Saturday, April 16, 2016

Air Sitar

Zohra Bai (of Agra)
8 x 1o inches, oil on board, 2016
From a photograph that may depict Zohrabai Agrewali (1836-1913). Zohra Bai is from Agra, not to be confused with another Zohrabai, who was a classical singer in Hindi cinema. There are many pictures of Zohrabai Ambalewali (1918-1990) available. Zohra Bai of Agra has amazing long hands and in interpreting the photograph I purposefully left out the sitar to focus attention to her right hand. Later I also removed the toddler on her knee and held in place by her left hand. Not just air sitar then but also air baby. The left hand was left in place and feels strangely out of place (it still needs a little work but the position won't be altered). The song represented, Dadurwa Bolay Mor Shor Karat recorded in 1910, is of course not about her hands but about her voice, which as sinuous as her hands.

Friday, April 8, 2016

M.I.A. Stencil

M.I.A.
stencil on paper, 2016

A stencil per semester to trade with students, this will make it six. The second of M.I.A.

The Competition

Jennie Williams and Natalie Frost
12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas paper, 2015

Jennie Williams and Natalie Frost (separated in the painting) are holding hands while performing a Katajjaq, a throat-singing game of imitation. A boy holds up a microphone. The singer who first laughs or misses a beat loses. I don't remember who wins, it doesn't matter.