Tuesday, December 11, 2007

L'inattendu (Fontaine du désir) - 1

Having completed the sketching I took a photograph and transferred it onto the computer where I enlarged and printed a copy. I then made a tracing for transfer to the paper. Here you see a close up on the 'Starman'.

He's a curious figure. I've been using his concept now for many years. He was based originally on an a patient I knew when I was nursing back in the early 1980's. He was a very bitter and caustic old man who had no family or friends...he gave one the impression that the universe centered around himself. Sadly he died and I thought how sad it was that there was no one to mourn his passing.

I therefore created the man covered in a Star cloak (visual pun intended!)..he has represented not only selfishness and bitterness, but also lust and desire. It is for you to interpret his place in this composition.

7 comments:

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Fascinating! We have diametrically opposite views on lust and desire, while you equate it with selfishness and bitterness, I usually see it as a drive for ego-decimation and the dismantling of the self. Now you've got me at the edge of my seat!

Niall young said...

Julie...I'm not sure I want lust and desire to be linked with bitterness and selfishness...it's just that the character has stood for these in equal measures in his time.they are important aspects of his flawed character I agree that lust and desire will dominate the self and therefore diminish other aspects...this therefore creates a narrow view centered on the object of desire..and nothing but the realisation of that desire will suffice.I supose it is therefore inherrantly a selfish desire...you can tell i don't know what i'm talking about really...maybe I should just say that I like his starry cloak and scary face.

Nessa said...

Haven't been back in a while. Scrolled down for the finished Ball of Wool and it's amazing. Beautiful piece. Looking forward to your newest.

Devil Mood said...

And I thought I was done with interpretation when I finished school...;)

he looks like the devil. :P

Niall young said...

Nessa..Ah!..welcome back. I'm glad you liked the 'Ball Of Wool'!..I hope this one won't dissapoint either!

DM...I used to put a little code at the bottom of my pictures with the letters 'S.I.A.T.'..(Isuppose it was influenced by 'PRB' of the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood!)..can you guess what it might mean?

Devil Mood said...

nooooooo
I can't guess. It's hard, especially in a foreign language. You have to give me a break there.

Niall young said...

DM...It stands for 'Symbolism In All Things'!..I used this a lot in my early pictures....so now you know! (You can see it in the bototom corner of some pics....see Unseen 3..the one with the railway bridge and and the Starman fishing.