Monday, February 11, 2013

Time FLIES!

Lately I’ve been thinking about time. Does it fly or does it stand still? We’ve often heard the age-old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” But am I really having fun? I believe so; I’ve had 45 great years of life! It’s been an interesting ride; I wouldn’t change a thing. 

I can’t remember the last time I felt like time stood still. It may have been almost 15 years ago when I first moved to LA. I had the privilege of meeting a fly on the 2nd floor of Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica. The little fly flew over to where I was sitting and while I read a book, he kept me company. It’s a simple moment in life I will never forget. For months afterwards, I kept going to the same place and sitting in the same spot. Each time I felt calm; I felt inspired. 

While on my recent trip to NYC, I came across a book called “The Life of Fly” by Magnus Muhr. I laughed out loud when I opened the page. I kept laughing as I kept flipping through the book. I had to have it; it was too funny and it reminded me of my own Mr. Fly, as I came to call him. 

The simplicity of this book got me thinking about art and the amount of time spent on creating any works of art. Is the amount of time spent relevant to the value of art? 

The masters spend years on paintings that I can’t imagine doing myself; I’d never finish anything. Plus, I’d be dishonoring the spirit of who I am and how I live my life. Someone once told me not to reveal the amount of time I spent on my art. Honestly, some of my Little Girls took less than an hour to create. And some of my all time favorite pieces are the simplest, the one’s that happened without any effort and hardly a thought. Does this take away from their value? I hope not. 

When thinking about time and art, the first person to come to mind is of course Keith Haring. His work was simple, beautiful, and meaningful. He once said, “My contribution to the world is my ability to draw. I will draw as much as I can for as many people as I can for as long as I can.” Ah yes, I feel the same way! In honor of his spirit, the piece here is titled, “Dik.” It’s from my latest LITTLE Dick series. I think Keith would appreciate the sense of silliness and simplicity. 

Cheers to you Keith! (If only I could have been a fly on your walls).

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