Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Duchamp, Beanworld, and Ant Farming.

La mariée mise à nu par ses célibataires, même
Multi media on two panes of glass with two panes of glass
with materials such as oils paint, lead foil, fuse wire, varnish and dust. 1915-1923 (unfinished)

I often talk about the enormous influence Marcel Duchamp's masterwork "The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even" had on me over the years particularly as I was fine-tuning and honing the Beanworld.

"The Large Glass," as it's often nicknamed, is sort of like a diagram of shadows from another dimension that are suggestions for animated activities to be interpreted by the viewer in his or her own imagination.

Not bad stuff for 1915.

Duchamp referred to this other dimension as the Inframince.
It translates from the French into something like "very thin."

Sometimes on a panel or giving a presentation, I'll jokingly refer to Beanworld taking place in a "two-and-one-half dimensional space. " What I mean is in the Beanworld there appears to be very little difference between foreground, middle ground, and background. The Beanworld as a visual and dramatic tableau is indeed "very thin." Always to be looked at from one side and going infinitely left, right, up, and down.

Sometimes I call it "endless ant farm space." As if the Beanworld takes place between two panes like the ulta-classy Duchampian Large Glass and also like the silly post-war toy co-invented by Milton Levine who recently passed away.

I never owned my own ant farm but I remember friends and neighbors having one. Clearly the idea of it stuck in my head all my life, don'tcha think?

Rest in Peace Uncle Milton.
Your influence cast a very wide net indeed.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Amazing Arizona Comic Con Today and Tomorrow!


This Chinstrap penguin sincerely regrets it won't be able to send its hard earned pebbles at Amazing Arizona Comic Con but you can!

See you there!


Thursday, January 6, 2011

Larry Marder, CBLDF, & Amazing Arizona Comic Con





Well.
I'm home.
So what's the craziest things one can do after coming back from the White Continent?
Get in a car and drive through the desert to Arizona: that's what.


But that is exactly what I'm doing: tomorrow morning I'm getting up nice and early and hitting the road again.

I'll be at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con all weekend.
Mesa Convention Center
263 N. Center St.
Mesa, AZ 85211
Saturday,January 8, 2011: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday, January 9, 2011: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
I'll be in two places at once.
I'll be at the CBLDF table doing my CBLDF thing.


What will the CBLDF have?
Signed books by Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geoff Johns, and more.
And a few surprises too.
I'll fill you in on those as they develop.


On the Beanworld front?
Cute Collectible Trading Cards.
T-Shirts
Beanworld Orphan Drawings.
FLEECE Beanworld Action Figures.
"Something More" previews.
FREE Beanworld Action Figures.
And don't forget this!
If you would like to volunteer to help me so I don't have to be in two places at once: let me know!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Back from the White Continent!



This is me on Christmas afternoon on Salisbury Plain (the other one).
The critters in the background as fart as the eye can see are King penguins.
They are big, noisy, and incredibly curious.
In case you were wondering where I've been off to--Cory and I were on an Antarctica adventure. The offical log of the trip is here. Our pics and commentary will be posted as we go along into the new year and our return to Reality.
For me that will start by going to Phoenix within 24 hrs of my return to the US for:
where I'll be doing things regarding Beanworld and CBLDF.
What sort of things?.
Come to the con and find out!
As soon as I find out definite plan I will post and pass it along asap!!