the big tomato, 2009
24" x 24", oil on canvas
This painting is available at the Judy Saslow gallery
"The Big Tomato" is a Dragnet radio show from 1951 ( Sorry, but I've been listening to these a lot lately while I paint...). In this episode, "the big tomato" is the main supplier for "tea" in the Los Angeles area, and Joe and Ben ( Romero, his partner who, incidentally, nobody can ever pronounce his name). The main guy is smuggling the weed in tomato cans into the country, and it's up to Joe to shut it down.
I've recently been "tooling up" my new website, and revising my "artist's statement" and biography ( I guess that doesn't really change much, but...), and I realized something; some of the information that I had read through various artist's websites is written in the third person. As if some authority had come in and written it on their behalf ( when, in fact, we know that the guy/ gal wrote this thing themselves).
If I write a bunch of slick sounding "art speak" on my behalf ( in the third person) will I elevate my work? Is the artist ever really the qualified person to speak about his/ her work? I realize that it's sort of a "launching point" for people to see where the artist is coming from, but seriously, some of these "statements" come off maybe a little...hmmm... pretentious.
This is my new artist statement ( for today ):
Nature aesthetic feelings words oppression government bad people mean words global warming words economy little puppies babies racism mutually assured self destruction more words visa mastercard check or cash.
Good, huh?
Ah, forget that one. This one's better.
My new artist statement ( for tomorrow, but not the day after):
My artwork can cure cancer, so... buy some and you won't "catch" it.
Love,
Otto Pin It Now!
