#198 The Rhinoceros

Animalia: Day 141

The Rhinoceros

After Albrecht Dürer

After Albrecht Dürer + TMNT

Dunno.

Explanation: So I approached this drawing thinking about Dürer's ever-present rhinoceros. Dürer's rhino is a landmark in the history of art and – more importantly for me – in the history of printmaking. Perhaps more broadly, it is a landmark in the history of science and knowledge. It accordingly serves as the cover illustration of Susan Dackerman's exhibition catalogue Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge. I take this print as a teaching point every time I talk about the history of prints and the power of images, especially in terms of multiples. 

(Dürer's Rhinoceros, via wikipedia)

It remains the quintessential image of a rhinoceros. Despite its inaccuracies, this image was powerful enough to shape the very idea of 'rhinocerosness' for hundreds of years after its production. One can read the wikipedia article (yes, it has its own article) for the whole story, but suffice it to say that this image – apart from looking super cool – changed the history of art, science, and knowledge itself.

And it is still effecting images of rhinos, and artists interested in interpreting Dürer's work in countless ways:

Don Moyer's 17 sketches of Dürer's rhinoceros from memory.

Rhino robot.

A reimagining of Dürer's rhino.

Another reimagining, this one with extended neck.

So I thus knew that I too would pay homage to Dürer. I first considered showing a more realistic rhinoceros removing the armor plates that Dürer has applied, as if he were wearing a suit of armor. This website is pretty exciting in showing the armor in its constituent parts. I then was thinking about more anthropomorphic rhinoceroses, and remembered Rocksteady, the constant companion of Bepop, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I remember him from the cartoon, but it occurs to me that I might have had his action figure as well. I can't remember for sure.

Rocksteady (via TMNTpedia)

So I sketched out the body first on paper, then traced it onto the wacom tablet, giving me a basic outline. Since it was a sketch, at this point I hadn't added any of the clothes, but he was posed holding the gun. Then I started adding skin textures. Eventually, I had added textures to the whole thing, but hadn't added the clothes yet. This was more or less the third image posted above. At that point, I knew I wanted to post a version with all the textures visible, but the gun felt too violent, especially given what happens to rhinos in the wild, and other issues with guns happening right now in America. So I added the "Bang" to neutralize that. But it wasn't enough. I forgot about it and moved on to adding the clothes, which went well. I didn't go as far as giving him cargo pants and combat boots, but I still think it reads as Rocksteady without those, especially with the dangling turtle shell at his hips (what was that all about anyways?). Anyways, after having completed the full Rocksteady outfit, I decided to return and remove the gun (first image). It results in a somewhat awkward stance, but I am glad I did it. It is better than a rhino holding a gun for no reason. The monogram was added last, obviously inspired by / derived from Dürer's own. I also briefly considered adding a version of the Dürer rhino as a Judoon soldier from Doctor Who, but decided it would be too much work, and would cover up all the exciting textures anyways. So alas, no Judoon.

But here is a bonus Rhino from a few years ago, drawn from the Natural History Museum's brochure cover.

Tomorrow (probs not tho): the Saiga Antelope.

#169 First Engraving

Hey all! I made my first engraving!

 

I have wanted to do engraving for a while. It is one of the 

most basic intaglio processes and was ubiquitous in the early modern 

world, but is now one of the least practiced of those print processes.

It is also purty freakin hard, thus the lack of contemporary practice.

I chose to use zinc for my first engraving because it is softer 

and more forgiving than copper, and because it's my party etc.

The engraving is of a wild man by a pollard willow, and I took inspiration 

from sources such as Burgkmair's Fight in the Forest, Schongauer's 

engravings of wild men (note my borrowed monogram form), Dürer's

drypoint St. Jerome with a Pollard Willow, Rembrandt's of the same 

subject, and Dürer and Schongauer's engravings of the Flight into Egypt.

I am overall very happy with the print, 

but the experience was not without problems.

Here is the plate. I ended up using the back of the zinc plate because I

messed up the front. The back has this industrial varnish on it, which I

planned to remove later, but it turns out it is pretty insoluble. Removing

the varnish might damage the plate, so I plan on editioning with said varnish

still on. You can also see  where the burin slipped on one of the clouds,

and I tried to burnish it and the varnish lifted a bit.

I was able to print it at Georgetown, with the help of Prof. Scip 

Barnhart, who was super nice, super knowledgeable (especially re: stone 

lithography), super generous, and an all around super guy.

Scip suggested we print the plate relief as well, which I would not 

have thought to do had he not suggested it. It prints surprisingly clear.

I am surprised I have not seen any early modern examples of 

printing intaglio plates in relief. Surely it must have been attempted?

#123 Meadows Museum Sketches

This is not an animal post.

School is mad hectic.

So instead of an animal,

you're getting sketches from the Meadows Museum at SMU.

Done during the class I am TAing.

On the left is Antonis Mor's portrait of the 16 year old Alessandro Farnese,

and from top to bottom is Maino, Adoration of the Shepherds;

Murillo, Jacob Laying Peeled Rods Before the Flocks of Laban;

Zurbaran, The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine of Siena;

and a putto from a Murillo Immaculate Conception.

They're all Baroque, except the Mor.

#17 Molded Heroes

The Molded Heroes show happened last weekend in Aurora, IL.

Nick and I both had prints in the show (Nick's is hyper-violent TMNT),

and they are both up for purchase on the Molded Heroes website.

Here is the print I did:

Nick actually printed this for me and everything,

so a big thanks (and a bottle of night train?) is owed there.

It is basically a knockoff of this etching by Rembrandt.

The print is a little bit of a one-liner, essentially equating all life decisions as fruitless -

by way of juxtaposition of Rembrandt's original message and references to starter Pokemon.

The original print deals with the myth of Faust

and his decision between worldly and religious pursuits -

a pretty common theme in art of the Dutch Golden Age.

Its presence is seen in vanitas, still-life, and genre painting.

Elements of these can be found in the original print and the "copy"

(take, for example, the skull in the background and book in the foreground).

Two posts in one day, gettin' busy.

#14 SGC

So SGC was fun.

Here's the painting completed and framed.

I guess I'm happy with how it turned out?

Not sure how I feel about abandoning concept

in favor of convoluted art historical references?

Either way, the composition and what not is taken from

this Honthorst painting.

The characters are Baltan, Godzilla, and a Hopi Kachina doll.

I always loved Kachina dolls.

I made some when I was in 3rd-5th grade.

On to the next project I am way behind on:

Here is a sketch for the print I am doing for this show.

Nick and I are both doing stuff for it.

Again, not sure how I feel about just completely ripping off of Rembrandt

and replacing the symbolism with Pokeballs.

But you know, "Life is full of decisions,"

is what some old guy at the Metrolink told me

when I was deciding whether or not to get a 2 hour pass.

So who's your starter pokemon?

Mine was squirtle.

#10 Sketchbook

Swoop.

Post number ten!

Here's more sketchbook stuff from the past two weeks,

and one from the Summer.

Inspired by and made on a placemat in Japan. Kanidouraku.

Alien Baltan and Ultraman,

poses and background inspired by Mike Mignola.

Bosch copy and the view from

Dunkin Donuts at Goverment Center.

Rhino, from Natty H cover.

And a virus.

Drawn on the plane to KC.

The turtle started out as a the jacket

of the woman to my left, but she moved.