DRAWING - FIRST DRAWING | ENGINEERING REVALATIONS | ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECES
Prior to everey thing there was a beginning, then a middle bit, (but no end as you would find in a good yarn) before the great production which follows.
You will have to wait for publicattion - it is in preparation. I will post the reference here [...] when it is available. Stand by!
DRAWING - PORTFOLIOS | ARCHIVE
Drawing is a term that I employ to cover nearly everything that I do. It is a term that transcends materials and techniques used, and at the same time sets a distinction, a distance, between what lots of artists do, such as painting, printmaking, even anything esoteric, etc. Perhaps 'drawing' for me suggests more meaningfully that there is some sense of purpose - 'drawing and something' v 'painting and anything'. In addition, as the body of work grows (and grows) I have concerned myself about the meaning, or the value, of this as a great body of work - 'the oeuvre' - so 'drawing' is convenient.
Drawing is the creative act which spontaneously brings into existence something new. Psychologically, I really am an outsider, and significantly self-conscious. Growing up was an alienating struggle. There was no time to have any sense of identity but significantly, when my drawing discovered itself, it was the foremost statement of my self-awareness. Drawing then emerged as a confirmation of self-identity, and it was also intensely personal, surprising, private and engaging. I was around 10 years old, ill, bed-ridden, when I started drawing, a profound beginning, and I have never stopped.
Coincidentally, the classification - drawing - has conveniently been further qualified, affirmed, by long periods where I have only worked in specific media, or periods where I have worked in specific creative environments with unique access to distinct materials and processes. I can say for sure that these periods are coloured by a personal learning experience which was both practical and cerebral, but 'drawing' is the inclusive and also indefinite term.
So my personal story has a very long torrid history and from each point in this history I have regularly looked at it somewhat like one would with an archaelogical 'dig', with a reverse history where making sense of it all comes at a some future date. The archaeological metaphor concerns the strata found in an archaeological baulk - as in stratigraphy - which presents an historical understanding of the sequence of events.
The metaphorical perspective first encounterered here at this late date is like the sandy mound first observed by the archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon, around 1953 in Palestine - which was the first revelation of the ancient, world's oldest city, Jerico*1 in Palestine. Of importance too, it is like the little old man I saw wandering the streets of Soho, or Pimlico, years ago, that I had observed over the years who appears to have little to offer the world, but on his sad death, a closer inspection of his possesions, thrown into a skip by his home-repossessing landlords, that his existence had in fact been extraordinary.
SLIME MOULD - A METAPHOR
After the end of the excavation comes Melvin Sheldrake's, 'Entagled Life', where he describes 'Slime Moulds': 'brainless organisms outside of the animal kingdom which form exploratory networks of tentacle-like veins; have no central nervous system yet can make choices and decisions concerning viable courses of action'.
See: Steven T Asma, "The Evolution of Imagination",
Slime Mould is a truely great metaphor for art - well for mine as I propose it - as well as being somthing profound in its own right. With Slime Mould it is a metaphor for the processes and evolution of imagination. As profound it represents the creation of the organic world, which includes that of the [ animal ] human evolution. But it's intelligence comes from nowhere - it has no brain or nervous system - but goes on and on discovering, pioneering.
I enjoy the idea that the 'Slime Mould' metaphor is also connected to the nature of my work, my history and my life and the totality of my experiences. Just the way the organism finds some optimum paths. For me it is the best way to describe the survival in a world of alienation. 'Slime Mould' - it is utimately true and original nature. The world without human corruption and destruction. See my earlier ravings on 'meaninglessness'.
These divisions relate also to a desperation for order, for comprehension of what I am doing, and for 'keeping a handle on things', knowing who I am, and consolidating a sense of self-identity.
I like the idea that I once come across, that the recent journals I have created consitute 'an autonomous branch of visual art' - in my case I enjoy the simile similar to 'collecting pieces of detritus discarded around the local pub and bus stop, which I do every now and again as an act of 'civic duty' - it is just what it is, an autonomous branch of the domain 'garbage'. There is some respectability about it, or even dignity, certainly satisfaction, or some other raving quality.
CURRENT DRAWING JOURNALS - THE SLIME MOULD CRONICLES ( 2023 - PRESENT )
The most recent portfolios are grouped together partially as an initial assertion (see: Rubin, 2023) statement that one's production (anyone's) is a unique creation. Every person, in every act of work, is by virtue of that, a creative person.
[ NOTES: I have discovered many things outside of a domain that one has constructed for one's self: Imagination. Meaning. Maths and Ecomomics. Slime Mould. Philosophy (as in meaninglessness). Pomposity. Art to which I connect.]
