Middle Stanza

Perg-Check: Photos

2011-09-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

"One whole day I sit, contrite, dirt, L.A."

2011-09-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Review of My Drawing Show...

2011-08-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Landscape with Dogs
by Karri Paul

...by T.J. Hunt for Pastelgram, August 11, 2011: http://pastelegram.org/reviews/46

An excerpt:

At their most successful the works encapsulate the beauty and violence of nature. Nowhere does the artist more explicitly pair these attributes than in Landscape with Dogs (2010). Large and snarling canine mandibles arc menacingly downward towards a lone leaping deer gracefully highlighted against a dense forest. The deer appears fragile and ethereal under the weight of the powerful jaws that dominate the composition. Paul’s mark-making echoes this dichotomy, alternately forceful and exquisitely delicate. Upon close inspection, even the drawing’s deep blacks reveal a rich layering of varied line work. Like the shades of meaning that emerge from an oft-read poem, the works are better appreciated with repeated viewing.


Masaccio's fresco Trinity (1425) Santa Maria Novella picasaweb.google.com

Nice! I also like that Hunt makes a connection between some of my drawings (this one and this one) and the memento mori ("remember your mortality") tradition. It's something I think about a lot, often involuntarily.

"Io fu già quel che voi sete: e quel chi son voi ancor sarete," the inscription on the tomb at the bottom of Masaccio's Trinity, which I am so lucky to have spent time with in Florence, translates to, "I once was what you are; what I am, you will become." Those words send chills down my spine even now.

Images like Jean Morin's The Skull (1650) also come to mind. Andreas Vesalius's anatomical drawings fascinate me: the poses, the facial expressions, the landscapes and settings these half-dissected or skeletonized figures are placed in. (Example, example, example.) Some of my collages (not included in the show) are translations of these.

Masaccio's Trinity (detail)

I don't know if my fascination with death (and/or reminders of death) is anything more than anyone else's, but I found an audio tape recording from when I was five, singing a song of my own invention. It's refrain: "I don't want to die... 'cause I'm only five."

(compose project this image, is on view through September 2, 2011.)

Steps: Photo

2011-08-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Fun with Google Image Search

2011-08-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Photo by Karri Paul

Above: The image, my own, that I image searched. Below: Top two images that "match."

Source: http://www.gaellelepetit.fr/blog/


Source: http://193.190.56.244/abk/onderzoek.htm

Below: Screen grab of top sixteen results that are "visually similar."

Fun with Google Image Search

2011-08-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.karripaul.com

Above: Image of the drawing (mine, Landscape with Wasps' Nest) that I image searched. Below: Top "visually similar" result. Last: Screen grab of top twenty similar images.


Source: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/comics/1188/

Fun with Google Image Search

2011-08-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Karri Paul http://upum.blogspot.com/

My photo (above) and visually similar results from Google (below).

My picture of the life-size wooden bear in Minocqua, Wisconsin, upper-left corner of the picture below. The rest are the visually similar results from Google.

Birch, Pine

2011-08-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Pine (Snowmobile Trailer)

2011-08-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Pine (Beacon)

2011-08-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

Skiboat

2011-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Pukall Lumber

2011-07-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

More of my pics of Pukall here.

Just the Woodpile

2011-07-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Weeds in Menominee

2011-07-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Birch Across the Swamp

2011-07-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Siding

2011-07-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Pukall Grate

2011-07-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Learning the Minolta: Above the Dam

2011-07-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Learning the Minolta: Tennis Net

2011-07-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

FLW (MN)

2011-07-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Paintings

2011-07-10T16:32:00.001-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 17 x 4.75 inches each.

Paintings

2011-07-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 17 x 4.75 inches (left) and 17 x 5.9 inches (right).

Paintings

2011-07-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 17 x 4.75 inches each.

Paintings

2011-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 17 x 4.5 inches (left) and 17 x 5.2 inches (right).

More New Paintings

2011-07-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 13.5 x 4.75 inches each.

