Robin Morris, Sacramento, CA USA


'I Sling the Baa D'electric'

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Artist's comments ...

    Apologies to Ray Bradbury for the punishing title... (after his "I Sing the Body Electric").

    Narrative art draws me lately, maybe because I have lately absorbed so many prints and engraved images. Before photography, moving pictures and TV and video, an author left the picturing of a story up to the reader, or provided illustrations. There is a magic to an illustrated story, look at the face of a child who is being read a fairytale from a picture book. If we can retain the kind of openness to wonder that little kid has, we may enjoy illustrations to the same degree. The static picture that attempts to encapsulate many more than a thousand words is a worthy goal for an artist. Here I am inspired to show Phillip K. Dick as the dreamer. In his book, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (from which the movie "Blade Runner" was made) the protagonist is embarrassed because his ersatz sheep has rusted and shorted out up on his roof, while his neighbor has a real-looking animal in good working order. This in a future where animals are rare enough that to own a live one is a big-time status symbol. So our hero risks death to afford his dream, a sheep. But in the process he comes to wonder if he himself is real, or just another phony. Similar worries pervade my dreams and darker waking moments. Right now I'm trying hard to be real...and not to rust.

    The print was carved in a shina plywood block. I liked the idea of it bleeding off the edges with no border so I carved it slightly larger than the print size. The paper is Nishinouchi and the ink is Sumi with nori paste.


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