invoke the spirits then wandering over the earthy abodes people usually tend to appease in times of trouble; that the Bul-ol, the ancient rice spirit of the Ifugaos fused with those of the idol of Thor carrying his Mjolnir.

So was a sculpture based from an old Slavic god.

Perhaps, being inspired by the myths and legends of the past had made to replicate and others dare to say as  desperately making things pagan using art. Kind of, as people nowadays had chose to invoke being idiots as to invoke their mere carnal desires such as their balls or boobs for a brain.

Replica of Thor's Idol

Bul-ol
(Ifugao Idol)

In fact, making "Thor" inspired from a Bul-ol would say was based after looking and comparing the two. Quite abit similar although one was made from metal and other out of wood, also to think that both Vikings and Ifugaos are interconnected with nature so as warlike as both having war axes. The difference lies that the former situated near the sea surviving on fish, meat and bread and their longships that crossed the seas as the latter from the mountains surviving on fish, meat and rice  with their terraces theirs said as "bound to the abode of the gods."

Strange though at first but find interesting though to replicate the Norse god by making abit indigenized especially after looking at the similarities with the Bul-ol. But had to use a mixture of cement and clay since his hands are adapted though in that kind of sculpture. His profound interest in ancient art such as Norse, Slav, or Vedic ones brought to the attention of making such idea of making those kinds as inspired.

Sadly, most had been lost if not destroyed those kind of works been made. In fact, it was quite difficult although inspiring for a sculptor to create, rather than replicate that comes from the past such as those "idols" of long ago. Some had been moved out like those from the first picture given.

This kind of sculpture though crude, was done inspired from an old Slavic idol (see below)

Admittingly speaking, these are all but a part of interest. Sculpture somehow had been a hobby that requires imagination and abit skill as to accept that hands be end dirty because of the clay, cement, or tile grout being used just to replicate supernatural beings as centuries-old people did in invoking the spirits of the other world. 

So was in sketching. 

Although this was made different from the sculptures trying to replicate those deities, it happened that sketching that is closely inspired from the past yet its spirit invokes still tends to show how the militant struggle of the people continues.

Yes, it was made inspired from an Iranian poster that captures the imagination of the person who sketched another: a man carrying an oil bomb, a girl carrying a lantern and another with a gun surrounded by victims and criminals that dominated and made the society as rotten, tainted by its very own immorality.

"Stoning of the Devils" by Habib Sadeqi

Admitting that had been inspired by Sadeqi especially depicting a pilgrim on his way to Mecca pelts stones at the manifestations of evil surrounding him. That somehow brought this person an idea to create somehow same  but more of a militant than a religious significance as evidenced by three "Rebels" with one raised the lantern exposing the devils that brought total pestilence to everyone via the police, the military, the media, all controlled by the few who cares about themselves and their fantasies. The person whom prepares his oil bomb to be thrown had obliged by reality to do the "deed" same as the girl carrying the gun as to resist the system and to defend the interest of the people. 

The scene of resistance, as to Sadeqi and his Islamic-themed work carries defiance as to present a righteous person as a liberator carrying a message-action against the corruptors, immoralists and of the wretched. The realities had made them open eyes both to show mercy to the oppressed and to bring fire against the oppressors the way Christ said:

"Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword."

(Matthew 10:34) 

 The Merchants chased from the temple by Jacques Tissot 

Obviously, it tries to invoke how Christ had dealt with the moneylenders as he invoke "faith" over self-interest as to cleanse the temple from their impurities yet people tend to reduce it as a purely spiritual matter despite interconnected with socio-economic and political ones as invoking righteousness over those who had been exposed. Come to think of this: Christ's scourging at the temple, the stoning of the devils during Hajj reflects popular disgust against those who dare to corrupt, so's the sketch below.

"Confronting the Wretched"
(Inspired by Sadeqi's works)

Another work somehow made this person also compelled as he sought a depiction of martyrdom.

"Blindfolded soldier shot at Gunpoint"

Feauring an Iranian warrior being executed at point-blank range, it invokes a religious significance as Imam Huseyn stands behind and waiting along with thousands of martyrs into the awaited paradise. Obviously, the work itself mirrors how Iranian troops, in defending Iran during the First Gulf War had described the entire conflict as "sacred" where every day as "Ashura" and the field as "Karbala" wherein Huseyn and his 72 men killed by the Omayyads in 680 AD.

That somehow brought the idea of making another sketch featuring militants facing the bullets with one of them been killed fighting for their beliefs. However, instead of Imam Huseyn, a militant awaits those who join  in another phase of struggle to avenge the fallen.

"Resist, Avenge till death"
(partly based from the Iranian poster)

There are other sketches that haven't been directly based on artifacts nor on the posters as well. But it carries a somewhat strain of influence that brought an idea and urge to capture and not entirely replicate both mystic and realistic at the same time.

Like this.

Had been rather influenced with the culture of the indigenous peoples such as the Ifugaos, and even the awareness about their land and struggle would say that the sketch itself invokes a spirit that emphasises struggle from the roots as to a vine creeping passing from the land of their forefathers, their culture, and of course their struggle depicted by a maiden clenching a fist and a rising eagle from the ashes.

Not quite strange compared to those been based partly on religious iconography such as the sculptures. Perhaps, it's been a pastime for this person and his hands to create this and that out of a mind gone fattened with what comes around. 

In fact, others such as his mother described his sculptures as nonsense as to ruin the living room for quite some time, perhaps being the owner of the house would say that she had much disregard his son having focused on art than the profession he used to. Yes, how cares so to speak if this writer had much interest in culture and the arts, the unknown and the antinorm than what they insisted such as "to live just to work only to live." 

If so, then perhaps that kind of philosophy is all but nonsense since it reminds of to live under such "standards" consists of work, earn and  consume. That sketch, made during the time felt in a bad mood after an argument lies people hanged for being deviant, with a girl playing the harp mourning. 

Anyways, to this person, all meant defiance. His activist days, his love for history and cultures of the world had brought him to the idea of making those as inspired, as based, partly replicated from, or everything whatsoever from his eyes to his mind ought to invoke the spirits through art same as he tries to say and understand.

So are others had much imagination to express with whether merely for the sake of selling or to invoke the aspirations of everyone such as those of its own culture and roots and ought to understood by many.

However, as for the sake of selling, it had been ingrown by those who had made "for arts sake" and saying "they are expressing." And if they're expressing, then of what is expressing if the idea is primarily for the sake of doing it other than to be sold? Strange so to think of nowadays if that's the case as people had been compelled to content in things canned and sold as for the few in "organic" and "well tended." 

As a ContemporAntiquitarian would say that invoking the spirits of the past is not all about idols, the supernatural nor invoking those of yesterday's events. It's all about culture, reality, and struggle in midst of modernity. Slavs had tried though invoking in a way Soviets invoke the once "Mother Russia" into a mother of multinational Soviet Union called "Mother Motherland" same as the Northmen although had been associated much with the Neo-Nazi groups by western media with those of Thor and Odin as inspiration for their battles. Iran had did the same to invoke their own symbolism in their "struggle against a decadent, modern world" people had witnessed today.

Quite weird isn't it for others to think that in replicating as to invoking back-after all, they had given up  But come to think of this, does preserving culture in midst of modernity should be reduced to a means of appeasing tourists as to sculptures for a museum or in an antiquities shop whilst the rest had been looking much into the idiot boxes such as TV, Computers or even Cellular Phones of today? 

Or even this:

Sorry to say so, but these are perhaps should became flowers like their accidental god Narcissus in replicating what that being from Greek Mythology used to indulge.