Let's Not Start...

Playing some catch up on my day/number calibrations, so I’m just going to call this 11/100 although I think I finished this piece on day 8, and then revised it again on day 9. Whatever.

My son once introduced this song to an audience as, "a conversation between Adam and Eve as they decide to maybe just Friendzone it." Funny, but the sweetly composed song is essentially sad and predicts an ominous future for mankind. The two rationalize their decision and, in the end, come to terms with their despair.

The art above is the final version of #100daysofsongart for song number 1, “Adam and Eve”. You’ll see some distinct variations from the first draft, as well as the second (third?) draft which is below with a comment on the use of words. Namely, I flipped the composition, and started using a digital painting program and some new digital collage brushes. (Procreate and brush tools by Alaina Jensen)

I‘m quite intentionally trying to avoid using literal or illustrative representations in this art challenge — keeping things more abstract and symbolic by focusing on color, shape and composition. Initially, I was going to put roughly drawn figures of a couple in the heavy black area of the first draft (see post 6/10), but I decided against that. Instead, there are symbols of apples, flowers and playfulness tumbling toward an ominous future.

Speaking of symbols, a note on the use of words. On the one hand. they are the ultimate symbol both visually and conceptually. Even the shapes of letters and words are intrinsically provocative. I spent 30 years working as a graphic artist so typography and design is squarely in my wheelhouse. But I’m hesitant to use them on this project for a couple of reasons.

First, and most importantly, is that it’s simply “too easy” — I don’t want to rely on words to fill in the holes of what the art itself fails to convey. Second, there is a large popular movement in the creative industry called art journaling (also known as sketchbook journaling or “junk” journaling) and of decorative art signage, which liberally use words as graphical elements. Think: “She believed she could, so she did.” Journals and signs are for words after all, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. But this project is not a journal. Rather, it is art that is meant to complement written words both physically in the form of a book, and conceptually in the form of its inspiration.

Still, I love the power of words as symbols, and especially playing with the shapes of letters, so I’m not swearing them off entirely for this project. but I intend to use them judiciously.