Horses

The Rolling Stones sang a song about wild, white horses. Bikers refer to their motorcycles as "iron horses." Books about horses abound, from Black Beauty to Seabiscuit. And who doesn't love the Budweiser Clydesdales?

From ancient times to contemporary, horses have been a part of literature, culture and song. Near the beginning of the Bible Moses, after the exodus, composed a song that made reference to horses. In the last book of the Bible the image of horses is again trotted out in John's vision of four horses and riders that are called forth when the lamb opens the seventh seal of the scroll, and image and event talked about to this day.

Horses resonate with us somehow. Their power, dignity, grandeur and beauty evoke a response from somewhere deep within us.

It's for this reason that several weeks ago I bookmarked a website with some amazing photos of horses so I could share them with you. You can check them out here.

Art Show Poster

This week at Goin' Postal. Y'all come.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

This past week I have been listening to a BBC audio book about the decade from 1910-20. The book is primarily recordings of eyewitnesses to the history that was being made at that time. For example, first person accounts from people who were on the Titanic and the responses of political and social observers of that tragedy. The same for the Lusitania, the sinking of another "immortal" ship, which served as a real catalyst to bring Britain into the war while simultaneously stirring anti-German sentiment on the Isles. The Suffragettes and the Labor movement have their stories told by people who were there.

But the First World War takes largest chunk of this period with eyewitness accounts from men who fought in every battle field, from Verdun, Marne, Ypres, Somme and more. The world had never witnessed slaughter and horror on such as scale. Britain buried a million of her young men and left millions scarred. Germany, France and Russia lost millions more.

The experiences of those who fought in the trenches have been repeatedly captured in films so that we get a sense of how bad it was. The stories on this BBC audiobook really amp up the impact. The lice that lived in the seams of their clothes, the foot deep muck that soaked their boots, the first encounters with toxic gases used as a weapon and the terrors it inflicted... The stories told by men who were there are harrowing.

Several share their first reactions to the announcement that Britain was at war. "I was fourteen and a half and we were worried the war would not last very long and we wouldn't be able to get into it because you had to be fifteen to go serve." Yes, war fever was a thrill and it was the young whose eyes glistened as their hearts sprang up.

Against this backdrop comes tale after tale of the nightmare hell of the real war, one of the most terrible battles being Gallipoli and Suvla Bay which was the first major offensive involving the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The green flies covered everything and when you were wounded your wounds were immediately swarmed over. The lice were even worse, but worst of all was the chaos and seeming pointlessness of it all. According to one of the survivors, his division was in total confusion as clumps of soldiers marched about aimlessly not sure what they were to do, their officers dead.

Joan Baez performed and recorded a song about this fragment of history. Based on how often I've played it, it must be a favorite of mine, written by Eric Bogle (ericbogle.net)...

AND THE BAND PLAYED
WALTZING MATILDA

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war.
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli.

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again.

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying.
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me.

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity.
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces away.

And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question.
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?
--------------------------------------------------
copyright © Eric Bogle

Guernica in 3-D

In the 1970's the Guernica hung at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Purportedly Picasso refused to allow its return to Spain until his homeland was a republic. All who had the opportunity to see the 11 foot tall by nearly 26 feet wide painting in person were rightfully moved. I certainly was.

This morning on Twitter, Art of Day posted a link to Picasso's Guernica in 3-D. Whether you like his work or not, Picasso's influence and importance as a 20th century artist is unquestioned. And this this interpretation is worth the four minutes of time you'll invest in taking in one of his most powerful works.

Check it out.

Free The Hikers Update: Sarah's Song

It came out of the blue. Or rather, out of the silence. This past week Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, imprisoned in Iran since July 2009, were permitted to make phone calls to their families, a wonderful and unexpected surprise in the midst of an otherwise tedious ordeal.