RECENT JOURNALS THE GRAPHIC TRAVELOGES ( 2021 - 2023 )
Each of these books have somethings in commom. They are chronorically [a worryingly similar word to 'chronologically' !] created - strictly page by page; they are mainly hand drawn in ink; also they are only lightly digitally edited. But they do constitute a complete collection. Some images are very interesting, others quite funny. All somewhat surreal and a bit of me.
e-BOOKS GRAPHIC YARNS ( 2021 - 2023 )
These are my first attempts in my drawing at the graphic 'novel' - better ideomatically they are 'graphic yarns', or perhaps simply comicbooks.
Again the set or group is seqential, fitting a particular time slot.
COLLECTIONS: PORTRAITS ( 2021 - 2023 )
In an attempt to see, or find, or discover, some meaning in my work, from my sketchbooks and journals, I collected and compiled a large number of portraits, essentially cartoons mainly caricatures, surreal portraits in this one place. There is a lot more to say...
ANNOTATED GRAPHIC NARRATIVES ( 2021 - 2023 )
Again, these are compilations af drawings from the period. The are annotated. This for me was mainly to seek out the existence of some coherent process or value that may be hidden from me. In this case the images seem to be accidenttal, incidental or random pages from a larger story book - a large story book which has been lost or forgotten. Each illustration then remains the evidence of the narrative that needs to be reestablished from all of this archaeology. My guess is that id will lead to the biography of a wandering lost soul. Or someone.
In the quite separate scrapbooks which form the literary (text) part of my work, I have many anecdotes concerning people, loners, 'odd ones out', alienated, probably abused, as further evidence to affirm the idea that everyone can be considered - and represented - as interesting and unique. [ MORE LATER ]
COLLECTIONS BY MEDIUM ( 2021 - 2023 )
The three volumes presented here represent unique and separate bodies of work.
After university I worked in the medium of oil crayon. This approached the medium as hard edged, at times quite precise mimmicking the hard edges of traditioal printed posters. THe topics all related to personal experiences.
Through teaching I had access to many different media. Following 'Oil Crayon' techniques, I carried out a large volume of 'Colour Pencil' illustrations.
INK & DIGITAL PORTFOLIO ( 2011 - 2017 )
Initially, in this portfolio I continue with the black ink but start to consider the possibilities of colour. The black line drawings now have these fine hatched detail renderings replaced with digital color fill.
The blackline hatching of the past period was usually facilitated by being seated with the TV table acting as the drawing board. Now with the move from the comfort of the 'Gatehouse' residence, I was able to set up a fully functioning digital studio, in parallel with two other drawing spaces, at our new estate of the Farnbro' Moors
The line drawings continued in numerous [ SKETCHBOOKS ]. The relevant images were then digitally scanned, then edited to various formats and finally rendered using Photoshop™
Each of one of these 'sketchbooks' it seems make up a sort of narrative, which relates to a few months of 'fun and laughter' - hard to imagine!.
Colour, which storngly chracterised my early work now has returned with both charcter and new aesthetic challenges.
BLACK INK PORTFOLIOS ( 1973 - 2006 )
The 'Black Ink Portfolios' had a vague beginning in the early sketchbooks but the distinct bulk of the ink line drawings abruptly ended in 2006. This was a time of great turmoil when I was singled out and victimised for my political work for the Palestinian cause and was forced to move to a new [but inspiring] studio environment. The drawings are largely and intensely (but not exactly) spread over Sketchbooks #34 (1997) to #47 (2006).
Each of one of these 'sketchbooks' seems make up a sort of narrative - the war in Iraq was for some time the focus - hard to imagine!. [ See my essay: 'The TV War Artist'. ]
BLACK INK DRAWINGS OF NOTE ( 1973 - 2006 )
This is a very specific selection of posters in ink and of large scale. Mainly commissions.
A -
B - 
C - 
D - 
E - 
B - Illustrations for the Amnesty International Poster - 'UN Against Torture'.
C - Illustrations for the publication - 'Tales of Africa'.
D - Large scale illustration - 'Silver Dollar'.
E - Large scale illustration - 'Lamboughini' (1985).
DRAWING ARCHIVE ARCHIVE - [By Medium] ( 1985 - 2000 )
My early drawing consisted of work in specific media. Chronologically, from the earliest these are: Oil Crayon, Coloured Pencil, Gouache, Acrylic and Print media.
ARCHIVE - Inkjet ( 1999 - 2001 )
ARCHIVE - Serigraphs ( 1985 - 2000 )
ARCHIVE - Computer Line Plots ( 1985 - 1995 )
ARCHIVE - Acrylic ( 1984 - 2011 )
ARCHIVE - Gouache ( 1959 - 1990 )
ARCHIVE - Colour Pencil ( 1995 - 1996 )
ARCHIVE - Oil Crayon ( 1963 - 1996 )
ARCHIVE - SKETCHBOOKS ( 1962 - 2025 )
SKETCHBOOKS - INDEX ( 1962 - 2025 )
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