Drunk Art

Drunk Art



The Absinthe Drinker, Édouard Manet , 1859




     The image above was Manet's final interpretation of the absinthe drinker. But by no means was how this masterpiece started. For the sake of argument lets present the beginning stage along with Manet's supposed inspiration.





     Here we see stage one. Nothing but bare bones, there is barely a background and little to no detail. However, the has been special attention given to the Hat and the shoal. this stage of the picture shows a remarkable resemblance to one of Raphael's representations.




     Here we see Manet's stage one against Raphael in a Cloak, C.1520 (engraving) By Marcantonio Raimondi. We can see the similarities but also the differences in an all out war between engravers vs. painters.




     Manet's final adaptation kept the shoal and the hat. Also extended the the body of the character making him longer stronger, more dignified in every single way. both characters seem to have the same expression of content, but the war of engravers vs. painters take on a deeper meaning. The engraving has engraving plates and tools on the left, risen as if on a pedestal, while the painting has a cup in the same position, said cup has the very tricky resemblance  of a paint brush or spatula (a close up can be seen below) ready to be used by the character.  





   Manet seem to have a fixation with placing out of character things in his paintings. the placing mechanism he learned from his master Delacroix. here we can see a close up of one of Liberty Leading the People. Notice the top hat. in order to realize how out of place the Hat actually is we need to look at the whole work below.





Art is intoxicating!!!!

Hash

   Hash is not to be confused with anything related with coding or that delicious corned beef breakfast concoction.




     Hash or hashish is a drug, a heavy drug based on a potent form of cannabis (marijuana) produced by collecting and compressing trichomes, the most potent material from cannabis plants. these trichomes are nothing more than the fine growths (buds) on cannabis plants that produce a sticky resin.




  Artists, writers, and poets depend on mind alteration for their creations. their so called muses are nothing more than inspiration in a bottle, or in this case a pipe is used.






   Hashish and hash oil are stronger concentrated forms of marijuana.




     The effects of hashish use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch); difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks. but more importantly it will create a unique experience. it is up the user's state of mind if the experience will be a dream or a nightmare. regardless of the outcome, it seems a bunch of fun. Enjoy!

High Society

High Society

 Today, my book arrived. A book that took 192 hours to reach my hands from the click of the Amazon "buy" button. The book focuses on the use and spread of so-called recreational drugs. From the ancients to modern times, It is interesting to see how mind-altering drugs have been the target of public hate and shame throughout history, but the are the epicenter of art and great minds. Every great piece of art (pictures, paintings, and literature pieces) has in some way, shape or form been the grand scheme of drugs by display or influence. The book has a combination of paintings, statues, and pictures where homage is paid to different mind-altering drugs. The question that comes to mind is: in what way do these drugs really change perception. But it seems that the reality is based on the changes in the art community. This community grows into its own subculture where their behaviors and actions revolve around whichever drug their group favors. What I find interesting is how these groups vary from drug to drug and can be identified or associated with groups in different ways including the way they speak or dress, giving their subculture a real, concrete presence. A picture I found appealing is on page 47, A male enjoying a rave is exposed with plenty of flying colors and sounds, giving the scene an essence of synesthesia. The way it is depicted, ecstasy seems very appealing in this light.
 

Be Drunk

Be Drunk

You have to be always drunk. That's all there is to it--it's the 

only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks 

your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually 

drunk.

But on what?Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be 

drunk.

And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of 

a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, 

drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, 

the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything 

that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is 

singing, everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is and 

wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you:"It is time to be 

drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be

continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish." 

Charles Baudelaire

       By enrolling in this literature of intoxication course, what do I  expect?  I expect nothing more than accounts that cross the borders of reality and imagination. I hope to read accounts of debauchery, loss of inhibitions and demented rage that blurs the line between the sacred and the mundane. I expect great things from some heavy hitters like Baudelaire, Rimbaud and one of my personal favorites Poe. The first two I have heard of but not had the pleasure to interact with their art. Poe, on the other hand, has been in and out of my life for over a decade and has become a staple to which I compare other writers. his darkness and ambiguity are unparalleled, and his ability to thrive on chaos is remarkable.

        Mr. Baudelaire is cool and all but I prefer to buy American. ALWAYS! Edgar Allan Poe is the perfect subject to explore in a course such as this one. Poe never met or even heard the name of Baudelaire, and Baudelaire, while he came to adopt Poe as a kind of divine inspiration, never met or corresponded with Poe. Any information Baudelaire might have left us about Poe, then, is merely his own interpretation or speculation.  I am unaware of another author with such wide differing public biographies and obituaries. after his death friend and enemies engaged in an all-out war to create/damage Poe's reputation/memory. Nevertheless, his drunken exploits whether real or not, are a staple of the life of this Virginia native. Poe was so into Mystery genre, he even made his death an unsolvable one. Considering that Poe is one of Americas national treasures, a museum was established in his name. Before the end of this year, I plan on going to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Virginia, live as he lived, sit where he sat, crowd his former space, harass his habitat and hopefully understand one of my heroes. I expect we get involved in Poe's work for more than a simple glance, he is way to special to be looked over and discarded like a simple Hallmark greeting card. We need to explore his words, analyze his syntax and dwell on his greatness, anything less would be sacrilegious. Even if he would win a Nicolas Cage look a like contest.

“I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.”

Edgar Allan Poe