Writing by Emily
Writing, painting and taking pictures ...
For older posts, click 'Always painting' link below. More recent additions, scroll down.
For older posts, click 'Always painting' link below. More recent additions, scroll down.
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I was working on a story about looking for my father's art, an obsession of mine since February 2008, when an essay about my mother's last summer inserted itself into the manuscript. Eventually, I rewrote the essay as a piece that could stand alone. Today it was published in a new literary pub called "The Leopard Seal." [Note, the new literary pub is now a defunct one. I've posted the story here.] 'The story of the snake and the bears' is the name of the piece; here are some of the photos I took that summer.... With grateful thanks to the kind men from the Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries.  This cute little guy broke into Mom's cabin. That night a very large bear tore the door off the house. I had to call the wildlife police....  ...who came to the house, inspected the situation and brought a bear trap. On the left, biologist John Rohm; right, senior officer Mark DiLuigi, both from the Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries. Center: a bear trap.  Mark DiLuigi and John Rohm calibrating the peaches-and-lever end of the bear trap. Your bear, it lumbers into the back of the trap, grabs a bag of peaches and BAM! down comes the door.  The inside of the door bears witness to beasties' clawings and scrabblings.  The baby bear managed to trip the trap, but escaped only bruised and aggrieved. No other harm came to any bears at the cabin that summer.
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Yesterday marked the sixth year of my midlife epiphany ... on Feb. 4, 2008, I was flipping through an elderly copy of ARTnews magazine. A final glance before junking it into the recycling bin under the stairs.
But wait, what? Here's an ad for a life's-work solo show in Philadelphia, called "Adventures in 'Pataphysics." Why hadn't I noticed it months ago, when the magazine was fresh? My father had been into Pataphysics in the 1950s; I'd thought he was the only one making art about it. In that moment, my quest to locate and preserve my father's artwork was launched. It's been an occupation ever since. When I began looking, I knew very little about my father as an artist. My memories, of a much-loved father, are of listening to records and painting together. How fun is a father who encourages scribbling on the walls? I was only four when he died, and lucky to have any memories at all.... Six years into the quest, I have learned a great deal about my father, the artist. Michael R. Taylor, Director of the Hood Museum, helped me gain some objectivity in my research. About 250 works have surfaced. I'm thrilled to be showing a few of the paintings and prints in March, in Philadelphia. The artwork is splendid. Jim himself remains elusive. The people who loved my father and his work are fascinating, generous, clever, offbeat, wonderful friends. I've interviewed Jim Brewton's friends and collectors in Canada, Denmark, all over the U.S., and U.K. It's been an amazing puzzle so far. And all thanks to flipping through a magazine before dropping it in the recycling. Isn't life Pataphysical.... |