New Paintings

2011-07-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and gouache on paper, 13.5 x 6.75 inches (left) and 13.5 x 4.3 inches (right).

Monte Carlo (photo)

2011-06-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Smog Boy Revisited

2011-06-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

The nearby used car dealership, which was also a "Smog Boy Test Only" station, as the sign has weakly bragged for at least three years, may no longer be a boy o' smog. Since I took pictures just six days ago, the yellow sign, long ago been relieved of its red lettering, has been painted over with gray, and not very neatly. Below: "before" (July 21) and "after" (July 27):

Below: A weird thing happened below. Reflection of Cape Honeysuckle juxtaposed with discarded basketball hoop on top of a retired U-Haul trailer behind the former "Smog Boy" place.

Plexi Dos

2011-06-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Laundry

2011-06-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Smog Boy

2011-06-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Yellow II

2011-06-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

Bath (photos)

2011-06-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

ELEVEN (photos)

2011-06-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Friends (Plexi)

2011-06-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Neal Dougherty always used to tell his Digital Media Foundations students (about Photoshop), "Friends don't let friends Auto Contrast." I know this because Tyler knows this. Actually, I know this because I was an Art Lab T.A. during my first year at UT.

Since nobody was here to stop me, I hit Auto Contrast for my images of/through the plexiglass at a local playground. Here are the befores (upper) and the afters (lower). Ultimately, I favor the befores. . .

At the Playground

2011-06-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Dunsmore

2011-06-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sentimental Collage (for the Northeast)

2011-06-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Cut printed paper and lots of packing tape. 17 x 12.5 inches.

More Landscape

2011-06-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

At the Picnic Pavilion

2011-06-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Interior II

2011-06-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

P.S. I've decided to continue this series in tandem with UpUm.

Interior

2011-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

These are visually and thematically related to the project I'm doing at my UpUm blog. There, I'm posting a photograph of the same outdoor object each day and noting the weather conditions at the time of the picture. Here, you see a different object, an interior one, looking three different ways at the same time of day. It may or may not become a series.

FUG Home Fumigation

2011-06-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

A foreclosure near us, which we have nicknamed "The FUG Home" because it's really fallen into disrepair since it's been vacant and represented by UFG Home, is now being fumigated. Pictures just had to be taken. Obviously.

Another Sad Baby Doll

2011-05-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

P.S. Here's one of the previous sad baby dolls I was thinking of when I said "another."

Deukmejian

2011-05-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

WHEN THE GUESTS ARRIVE

2011-05-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Karri Paul

Holga in Austin

2011-05-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Holga on the Hollywood Hike

2011-05-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

hunger prospect

2011-05-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

From the new poetry ms. in progress. (You may need to click on a poem for a larger view.)

Holga 120N: Maiden Voyage

2011-05-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hike

2011-04-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, The Presidio

2011-04-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Animal (Landscape with Raccoon Skull)

2011-03-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Graphite on paper. 30 x 8 inches.

Landscape with Wrasses

2011-02-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Graphite on paper. 10.75 inches in diameter (round).

Landscape with Pelicans

2011-02-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Graphite on paper. 10.75 inches in diameter (round).

Landscape with House Finches

2011-02-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

Graphite on paper. 9.6 inches in diameter (round).

In the Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Graphite on paper. 9.75 inches in diameter (round).

Landscape with Pigeon & Alligator Lizard

2010-09-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 30 x 7 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Turkey Embryo & Baby Cuckoo

2010-09-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 24 x 9 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Lorikeet, Camelia & Poppy

2010-08-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 30 x 7 inches.

Details below.

(No. 13.)

Landscape with Housefly, Bison & Volcanoes

2010-08-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 30 x 7 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Owl

2010-07-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper, 30 x 7 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Red Rose

2010-07-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper, 24 x 8.5 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Poppy & Moon

2010-07-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper, 24 x 8 inches.

Details below.

Landscape with Dogs

2010-06-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 24 x 8.5 inches.

Details:

Four Presidents

2010-06-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 inches. Cut magazine pages on paper.

