Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man

Last night I participated in an event put on by PechaKucha Providence

PechaKucha is a presentation format that involves showing 20 images and talking about each one for 20 seconds. This was my first time and I enjoyed creating the images, writing a script to go with them, and doing the presentation. It was called Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man. The images and script are below.

#1 - self portrait

I recently turned 75 and painted a self-portrait to celebrate. But I couldn’t stop. I made 19 variations on it. What follows is a kind of mini autobiography of an artist as an old man.

#2 - upside down

March of 2020. I had been figuring I’d turn 75 and just cruise on along doing pretty much what I’d been doing; hanging out with family and friends, traveling, making art, trying to keep fit, volunteering. That’ll teach me to make plans.

#3 - king

Living through this time is easier because I have a lot of privilege. If you set aside the fact that the corona virus has a hard on for old guys, I’m doing OK. Laying low, keeping to myself, one day at a time.

#4 - monkey

Of course there is a monkey. There is always a monkey.

Never negotiate with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.

Just because you got the monkey off your back, doesn’t mean the circus has left town.

#5 - flower

If you're going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Mainly, it all goes back to me being an old lefty, radical hippy.  Just trying to do the right thing.

#6 - Tattooed blue birds

I was born in 1945 and, in my opinion, missed all the good tattoos. My father had a girl in a grass skirt that he could make dance by flexing his bicep. Flexing my bicep has never done nothing.

#7 - clown

I knew a guy who was a clown. When he died, all his friends went to the funeral in one Volkswagen.

He was a few clowns short of a circus.

Nobody likes a clown at midnight.

#8 - four kings

I play a lot of cards. In cribbage, four kings is worth 12 points. In Tichu, four of a kind is a bomb and very powerful. In Oh Hell, you’d probably end up bidding on at least a couple of these kings.

#9 - Hawaii

I’ve never been to Hawaii and I don’t play the ukulele. I’ve never worn a grass skirt nor ever had a body like this. You’ll just have to take my word for it that this is one version of me that should be included here.

#10 - Maximón, San Simon

On a trip to Guatemala, I went to see the shrine of Maximón, aka San Simon. On the way, I had to pause to vomit impressively against a wall. At his alter, I lit a white candle. I felt fine for the rest of the trip and I’ve been a fan ever since.

#11 - Cock Fight

The most politically incorrect thing I’ve ever enjoyed was cock fighting. At the time I thought, well it was cool, but once was enough. I don’t need to go back. But that was a couple of years ago and now I’m not so sure.

#12 - I go to pieces

You walk by and I fall to pieces

I’ve got no patience for drama in relationships any more, but I sure love a good country and western song.

#13 - Serve Somebody

you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes

You're gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody

There is no moral neutrality. The only way to be a good person is to work at it.

#14 - bird

Just because a bird lands on your head, it doesn’t mean you have to build it a nest.

#15 - sunny side

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life.

#16 - Voo Doo

I’ve got twelve grandkids; five live on the west coast, so I’ve got a lot of tee shirts from Portland, Oregon. Grandkids are better than kids. Twice the fun, half the responsibility. 

#17 - Pissing

I’m speechless.

#18 - self portraits

I’ve looked really long and hard at a lot of important self portraits. On the one hand, it’s taught me a lot.  On the other hand, I’m like the guy who crashes the party just in hopes of getting a selfie with somebody famous.

(Edward Hopper, Gregory Gellespi, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Chuck Close, Diego Rivera, Lucian Freud, Barkley Hendricks, Pablo Picasso)

#19 hearts

The older you get the more your picture of yourself consists of medical images. I recently saw my heart beating on monitor. I was filled with awe that it had been Ka-Chugging away for 75 years. One of these days It'll quit, sooner rather than later.

#20 - death

There’s a hundred ways an old artist can die. I’ll be OK with any of them as long as they don’t happen until 2030. Of course I might change my tune when 2029 rolls around.