Observations Upon the Mammals of Alsace 8 - The Minks of Alsace

Comment

Comment by De Villo Sloan on October 3, 2011 at 9:38pm

Russian icons, shrines, fortune tellers, mass-produced religious prints - I think all of that is meant to be there - and the real challenge, to capture both the sublime and cheesy - we know Dw can spread the cheese, but how often does he reach the sublime? And WHERE is he? He says he's nursing a fairly bruised and torn heart. He tells me he must now throw himself into THE TOXIS Adventure - but there are things he must discover about Groot and TRRH that he himself does not yet know.

 

I'm sticking to the the piece of sugar box (D' Ark) as being a reference to Joan of Arc. The cookie next to it is a Raspberry Fig Newton. Doesn't a fig have some symbolic value? A fortune cookie from the Alsacian Minx? Usually it means something.

Comment by Alicia Starr on October 3, 2011 at 4:30pm

ooh. lovely. a bit of studying required.

Comment by cheryl penn on October 3, 2011 at 4:18pm

Is Dark Brown Sugar any relation to Dark Wall?

Comment by Marie Wintzer on October 3, 2011 at 1:42pm

Talking about the minx from Minsk (where did I see that?), there is an air of Russian icon to it, don't you think? Dw's influences and sources are more complex than you think.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on October 3, 2011 at 12:35pm

How did this lead to The Shrine of the Minks? He's muttering about Korea and "The Manchurian Mail-Art Candidate" and Fluxus Barbie. Who knows what's next?

Comment by Marie Wintzer on October 3, 2011 at 10:49am

Dw, this was another great series of yours. Who knew that Alsace and mammals were so clearly related, and that there was so much art to make about it? I'm sure your future work will be equally fab, so I'm not sad that this is the last one of the series.

Comment by Marie Wintzer on October 3, 2011 at 10:45am

Thorough research has certainly been done by Dw, here is a typical shrine with its red gate:

The guardian deities of the shrine are very often found at the entrance, foxes most of the time, which are replaced by minks in this piece. The gypsy woman dispensing fortunes is a nice twist too.

 

 

 

Comment by De Villo Sloan on October 3, 2011 at 2:00am

Je conclus mon étude de l'Alsace morne et le cœur lourd.Ma Cherry Blossom est comme les nuages. Elle est une apparition. Je ne comprends pas cette fille intelligente. Elle marche devant moi sur le chemin. Je lui ai suivi encore.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on October 3, 2011 at 12:34am

Oh, she has flowers in her hand. All the pieces from paintings are by one artist, a French academic painter who did paintings that were matched with poems - a kind of primitive vispo. He also did the Virgin of Maps & Train Schedules. This woman is the "dark lady" and works well for the Gypsy-Madonna. Is she a charlatan, or divine, or a combination of the two?

Comment by De Villo Sloan on October 3, 2011 at 12:29am

CB, you are the best ever! It is meant to be a shrine! And perhaps a little touristy. Dw isn't available at the moment as he's in a bit of a frenzy.

 

This is the end of "Alsace." The Girl Scout, Virgin, all those characters who are one character - now this part-Gypsy & part-Madonna is added, dispensing fortunes by the roadside.

 

Dw is in a frenzy because this series has taught him that his CB is not all divine, as you cautioned long ago. She can also be a bit of a minx, and thus the wordplay on minks. But he is disillusioned.

 

NOTE: The piece of sugar box - Dark was ripped so it's clear it's more like D' Ark or Joan of Arc - a little thing but random. 

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