Salon des Indépendants ~ New London, CT

This is "A letter from the mental hospital" [first entitled "Industry"],
which is installed at the Hygienic Arts annual Salon des Indépendants
now on exhibit in New London Connecticut, this year, from 28th January through 11th February.

In changing the name of this collage, it provides a more accurate reflection of the source of some of the materials; in particular, the upside down letter ~ framed by two oxidized kitchen knives, were among artifacts I came across when urban spelunking at an abandoned insane asylum. The building had not house people since the 1970s. The letter was from a woman to her family, asking when they were coming to visit and wistfully talking about coming home. Obviously, the letter never got to the intended parties.

Below is one of the posters for the show, painted by artist Glenn Hart.

Maurice Sendak talks of writing for children

From the Colbert Report: Melanie Jones [from the International Business Times] says "...When Maurice Sendak sat down with Stephen Colbert for a two-part interview segment, even the "Colbert Report" host may not have been expecting some of the answers that came out of the "Where the Wild Things Are" author's mouth."

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Watch Part One of the Interview

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Some choice quotes:
'I really don't like adults at all'
"I didn't set out to make children happy or make life better for them, or easier for them," Sendak said. "I like them as few and far between as I do adults."
"Maybe a bit more," he conceded. "Because I really don't like adults at all."
Before the interview really got started, however, Sendak felt compelled to make an important distinction for Colbert: He is not a children's author. He's a writer.

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Now watch Part Two of the Interview

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"I don't write for children," Sendak said.
"I write, and somebody says, 'That's for children.'" He thinks book signings are "dreadful," and isn't that enamored of his fans, either.
This is not to say that the lovable curmudgeon doesn't have some strong opinions about how children's literature should be written.
"Everything by Seuss is good," said Sendak, perhaps influenced by the fact that Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was quite an ornery old man himself.
"Curious George," he adds, was also excellent. But otherwise, "Most books for children are very bad."

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image miscellany

Tree Fungus Carving ~ Deer at Night

Photography ~ Drumsticks and Wine

Photography ~ Weights

art show reception

Jim Riccio / Will Brady
Two Distinct Visions
of the World
18th January through early March 2012

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Rathbun Free Library – East Haddam, CT

36 Main Street / Route 149, East Haddam Village
½ mile from the East Haddam Swing Bridge
[call 860-873-8210 for hours]

Reception – Thursday, 26th of January 2012
6:00 to 7:30 pm

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I plan on doing a talk on collage and collage making some time during the month of February. Watch for it.