This weekend I watched a documentary about Henry Darger. He was a reclusive janitor who created a novel/painting series called 'Realms of the Unreal.' Until his death, no one knew he was an artist, let alone the most prolific self taught artist, perhaps ever. It was a very moving story and very sad. For it reminded me---of me.
I too, am an artist. For the most part, I labor in obscurity. But, it seemed to me that Henry Darger's friends would have been supportive if they had known his passion. And I am hoping the same from you. B/c if not, I'm going to take you out of my will and my lawyers will prevent you from being one of the friends interviewed for the documentary about my life (tentatively called, "Justin:Man or Myth" starring Audrey Tautou as herself.)
This weekend I watched a documentary about Henry Darger. He was a reclusive janitor who created a novel/painting series called 'Realms of the Unreal.' Until his death, no one knew he was an artist, let alone the most prolific self taught artist, perhaps ever. It was a very moving story and very sad. For it reminded me---of me. 
I too, am an artist. For the most part, I labor in obscurity. But, it seemed to me that Henry Darger's friends would have been supportive if they had known his passion. And I am hoping the same from you. B/c if not, I'm going to take you out of my will and my lawyers will prevent you from being one of the friends interviewed for the documentary about my life (tentatively called, "Justin:Man or Myth" starring Audrey Tautou as herself.)
9 comments:
And I am hoping the same from you.
i am your bessssttt friend justin.
"Curtis" looks like a penguin. Strange. I always pictured him in my mind's eye as the "skinny poser"-type. Its funny when people don't look like you expect.
yeah. I always pictured "curtis" as looking kind of like Pauly Shore.
You beat me to it, Justin. I bought a scanner and was going to scan all my brilliant stick figure drawings and put them on the Internet so people could be admire my brilliance - but I can't figure out how to hook the bloody thing up, so it's just sitting there, gathering dust and mocking me,
Damn you, man. May you rot in hell. (i'm being ironic, like you and alanis, btw)
Regarding the will, to which of your faithful readers are you leaving your manservant?
Henry Darger disturbed me. His story was extremely sad, and yet disturbing. Do you think he would have hated Al Roker if he was living today? Al Roker is never wrong.
wow, i never would have thought- you draw *jaw drops* Amazing !
THE Shannon Simpson? The Sestina writer. I don't know if her middle name was r. I find that very doubtful. "Hi, I'm Shannon Rick Simpson?";"Hi, I'm Shannon Ralph Simpson?";"Hi, I'm Shannon Rapper Simpson?" None of these scenarios seem remotely possible.
But thank you for reading my blog, or going to the effort of getting the spark notes, and then leaving me a comment.
You raise some interesting points. As I understand your comment:
1) I am a better artists than Darger because I can come up with ideas for Sestinas
2) That I am better than Al Roker, b/c like him I am losing weight. Granted not that I need to lose as much as Al.
3)Remember that part where Darger keeps meticulous track of the Weatherman's report and demonstrates that from 63--64, not once was the weatherman was right. This he believed had something to do with not being able to predict which way the wind belows. I bet I've lost more weight than the 63-64 weather guy.
4)It's too bad you don't have a blog, if your the right shannon that I'm thinking of. I bet it would be funny. But its hard to have a blog when you have to work one to two thousand hours a week. Lucky for me, I don't have to work more than fifty minutes a day.
I write more, but Jack is on in a few.
I also found Darger's work bizzare and strangely compelling. I don't know if future generations will regard him like a 20th century Heironymous Bosch, or just a perv, but regardless, I found that your own art was...not in the same league. But keep trying! All the best!
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