Saturday, March 08, 2008

The Toast Series -

"Toast #7"
monotype by Mick Mather
As promised, here's one of the monotype prints from The Toast Series. As you may recall, this came about as a direct result of The Telephone Series - another example of which can be seen here at No Mather What Shape - The Archive. Basically, each telephone began as a shape that looked like a piece of bread and, after finishing all 26 telephones, I began to fiddle. Soon the layers began looking more like slices of toasted bread and a series was born! Once again, each image is iconic in nature - the toast posted here being the most stylized. They were fun to do but, since I continued using telephone book pages for the most part, I'm dissatisfied with them. There's another grouping of experimental, trial runs done on a variety of other papers that I was even less satisfied with and I may revisit these somewhere down the road. More to come ... eventually.

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's comforting to know we are not alone in our artistic frustrations isn't it? I myself have felt a bit frustrated of late, I'm just trying to work through it.

4:14 PM  
Blogger Mick said...

shani thomas:
I think that's right. I used to hide all of my work away and what I considered substandard would absolutely never be seen. I was younger then, now I'm not so self-conscious about it. Part of that change is that I firmly believe that such work should be critiqued - so we can learn, make changes and do better the next time. You're also right about the cure - you must work through it. :)

6:11 PM  
Blogger SusuPetal said...

Thanks for the breakfast, Mick:))

And thank god to being older and wiser! No fear of showing my works, only joy of doing them.

It's good not to be young anymore.

12:36 AM  
Blogger Mick said...

susupetal:
You're more than welcome, Susu ... although, at our age (even though we're happy about it), we probably shouldn't be using that Hot Red Pepper Butter on the toast! :D

9:36 AM  
Blogger Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Food for thought here Mick. No pun intended! I need to quiz you again though because I think I am missing the point (again!) I 'got' the tv dinner series, and the telephones (I am sure you are the only person I know who always writes that in full!)but I am missing something here. I like what I see and your explaination of how it came about but I don't understand the iconic nature of toast! Please bear with me, I am sure I am the missing link! Maybe to many late nights?

1:32 PM  
Blogger Trijnie said...

yammy, I bought me a toaster last month.
Its a great monotype Mick!
Like the warm colors

2:46 PM  
Blogger Catnapping said...

i'm sorry i've been awol. it's been hard just to screw up enough energy to do much these last few weeks.

i'm still playing with the idea of 'posted toast.'

glad to have given you some earworm, btw. i live to annoy.

3:57 PM  
Blogger Mick said...

lisa sarsfield:
The term iconic - as I'm using it - is within that realm of semiotics where a word or an idea is represented by a picture or symbol. For instance, the symbol of the telephone at a public pay booth or the loaf of bread on the sign of your local bakery. In the TV Dinner Series too, the tray is one of those instantly recognizable, or iconic, images that tells someone exactly what's there without needing to read anything.

trijnie:
Everyone likes toast, don't they? Everything goes great on toast too, doesn't it? Eggs on toast - jam or jelly on toast - honey on toast - applesauce on toast - brown sugar 'n butter on toast - I'm certain I've left off dozens and dozens of great toast toppings! I wonder what Tommy likes on his toast. :D

catnapping:
No need to apologize ... after all, I did get one song out of my head! Now, let me see if I have this straight in my mind, "posted toast" - as in POST-IT NOTES? - that you burn your little memo into and nail to the door. I think anonymous would have that delicious idea crumbled into crumbs and eaten before the sundial reaches noon! :D

4:57 PM  
Blogger Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Thankyou for putting up with my questions. I had never heard the word 'semitotics' before. I understand what icon's are and ofcourse I see them everywhere and I understand there importance when it comes to communicating a message/instruction quickly..I guess I havn't really thought about it before. I rely on a connection with the artist, reading their thoughts and ideas to help me connect with a piece. I then throw it together with my own response to the art and come away with my own understanding. I guess my explanation/disection of my own work is part of that. I like to take things apart. Seeing art such as this is like learning a new language for me or perhaps it's more recognising one that's always been there. Like air.
My mind is ticking, I will be back!

1:19 AM  
Blogger Mick said...

lisa sarsfield:
I returned to read your original question again and fear that I've only muddied the water further. If I understand any better this time through - the iconic nature of the toast images are akin to a stylized version (as I do say in regards this particular piece) as opposed to a realistic presentation. Even there, it's the difference between a photo-realist treatment and something more expressionist while remaining as true as possible to the realistic view. There, I've gone and done it - confused even myself! But, as you say, you'll be back! :D

11:22 AM  
Blogger Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Hello again:)
I have been busy thinking and actually googled 'semotic' after leaving your blog. I would like you to come and visit my photography blog (please.)
My questions about your art are actually a compliment,I'm curious to learn more and I'd rather give you an informed compliment than a polite one!

3:42 PM  
Blogger Mick said...

lisa sarsfield:
Thanks so much for the terrific press over at Three Hundred & Sixty Five. I'm also very excited that you've gone so far in your study from such a brief mention from me. I'm more than pleased to see you investigate these areas of communication and I know that your work will be that much better for it. Perhaps it already is - I'm extremely ill, I've been in bed all day and expect to do the same tomorrow. When I'm feeling better I promise to re-visit both blogs to get caught up with you. :)

7:23 PM  

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