Brian Fisher Print, Paint and Sculpture Blog

Fall rains, or our seasonal wet, have finally arrived on Vashon Island and in the Pacific Northwest.  I have been thankful for our delayed Fall weather and the extended opportunity to work outside. Yesterday, though, the fantasy ended and my outside rusting process came to a close.  Here are a few images of me taking apart the process and revealing a rust plate and rusted image. This rust print is sourced in Apollonius of Rhodes description of The Harpies attacking King Phineus of Thrace, (Thrake.)  Phineus first traded his sight for foresight and was subsequently punished by Zeus for revealing too many secrets of the Olympian gods.  Zeus sent the Harpies to snatch any food set before Phineus and befoul any scraps left behind.  When Jason and the Argonauts befriended  Phineus the winged Boreades, Zetes and his brother Calais, gave chase.  They pursued The Harpies to the Strophades Islands where the goddess Iris directed them to turn back and leave the Harp

Hylas, Lost to Love  14  x 14 in.  Rust Monoprint Apollonios Rhodios wrote his version of the Argonautika, the story of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece, in the 3rd century BC but this Hero's story is probably the oldest extant Greek myth. When I began my investigation of “rust” as a medium for creative process a year and a half ago I decided to make the Argonautika the subject for my personal quest and chose Peter Green’s translation of the Argonautika as source for my imagery.  Below, Green describes the fate of Hercules companion, Hylas in a significant chapter of the Argonautika. 'Hylas, then, came to the spring that was known as The Fountains by local inhabitants. Just now, as it chanced, the dances of the nymphs were being held there; for it was their custom, that of all the nymphs who dwelt around that lovely mountain, ever to honor Artemis with nocturnal song. Now all whose haunts were hilltops or mountain torrents, the guardian wood nymphs, these were

The Argonauts  Monoprint  (12.5 x 32.5 in.) The Argonauts is another of my new Monoprints created for exhibition at the Vashon Hardware Store Restaurant Gallery.  The show comes down at the end of August but I am happy to say it was captured for posterity or at least for a few cyber years by Google Maps.  Click here to go to Google Maps and the restaurant interior.  Take the virtual tour to the back and right of the restaurant bar, down the hallway and Gallery and see my Monotypes and Monoprints, Rust Prints and Oil paintings. What a Kick!  Let me know which one's you like.

To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph Consider Icarus, pasting those sticky wings on, testing this strange little tug at his shoulder blade, and think of that first flawless moment over the lawn of the labyrinth. Think of the difference it made! There below are the trees, as awkward as camels; and here are the shocked starlings pumping past and think of innocent Icarus who is doing quite well: larger than a sail, over the fog and the blast of the plushy ocean, he goes. Admire his wings! Feel the fire at his neck and see how casually he glances up and is caught, wondrously tunneling into that hot eye. Who cares that he fell back to the sea? See him acclaiming the sun and come plunging down while his sensible daddy goes straight into town. By Ann Sexton Icarus is my Rust Print with gold leaf  (36 in. x 19 in.)  Icarus was made by rusting a steel plate to high thread count muslin and mounting the material to Apersand panel, adding leaf and then finishing it

The Deeds of Jason   Rust Print  (9 1/4 x 27 3/4 in.) In many a song my past deeds have been sung, And these my hands that guided Argo through The blue Symplegades, still deeds may do. For now the world has swerved from truth and right, Cumbered with monsters, empty of delight, And “midst all this what honor I may win, That she may know of and rejoice therein, And come to seek me, and upon my throne May find me sitting, worshipped, and alone. From "The Life and Death of Jason" by William Morris My Rust Print The Deeds of Jason was made by rusting cut steel plates to muslin. 

The mythic Phoenix is a wonderful symbol of self renewal. There is ever only one Phoenix.  It leads a singular existence.  After living a long life, five hundred years, sustaining itself by eating frankincense and fragrant gums, it builds a funeral pyre  and self incinerates. The story of the Phoenix, it's long life, death in cleansing fire and rebirth from the ashes, appears in many cultures. Perhaps because it affirms a circular story of the individual soul’s regeneration. At left is my Rust Print “Phoenix” to be exhibited during the upcoming Vashon Studio Tour.   It is 30 x 20 in. and mounted to wood panel. “Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire.” John Keats

My Rust Print “Jason” is intended  to represent a hero’s  journey.  Specifically it is meant to encapsulate the story of the Argonautika, the Quest for the Golden Fleece and introduce a series of prints made from rust whose subject is Journey. Not long after Jason’s birth the throne of his father Aeson, benevolent king of Iolcus, (Thessaly Greece today), was usurped by Pelias his tyrannical half brother.  Pelias threatened to kill any who might challenge his claim to the kingdom, so Jason was hidden and the story of his untimely death told to deceive Pelias.   Jason , (12 x 12 x 1.5 in.), is made by rusting a COR-TEN steel plate to muslin fabric, mounting that fabric to dimensional panel and then finishing it with acrylic and wax mediums.  Jason and four more Rust Prints from the Journey series will be exhibited in my studio, studio number 6, during the Spring 2012 Vashon Studio Tour.

While reading “The Argonauticka,” by Apollonios Rhodios, and following hero Jason and the crew of the Argo through the islands and ports of call visited by his ship Argo, I came upon several references to the gods worshiped at Samothrace and Lemnos in the Korybantes, Kabeiroi or Cabeiri Rites that were celebrated in ritual dance.  Dance, according to the Greek ideal, was one of the civilizing activities, like wine-making or music. These dances perhaps originated as Cretan, and as Dionysus/Zeus oriented purification, or coming of age, initiation rituals.  Eventually “Pyrrhicaial” male dance, became a formal competition in the Hellenic world.  Armed with swords and shields, group participants were accompanied by drum and rhythmic stamping of feet and performed in celebration as worship, for acclaim and monetary reward. Above, rust prints mounted to wood panel, Pyrrhic Dance, (8 X 10 x 1.5 in.) and below, Persian Dance, (8 x 10 x 1.5 in.), wil

I am still exploring the “Rust Print” process.   Most of what I have made so far won’t be exhibited until the Spring and Fall of 2012 but I have rusted and mounted to panel a few of my images and they will be on display at the Heron’s Nest this December. Here is a little bit about my process.  Vashon islander Bob Powell of Meadow Creature helped me to cut mild and Corten steel to the shapes I had designed using his high pressure water jet machine.  The water jet cutting process is ideal for cutting intricate shapes and because the machining introduces no stress and little if any heat the steel plates remain quite flat.  I next made the shaped steel plates to rust with several applications of hydrogen peroxide, salt and vinegar.  Next I lay the substrate I wished to transfer the rust to over the plate and thoroughly dampened it before placing wax paper or plastic over everything to hold in the moisture. Next a sheet of plate glass was placed over ev

Zetos I am working on compositions based upon the subject of " Journey," specifically “The Argonautika”  and the mythic story of Jason and  his quest for the Golden Fleece.   It is an old, old, (really old), hero’s journey.  Older even than Homer’s Iliad, wherein the Argos and its’ many heroes are referred. Through millennium the Argosy and the Argonauts have become synonymous with adventure, discovery and in our present age name pervasive to every product and service one might imagine.  Just Google Argosy and you will currently see (about) 8,000,000 results.  I find that remarkable, daunting and relevant to why Jason's mythic quest is still potent.  “The Argonauticka” is a classic tale of betrayal, vengeance and like many Greek myths has a tragic ending.  It is a story of group dynamics (a crew of 50 heroes), about stretching geographical boundaries and like every important myth it also explores the very human behavioral aspects of quest and t