Where John B Forces me to Go Places I Don't Want To

John B recently asked for volunteers to answer some questions. I am a "good question" fanatic, mostly because I love having another brain force my brain to think (it is often like bending railroad rails with a child's hammer) so I volunteered. It is also a way of getting to know myself. That sounds narcissistic, but there is a universe within and one without, and they often overlap.

1) Who is Fat Camille's favorite artist, and why?



This looked so simple, on the surface. Fat Camille is a cartoon character with a weight problem. There really isn't much to her, so I thought. So when I asked her who her favorite artist was, the last person I expected her to mention was Francis Bacon. I actually detest the man's work. I asked her again, and she was adamant. I was so disappointed, I shelved the project, thinking that she'd have something better to say in the morning. This morning, her story had not changed. I created Fat Camille and I thought that this would give me a chance to write about someone I consciously admired.

The thing about answering questions (or making good art) is that the answer has to be honest; if its a fabrication, at best, it would be a waste of time, and at worst, misleading. I decided to accept her answer. So I wikied Mr Bacon and I found "Figure with Meat" and of all the works they had in the article, this one resonated the most.

The Jungian Shadow


Fat Camille is a big, bouncy carcass. When I was first putting her together, she was the embodiment of the things I didn't like about myself (insecurities, weight problems, social problems) and now it seems natural that she would like an artist who points out the
pain associated with being in this "body of death."

Meat Bacon Fat

Interestingly, the wiki article mentions many of Francis's influences, and he admires many of the same artist that I do, especially Velazquez and Rembrandt. He also likes two interesting photographers, Julia Cameron and Muybridge. Who knew?