By Ted Grussing
Since childhood I have pondered on what is, why and in general have always sought answers to that which I do not understand. When I was twelve, F. Molina Campus, a friend of my dad’s from Argentina, painted one of his gaucho paintings for me, except this one had a real ruler tucked under his arm … he had spent an evening with our family and was subjected to an inquisition by me wanting to know whatever it was I was seeking information on and he went back to his hotel room and did this painting. I still cherish it and the quest for knowledge that was the inspiration for his painting and the ruler … how much, how far, why … I love that he thought enough of my inquiries to transform the moment into lasting art which encapsulates the memory.
One of the persistent memories I have from those days is my seeking an explanation for the universe, for us, the big bang theory and what preceded it … is there a God? Did he do it? Who and what is God? One thing kept coming to my mind and that was the query, are we simply a chemistry experiment gone awry? Picture if you will a massive explosion; perhaps a giant skyrocket … there is wild beauty as it explodes across the sky with bursts of red, green, white and other colors and as they expand outward they glow brilliantly and then fade. Then consider that if in nanoseconds life formed on small particles orbiting little pieces of the incendiary explosion and in more nanoseconds life proliferated and empires were formed, nano telescopes observed the other glowing particles as they raced away and outward from the minute particle on which the nano beings had formed … and then it was over and the chemist or the celebrant went home and enjoyed a quiet evening with his family. In about four billion years our star the sun will become a red giant and likely engulf the earth … our planet will be gone … our star will run out of fuel … and like my nano universe we will be gone.
So I have always wondered if there is a being or beings whose scale is so much larger and time scale so much different/longer than ours who could be behind this wonderful place we find ourselves … a skyrocket on the fourth? An explosion in the lab? Or could there be another explanation. Me thinks so … so with the help of One our loving and adorable predator/deity and John “not just any John” Soderberg who created a larger than life sculpture of the wizard Merlin I found a possible source of our origins and possible proof of the multiverse theories. And so I envisioned Merlin holding an orb and directing unimaginable power and focusing it on the orb causing it to be filled with energy and matter beyond human comprehension; One knowing that Merlin could not do it alone assumed control and provided the catalyst necessary to bring it to critical mass and this image portrays those milliseconds just before One/Merlin heaved it into space where another great bang occurred and another universe was born.
Works for me … smiles … this is what occurs in my “unleashed art” … now you know what really goes on in my mind :+) A never ending search for answers and the humor of knowing I will never in this lifetime have those answers … but I can explore and have fun and so can you. Really, really try to wrap your mind around the possibility that there are civilizations forming on minute particles in those sky rockets we send up every fourth of July … from our perspective of time it seems so short that it is not possible … could it be that we are the same for another?
This is One’s first appearance in a major composite and not the last. For those who care, this image includes four photographs of mine; a new Merlin shot (New Frontiers parking lot), One being One at home on the carpet whilst I was doing my morning calisthenics, a Milky Way shot I took in September on our deck and a lightning bolt from another image I took this fall. The image has 11 layers, two of which are adjustment layers, five layer masks, three different types of layer blending modes, and 3 layers with special effects as well as a painting layer and 50% grey burn and dodge layer with soft light blending mode to drop the mid tones … and nine hours work … there are a lot of edges :+)
To learn more about the Merlin sculpture go to “not just any John’s” website: http://www.johnsoderberg.com/gallery.php?sc=1 and he has a good history of Merlin and the sculpture there. Also this past weekend, John biked 27 miles for the orphanage in Mexico that his group supports and they served 25,000 meals to 5,000 people over the five days of the event. How cool is that! Way to go John.
The next salon at the Mary D. Fisher Theater on November 1st at 1:30P will be featuring my “Unleashed and Abstract” work. I enjoy my straight photographic art, but it is the Unleashed where I thrive … reality is what I perceive it to be and I am not trapped by convention.
The other things I was going to do today did not get done … I started this early in the morning just for fun … I finished it after sunset. Hope you like it as much as John and I do. I’m going to make up some metal prints of this in 8 x 12 size for he and me … if thee would like one also, let me know and they will be at a special price of $59.00 each, delivered and including sales tax if applicable.
Have a terrific day and share a smile or three … whilst our little dust particle supports us still … smiles
Cheers
Ted
But from the brooding beauty of the night, and daily dancing shafts of golden sun …
The mystery and wonder of the world … that play the soundless music of the soul
And fill the heart with memory’s olden dreams … From these will come at last your faith in God.
Max Ehrmann