Explained, "David's Book"

If you've read my The Art posts, you're somewhat familiar with David's Book. For now, as far as my art projects are concerned, everything can pretty much be categorized into three distinct groups. Three books. As an homage to the great Clive Barker, I call these The Books of The Art. The original Books of The Art, of course, referring to his Quiddity Trilogy (The Great And Secret Show, Everville and ?). Anyway, the first book in my trilogy is David's Book, also known as The Blue Book.

You'd be unaware of who David is because I don't think I've talked about him on this blog. Although, I may have... I'm just too lazy to go and check right now. ;) David was my oldest brother. Was being the operative word. He died some years ago. Not too long ago, although it does feels like ages. During my high school years. Funny thing about his death... or maybe about my memory of his death... I have a steel-trapped mind when it comes to most details, but for whatever reason I can never retain the date, nor the year of his passing. It's very vague in my mind. I can never grasp it fully. I don't know why.

Anyway, I loved my brother, and I'd never... at the time, made an effort to formulate a project of some sort. Given that my brother was an amazing artist, and a great source of inspiration, I felt it only right to christen my first project under his name. Nothing I could create would ever do his work justice, but in some way I would hope he'd feel honored by the gesture.

David's Book is also known as The Blue Book because it seemed like a perfect idea to have a subtitle of some sort for the books, and seeing as how I'm obsessed with color theory and symbolism, The Blue Book seemed like a perfect option. Superficially, The Blue Book is a reference to the blue Mead 'Académie' Sketch Diaries that David loved to use most often. There were other mediums, but the memory of one specific book that's tied to him in my mind is that Mead book. In another context, the blue is supposed to represent a stillness of mind. In Navajo mythology the South is usually tied to the color blue, and the South is the point at which the setting and rising Sun are seen as equal. There's this idea of revelation... breaking through the illusion of the universal pair of opposites into transcendence. Given that my brother is no longer here, but everywhere... and no where... it seemed fitting.

As far as my direction for the project goes, David's Book is meant to be sketches and drawings created in a totally free-flowing manner. It should be symbolic of life, it should evoke spontaneity. Nothing about what it contains should be measured or quantified. I want to fall back as far as possible from using guides and rulers. Everything should be amorphous and emotional. Everything on those pages needs to be... mind. Just raw source. Raw thought. Raw emotion. Ungoverned and innocent. It should be unspoiled by critical or rational thought. I need to feel as much as a spectator as possible. I suppose that's because in some way, since it is David's book, I want to feel as though I'm channeling him. But he no longer exists as I knew him, or anyone for that matter, so he's apart of the... the unknown. He's apart of the source, the radiance... which is the place I tap into whenever I create. So I want to deliver as unfiltered an experience as possible so that in some way, I can render him, his memory and his energy on paper. I want to be a conduit. A link. My influence should be minimal. I kinda feel like I'm putting on my documentarian's hat whenever I work in David's Book.

Anyway, that's probably as far as I should go into David's Book. I feel that pretty much covers all bases. Well, save for the last two books... but I had already planned to make those separate posts all their own. ;)

DS333, blue.