When I wrote about the hikers this summer, on the one year anniversary of the imprisonment, there were three behind bars. For whatever reason, Sarah Shourd has been released since that time. She has not remained silent, actively keeping people aware that all is not well till her fiance Shane and their friend Josh are returned home. The three had been arrested while hiking in a mountainous region of Iraq that borders Iran.

One amazing thing about the human spirit. When stretched by pain and sorrow, the strings of the heart often produce amazing music, art, poetry. I think here of the psalms of David three millennia ago. I think of the great music that emerged from Beethoven's anguish.

And so here I share a poem, a song borne of sorrow, written and sung by Sarah Shourd. If you have time, watch and listen to the YouTube video. Or take a moment to bookmark it and return later. Breathe it into your soul and exhale it like a prayer until Shane and Josh are free.

Piece of Time

We walked across hard land
Into a human trap
They took us for one long ride
You're now in Iran, Iran

You with your burnt green eyes
Haven't you said to me?
All they can take from us
Is a piece of time.

You're an American,
What were you doing there?
The truth doesn't matter much
in this political game.

Chorus

Now inside these four stone walls
All I can think of is you
Put on my black blindfold
Go for a walk outside

Chorus

The women all know my name
They whisper as they walk by
"Saw your Mom on BBC
Don't worry you'll soon be free."

Chorus

When I get out of this
I'll never lock anything inside
take all my friends for a walk
Down by the oceanside.

Chorus

You can watch Sarah's video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ95gn7Q0q0

Poster at top of page was created this summer for the one year anniversary events. Let's pray that we do not need a poster for the second anniversary as well. To stay current with news, visit FreeTheHikers.org

Art, Tatts and Faith: Introducing Colt Prehm

Here's a young artist who's work demonstrates a remarkable maturity. I discovered his paintings via a reference on Twitter. After visiting his website I asked if he would be willing to share a bit of himself here. It will be interesting to see where Coulter Prehm's art will be displayed five years from now.

EN:You’re obviously quite a skilled draftsman. When did you first become aware of your aptitude for art and how did you nurture this gift?
CP: Like most children I did draw and such when I was younger, but it wasn’t until I was about 20 and started tattooing that I became aware of my calling to the visual arts. From that moment on I have focused more and more of my time to painting and drawing and am at this point a full time painter. I was blessed to be granted the opportunity to study with Tony Ryder at the Ryder Studio School when I finished my art degree. Tony is a fantastic painter and an even better person. I consider my time and start of my relationship with Tony the foundation that the rest of my career will be built upon.

EN: What is the “optical method” that you mention in your bio?
CP: The optical method that I mention is one that I received from Mr. Ryder. It is a system of drawing and painting from life and is driven by a desire to contemplate, learn from and gain understanding about the visual field and the world around us. Working from life allows the artist to build an intimate relationship with the subject, be it another person, a landscape or a still life. It’s this exchange of energy and life that motivates me to do the work that I do.

EN: How did you get involved in the tattoo business? Has this been your primary source of income since school?
CP: I began tattooing after an apprenticeship with Bob Parr in Ames, Iowa. Bob was and is very supportive and I feel is partially responsible for getting me on the path I am on today. He was one who encouraged me to change my major in college and pursue my art. Tattooing has been a huge blessing to my life not only financially, as it is an efficient way to make a living aside from painting, but I also love to work with my clients and create art on a living canvas. I tattoo about 8 hrs a week currently by appointment only. I experiment a lot with tattoo techniques and I hope to eventually be able to create tattoos such as the world has never experienced. That’s probably a few years down the road though.

EN: What prompted you to paint on white birch bark affixed to a panel? What other kinds of surfaces have you painted on? What is your favorite?
CP: The birch bark on panel was a really exciting surface to create and work on. While I was in NY this past summer painting with the Hudson River Fellowship I cut pieces of bark off of deceased birch trees. I have a strong connection to Nature and Life and to paint on a surface donated by a fellow living organism was an honor. I think the effect created by painting something organic on something so organic was beautiful. That painting is going to be in an upcoming show at Abend Gallery in Denver. Other than that work I primarily paint on panels or linen and I don’t think that I have a favorite as long as the surface is archival; each has its own benefits.

