Exchange of Values

Exchange of Values
acrylic on board 48'X96'

"Structure of Color Perception"

"Structure of Color Perception"
48'X96' acrylic on board

Monday, April 5, 2010

My next project is to paint an Icon of Hank (Hiram) williams. Why? see coments

1 comment:

  1. “I saw the light…no more darkness, no more night / Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight / praise the Lord, I saw the light.” (Hank Williams) I refound these lyrics w while back in my guitar case. It’s a great song by Hank (Hiram). He wrote it in the backseat of a car, separated from his wife and kids, and strung out on hadacol, whiskey and morphine. I’m painting a Icon of Hank and it was hard to find a picture that reflected the suffering and sorrows of his life, so many of his pictures have him smiling and performing. The photo I am using has him sitting, guitar on his knee, looking down, with cigarette dangling (a pose borrowed by James Dean). One might consider Hank to be the first american saint. Not to take anything away from Mother Cabrini or Rose of Lima. Yes, he was a protestant, had troubles with women, his life was scarred by violence, betrayal, infidelity, drug abuse (Rose of Lima only scarred her own face, to de-sexualize herself and break free from male desire and control), but Jesus never left him and he never left Jesus. I have seen the original manuscript of “I Saw The Light.” Hank first wrote the second verse of ‘I Saw The Light’ as, “Just like the blind man I wandered alone, sorrows and fears all the day long.” Then he changed the second line to: “Worries and fears I claimed for my own.” One might read that change from the passive to more active “I claimed,” as taking some personal responsibility for his plight…well, maybe; I prefer to understand it as Hank taking on the fears and sufferings of the many people around him. Hank was so often a generous, kind, and sympathetic person. He was raised dirt poor and felt deeply the great sufferings of the world around him, the depression, the sickness, not only of his own family but also of the many African Americans he befriended throughout his life. Hank’s last song, “Yesterday My Dreams All died,” was also written in a car (the car he died in), it was found on the floorboard under his body. A couple of lines are. “Like a lonely dove lost in the heavens / My sorrows more than I can hide / Life sometimes can be so bitter / No matter how hard you tried / I pray you’ll never know this sorrow / May happiness walk by your side.” Whenever i get around to praying, the “Jesus Prayer,” or the “Lord’s Prayer,” I been adding “I Saw The Light,” Since I been doing most of whatever might be called praying through songs like this for awhile blessings, Daniel.

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