Four Musicians

2010-05-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

10.5 x 8 inches. When between projects, I collage.

skeleton

2010-05-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

I finished my new poetry manuscript, skeleton, and I'm so excited about it. In the fall, I will begin to send it out for publication. For now, here are three sample poems:

Landscape with Calla Lily & Bull Seal

2010-03-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper. 14 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches.

Landscape with Abutilon & Spadefish

2010-03-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

2010. Graphite on paper. 11 inches.

Open

2010-03-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

2010. No. 4. Graphite on paper. 24 x 8 inches. Then three details.

At New York Park

2010-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Landscape with Wasps' Nest

2010-02-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

2010. No. 2. Graphite on paper. 24 x 8 inches.

More Shadows

2010-02-11T14:18:00.001-08:00

Today

2010-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

At the Montrose Harvest Market (66 & sunny)

2010-01-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

For The Animals All Are Gathering

2010-01-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

Link to University of Pittsburgh Press, Bradley Paul's second collection of poems, The Animals All Are Gathering, available Fall 2010.

Bruce Nauman's LEAVE THE LAND ALONE

2009-09-12T13:13:00.001-07:00

Between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM today, "LEAVE THE LAND ALONE" appeared several times in sky-writing over Pasadena. I watched (and photographed) from the parking lot in Brookside Park, near the Rose Bowl.

The first time the phrase was written, its position in the sky caused it to appear upside-down from my p.o.v.

I like this shot with only "THE LAND" written over the parking lot, obese with SUVs and mini-vans, and with smog visible against the mountains. The planes were practically invisible as they wrote.

As you can see here, five planes flew side-by-side, building the letters in unison. They were inaudible, at least over the ambient noise where I was.

Foothill x New York and Foothill x Maryland

2009-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

May Red Awning, July Red Awning

2009-08-23T13:05:00.001-07:00

Landscape with Siamese Fighting Fish, Bighorn Sheep, and Garden Snail

2009-08-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Graphite on paper, 24 x 8 inches.

Very Dry

2009-08-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Pacific

2009-08-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

Must Be (It 'Muse Me) LACMA

2009-08-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Montrose USPO

2009-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Backyard Bougainvillea

2009-08-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

Summer

2009-08-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

Rise (Water Lilies)

2009-07-29T15:44:00.001-07:00

Graphite on paper, 24 x 8 inches.

Landscape with Beetle, Goose, and Bison (The Witness)

2009-07-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Colored pencil on paper, 24 x 8 inches.

Swim (in Indigo)

2009-07-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Colored pencil on paper, 24 x 8.5 inches.

Landscape with Heron and Rat Snake

2009-07-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

Indigo blue colored pencil on paper. 24 x 8 inches.

Northwest Corner of New York and Foothill

2009-07-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Orioles in Anaheim

2009-07-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

Landscape with Sea Kelp

2009-07-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Terra cotta colored pencil on paper. 16 x 12 inches.

The Shell Station at Long Beach

2009-06-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Landscape with Geese Taking Flight

2009-06-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Colored pencil on paper. Circular with half-inch border, 8 inches in diameter.

I was thinking about Bob when I made this. And Italy. And my return to Tennessee, since I was on the plane to Nashville when I started this piece. And the concepts of home and travel and migration and displacement and Transmigration (of the soul, as in ancient Greek and/or Hindu conception).

Never Had Me a Name

2009-06-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

They just gave me the number when I was young. (Lines from Johnny Cash lyrics.)

Swim (in Tuscan Red)

2009-06-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Colored pencil on paper. 20 x 7 inches. Detail images below.

Landscape with Peanut and Rattlesnake

2009-06-18T19:30:00.001-07:00

Graphite on paper. 20 x 7 inches.

Landscape with Snail and Salmon

2009-06-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

Landscape with Snail and Salmon, graphite on paper, 20 x 7 inches. In memory of Mo the Apple Snail, Jean-Pierre and Lil Q-bert (goldfish). Detail images below.