For a while I was creating really dark collages. This became repetitive, and dull, and I stopped. But truly, I must create what is on my mind.
It's been a rough haul lately. Every time I think I've turned the corner on a crisis, another one pops up. This collage says it all.
Art, even bad art, is about the truth. Whether it is writing, drawing, painting ...the only value is when the truth of experience comes through. (That's my strongest argument against AI). The truth may be light or dark. It can't be affectation or pretense.
In the picture below there is truth. The picture is certainly dark, but it was, for Hieronymus Bosch, a truth. And it is a truth we can recognize, even if we don't agree with the point of view.
Death and the Miser
Bosch, 1494. Public domain
I won't go into detail about my family's latest crisis, but it certainly drives the point home that we are all hanging over an abyss all the time. I am reminded sharply of that abyss by recent events.
In the picture below this paragraph there is represented another truth, for another artist. The image is stark, but it speaks the truth not only for the artist at that time, but it also speaks a truth for us. This may not be a pleasant truth, but it's real, and it is the artist's response to reality, as he experiences it.
The Plague
Arnold Bocklin. 1898. Public domain
Going through a series of crises so close together, as I have recently, grabs one by the proverbial collar and demands attention. As we go through life there is always background noise, a barely perceptible hum that is an awareness of our existential fragility. Miguel de Unamumo described it as the "Tragic Sense of Life". Sometimes the background noise becomes a screech.
We have to deal with the screech, put everything in perspective and go on. Making a collage helps me to put things in perspective.
Here is another painting, dark but truthful. This is by a Danish artist, one of my favorite, L.A. Ring.
A Young Woman in Black on a Bench at the Cemetery of Fløng Church
L. A. Ring. 1903. Public domain
If you look closely at my collage (top of the page) you will see it is not entirely dark. In a way, it's comic, with the man dangling improbably over the water. And, there are positive elements. Certainly the statue suggests the possibility of redemption, and the dove suggests peace. Together, the dove and the statue offer tranquility, which balances the turbulence of the sea below.
Elements Used in Making My Collage
Thank you to those who contributed these images.
Cliff
Jonas Wurster
https://unsplash.com/photos/three-people-standing-on-cliff-3LwMyv3FiUE
Man standing
https://pixabay.com/es/photos/hombre-caminante-de-pie-velada-21279/
From LIL
Statue
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/3874
Bird
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7642
I used GIMP (for painting and texture), Paint3D (for extraction and placement), and Paint (for copying and sizing).
The hardest part was the man. I had to remove his arms and place him on the cliff so it looked as though he was hanging. I leave a lot to the viewer's imagination. Context often helps to create the impression I'm going for.
This was the first step in making my collage--literally, a blank slate, with a little texture airbrushed in.
LMAC and LIL
LIL is not only a valuable image resource for the Hive community, but is also a way for community members to participate in LMAC. Anyone on Hive can contribute to the library and everyone can borrow from it. Learn about the procedure here.
LMAC's contest has been on hiatus for the summer, but art never rests. We have been welcoming freestyle collages and will continue to do so until the contest resumes in October. Keep your eye open for our announcement, as there will be changes in the way the contest proceeds.
I've been making collages for the LMAC community almost since the collage contest started. This is an exercise I find both enjoyable and cathartic (are they the same?). I am happy when I see a new participant in the community. I know some of those participants will become addicted, as I have become. We welcome all sincere efforts. Participants must be careful that they use only elements from our White List, or from the LIL Gallery.
More precise guidance may be found in this blog by 
Thank you for reading my blog. Hive on!
