DATE COMPLETED: OCTOBER 4, 2015

TOTAL HOURS WORKED: 33

DRAFT

I doubt that the “live tradition” Ezra Pound had in mind was precisely this... But why not?!

Ted (Theodore) Bouloukos is a long time friend from my home town, Albany, New York, someone I have known since  Junior High. Ted left Albany long ago and has for decades been living in Manhattan. Ted is a writer.  He is a film actor. And much, much more... Expressive typeface, the intersection of politics and art, music from 1970's TV game shows, critiques of the 100 year history of the Morton Salt logo...  Ted is someone with a keen interest in ALL matters aesthetic; so it is hardly surprising that Ted should know so many artists.  He knows so many in fact that over two dozen (that I know of) have produced paintings, drawings and sculptures featuring him as their model!  I have included a gallery of the examples.  There is something interesting that happens when one is able to see a subject from so many different points of view.  As someone who has produced more than a few “series” of my own, I certainly appreciate the collective efforts of these artists and their having afforded me the opportunity to see Ted in aggregate.

And, so yes, this marker drawing is my contribution to this “live tradition.”

I knew from the start that I wanted my drawing to feature the distinctive way that Ted wears his sunglasses.  When not directly shading his eyes, his aviators dangle from his left ear. I am not sure why he does this (He lives in Manhattan; perhaps it is because he can’t leave them in the car like the rest of us?) In addition to being distincty him it makes for a great image.  It reminds me of certain nature TV programs.  There are animals whose distinctive markings make them look like they have eyes in the backs of their heads! And, yes, I have a decades old obsession with sticking eye glasses in drawings: Outing, Receiver, Reading, The Back, Adjustments, Burdens to name just a few.

The photo I worked from captured Ted at a particularly high water mark for facial hair.  This appealed since I suspected that the markers (and their unavoidable fatness of line) would create a riotous sunburst/sunflower effect.  I hoped that this would foreground the glasses even more. My only regret was that I was not as able to capture the smile in the original source material.  With the beard covering the obvious means of conveying the shape of the mouth one is left with only the precise roundness of the cheeks to get at it. There is maybe a touch more gravitas here than in the original photo; ...and maybe that is a good thing.  Remember, this is merely the latest object that is representing Ted in aggregate. For what it is worth I do think it looks like him.

The turned around collar (on its way to inside out) also became something I was very happy with. (Does it mitigate gravitas?)  I also liked the dimples in the shirt from the isolated bits of stitching. Perhaps the simple things in the shirt appeal because they are so very much different from the riotousness I was trying to create in the rest of the drawing.  Yes, I got the energy and busy quality I was hoping for; but sometimes I worried that it was so much that it was making the drawing as a whole unbalanced.  I am still deciding.

DETAILS

click on images to enlarge