A still from a film by Stan Brakhage, "Window Water Baby Moving," an experimental short film showing the birth of Brakhage's first child in all its gory glory. Believe it or not, this still is from
before the baby was born. I was lucky enough to walk in with my dinner just as the baby's head was "crowning..." Blargh! Au revoir, appetite! Anywho his films are full of rapid, jarring cuts that make you feel as if you're having a seizure. I found this still by careful pausing. Staedtler pen, watercolor, and pencil on paper.
After I took my awful Qualifying Exam in January, I went to Atlantic City to blow off some steam and forget all 2,000 of the images I had just memorized. That night, my man friend and I ended up in a casino bar with several nearly nude ladies dancing on platforms. I found them oddly fascinating, and I'm not exactly sure why, but the whole scene was very grotesquely mesmerizing in a sad and beautiful way. This painting was made in response to that evening. Partially inspired by Milton Glaser's psychadelic Dylan poster from the '60s (see below). Acrylic and metallic craft paint with Sharpie on canvas, 16x20.