EN: How did you decide to move to Santa Fe after growing up in the Midwest? How has living in Santa Fe influenced your work?
CP: I moved to Santa Fe with my wife Liz in order to study with Tony Ryder. After meeting with Tony and taking a short class it was an easy decision to migrate here to work with him. Being in Santa Fe has had a tremendous impact on my life and my painting and I am grateful for being here. There is an openness to Santa Fe, not just physically with the grand sky, mountains and desert; but also an openness regarding ideas and culture. It is rich with history and a variation of peoples and I am just soaking it all up.

EN: How has your faith influenced your work?
CP: My faith is the cornerstone of my life and therefore completely encompasses all that I do, including my work. My paintings are about God, about a oneness that presides over every living being and about the complex network of Life and Love that binds us all together. I have been called to painting and therefore have never questioned, even for a moment, that I must continue on this path. I have been given a responsibility to use my chosen medium as a conduit of Spirit and Love and Grace. From day one I have been confident that if I live and paint in service to this calling I will be granted a successful career as a painter/ draftsman and instructor.

EN: If someone wants to purchase your work…. Best place to find you is...?
CP: Anyone interested in collecting one of my pieces can contact me directly through my website coltprehmart.com. If someone buys a piece from me and mentions this article I will also donate 30% of the total purchase price to the charity of their choice. My work is also being featured in several different publications in the next couple of months including Tattoo Artist Magazine and the current issue of American Art Collector Magazine.

click images to enlarge

Bookends: The Trivia Quiz & Art Class Memories

My junior year in high school I took my first art class since grade school. It proved to be a significant decision. The night before that first day of school my best friend had been hit by a car and was killed twenty minutes after I had seen him and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Art took on a significant role for me that year. It became a way in which I dealt with my internal wrestlings with significant life issues and a form of escape. It simultaneously became intertwined with my search for meaning.

So it was that art class with Mr. Sebes was a meaningful safe harbor in the midst of the tedium of high school studies, reports and other stresses. This was the late sixties, and there was a record player in the art class room. And there were a couple girls in our class who brought Simon Garfunkel albums to that class, playing them endlessly. In fact, I believe it's possible we went two full years listening to nothing but the same Simon and Garfunkel albums, over and over and over.

In English class, Mr. Harris used contemporary music to teach us about poetry, elevating it to cultural explorations about the angst of our time, which was especially conveyed in many of the songs Simon & Garfunkel wrote and sang, such as Richard Cory and A Most Peculiar Man or the Beatles' She's Leaving Home.

So it is that last night I was thinking about how these songs were played so frequently I could actually remember nearly every line and tonal inflection. From this, I decided to make a quiz for you. Maybe you remember those songs as well. Here are twelve questions based on the album Bookends. See how well you perform. Ten or better is an A. Answer below.

At the Zoo
1. Which animal is kindly but dumb?
2. Which animal is skeptical of changes in their cages?
3. This animal stands for honesty. What is it?
4. Which animal plots in secrecy?
5. And which is insincere?

And more...
6. What was the name of the draft dodger living downstairs in Punky’s Dilemma?
7. What was the name of the famous baseball player in Mrs. Robinson?
8. In the song Fakin’ It, what occupation did the narrator have in another lifetime?
9. Who was the officer in Save the Life of My Child?
10. What happened when the spotlight hit the boy?
11. What was the narrator drinking while looking over manuscripts of unpublished rhyme in A Hazy Shade of Winter?
12. In the song America, what did the narrator say when Kathy was sleeping?

ANSWERS
1. Elephants
2. Orangutans
3. Monkeys
4. Pigeons
5. Giraffes
6. Old Roger draft-dodger
7. Joe DiMaggio
8. A Tailor
9. Officer McDougal
10. He flew away
11. Vodka and lime
12. “Kathy, I’m lost.”

How did you do?