Well, OK, now the Painting has gone from being just a composition with a buzzer, a letter, pulleys and green frogs on a chalkboard (I have no idea why) to being a piece about the First Amendment. So I feel I have to review the imagery in that new light, revise and modify things to fit the Theme, and do supplemental research to find images that add layers of meaning to the composition.
Reviewing what I already have in that light, the Frogs are a perfect fit as a symbol of "The Swamp" denounced first, and then made worse by 51. The buzzer fits in very well too as an Alarm, as well as the push buttons. What does the Nautical Signal Flag mean? Well, I picked it for the color and graphism, but it happens by chance to be the flag representing the letter O (could that be for Obama?). It is also the flag used to signal "Man Overboard", and the Semaphore Flag at sea.
The set of 4 pulleys and crank driving a red cord round and round in an endless loop doesn't seem to have any purpose, but is a good symbol of both the continuous and relentless attacks on the First Amendment we have seen in the last year, and the endlessgridlock of our politics... The Drawing Compass is one of the symbols of Masonry, and as such can represent the founding fathers.
That was actually a pretty good start for a meaningless first draft!
I then started Googling away and gathering images of other objects, as well as quotes from various thinkers, and the composition has now reached this stage:
Reviewing what I already have in that light, the Frogs are a perfect fit as a symbol of "The Swamp" denounced first, and then made worse by 51. The buzzer fits in very well too as an Alarm, as well as the push buttons. What does the Nautical Signal Flag mean? Well, I picked it for the color and graphism, but it happens by chance to be the flag representing the letter O (could that be for Obama?). It is also the flag used to signal "Man Overboard", and the Semaphore Flag at sea.
The set of 4 pulleys and crank driving a red cord round and round in an endless loop doesn't seem to have any purpose, but is a good symbol of both the continuous and relentless attacks on the First Amendment we have seen in the last year, and the endlessgridlock of our politics... The Drawing Compass is one of the symbols of Masonry, and as such can represent the founding fathers.
That was actually a pretty good start for a meaningless first draft!
I then started Googling away and gathering images of other objects, as well as quotes from various thinkers, and the composition has now reached this stage:
The added objects are:
. Various stamps quoting parts of the First Amendment, plus the "Yes We Can Rosie" stamp, a Voltaire & Rousseau French stamp, a Lenin stamp, a Thomas Payne stamp.
. An old photograph of a very old, tired and ragged Uncle Sam, hat off.
. Stamps on the envelope.
. Two French Revolution Cockades.
. A plaque saying "Capitol".
. Two bullets and a pre WW2 Coca Cola Swastika Fob.
. A target with 4 bullet holes
. A piece of chalk
. A rusted meat hook, a Red Sacred Heart Scapular, and my Dad's WW2 POW dogtag(intact)
. An assortment of Bugs arranged on the Target: a Green Stink Bug with eggs, two House Flies, two Kissing Bugs (very deadly), a Brown Widow Spider, a Wasp Spider, a Red Coccinelle(Ladybug( for luck, a couple of Maggots coming out of the Bullet holes, a Flying Bee, and a couple of Flies mating.
The added chalk writing on the background blackboard are:
. The Heading of the Bill of Rights.
. Two favorite quotes from Voltaire: "I dissaprove of what you say, but I will defend to the Death you Right to say it", and "It is Dangerous to be Right when the Government is Wrong"...
. A quote from Historian Dave Krueger: " The First Amendment was not written for People with Nothing to say".
. Two powerful quote from Lenin: "Can a Nation be free if it oppresses other Nations? It cannot." and " A Lie told often enough becomes the Truth".
. Two short quotes from MLK: "I have a Dream...", and "Free at Last! Free at Last!... We are Free at Last!"
. As well as: "Je suis Charlie!"
