Gemini at the Beach

“You KNOW you have a twin,” the woman said, walking an elderly dog in the Van Damme State Beach parking lot yesterday in response to my hello.  (I was just waiting for her to pass by, for I wanted to strip off my cold wet neoprene.). “You have a twin, “ she continued, “in SC.”

I am not sure which SC she meant, for I didn’t think to ask.  I thought, South Carolina?  (Did I hear a touch of the South in her voice?  I think so.)

Maybe SoCal or Santa Cruz?

I do not know.

She walked on, the dog pulling her.

Autumn Dreams

Gemini, Sleeping--A Mask: sculpture mix; denim, transparent brown, and clear glazing, layered.

Photo: August 10th, 2012.

Clay Play at the Beach

Gemini, Sleeping--A Mask:
sculpture mix;
denim, transparent brown, and clear glazing,
layered.

Gemini: Stone and Foam

Gemini, Sleeping--A Mask:
sculpture mix;
denim, transparent brown, and clear glazing,
layered.

Stunt Doubles

Mateo: Three Faces (Naked, Hoplite, Diver)

Mateo in Morning Light.

As with living humans, that light can show nakedly the signs and emblems of age.

I think I did a fair job of capturing some of me at fifty, though in other ways this piece is a younger me and/or not me quite at all.  (If that's confusing, that's the Gemini coming through.)

Piece sculpted in a Self-Portrait Class: Summer 2011.

I've posted shots of this figure in the past on this blog.  

Hit the "Mateo" label-link below to see the other shots and commentary, if you'd like.

Mateo as Hoplite / Greek Warrior.

I use the helmet as a visual aid, seriously and/or humorously, when teaching Homer's epics or any of the Greek tragedies.

Mateo: Free Diver.

That's an old mask from the '80s.  Note the side ports for greater range of vision while diving.

This particular mask I picked up and gave to my father to encourage him to swim laps.  He didn't like the feel of standard swim goggles, so I suggested such a mask.  When he didn't pick one up for himself, I made a gift of this one.  I don't think he ever used it more than once or twice, at best.

Mateo: sculpture mix; denim glazing, poured over and mostly wiped off.

For the record, I'm not crazy about the end results here, but making this piece -- the largest single clay piece I've ever made -- has taught me much, not least about envisioning outcomes and artistic control.   The pallor is slightly disturbing, and the shininess of the blue seems just a bit too much.  I am not sure what I had expected or imagined when I glazed the piece.  And yet, Mateo strikes me as a very undersea  fellow, as a merfolk stand-in, which seems quite suitable too.

Old Man Autumn / Old Man Winter?

Let's look at this mask again, noting the browns in the setting, the context:

I put my Gemini, Sleeping mask next to a brown log and some brown leaves, and the mood and narrative of the piece seem to change.  Star-sign shifts to seasonal mythos.

Here, I see Old Man Autumn snoozing away on the left; Old Man Winter, on the right. (Your left, your right.)

Gemini, Sleeping

Gemini, Sleeping--A Mask: sculpture mix; denim, transparent brown, and clear glazing, layered.