Brian Fisher Print, Paint and Sculpture Blog

Through time animals have been the source of many of human kinds most powerful symbols. My Monotypes Totems and Animalia are two from a series that explores symbols or totems as subject. A totem is something that serves as a symbol for or emblem of an individual or group. Frequently the totem is of the natural world and there are many examples of plants and animals as totems. Finally, the totem has mythic association with the individual, family or group. Though the word totem is Ojibwe in origin and Native American animal totems immediately come to mind, totem like beliefs and totems as symbols are culturally prevalent throughout the world.   My previous blog about Io and Argus referenced Hera’s symbol or totem, the Peacock and how he got his tail.  Here are a few more examples of symbolic animal association in Greek myth and contemporary belief. Posidon’s totem would be the Horse, Athena’s the Owl, and moving across cultures Hindu Goddess Saraswati's animal s

Io and Argus, Monotype, 7.5 x 7.5 in. In my previous blog about the ship and ship builder Argo I referred to one of  Hera’s symbols or totems, the Peacock.  This blog is about my Monotype Io and Argus and one of my favorite stories in Greek myth. Zeus the father, or Zeus the philanderer, depending on your point of view, undeniably loved women (we will leave Ganymede for another blog).  His conquests, be they goddess or mortal, populated Olympus and the Heavens with demigods, nymphs and heroes.  Io, was one of  his loves.  She was a princes of Argos, and priestess of Hera.  It was perhaps in that capacity that Zeus first saw lovely Io, wooed and pursued her.  In order to deceive his, justifiably jealous wife, Goddess Hera,  Zeus cloaked the earth and his liaison with Io in clouds. The clouds however only served to rouse Hera’s suspicion and through the Cumulus, Cirrus and Stratus she descended to find Zeus standing next to a lovely white... heifer.  Guilty Zeus, sensing Hera’

My Monotype Argo depicts the engineer Argo presenting a plan of the ship that he will construct and will eventually carry Jason and his crew of heroes on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Jason’s patron Goddess Hera, here represented by her totem or symbol, the Peacock, helped Argo select the timbers from the trees of Mount Palion to build the boat.  She also supplied a limb for its keel taken from the sacred oak of the oracle at Dodona.  The talking keel would aid the heroes in their journey with its gift of prophecy.  When the ship was complete it was named for the builder Argo and thenceforth the heroes that sailed upon it would be known as Argonauts. Argo is a Monotype with metal leaf mounted to panel. (16 x 16 x 2 in.) It will be exhibited in my studio, stop number 11, during the Vashon Island Holiday Studio Tour .

The wonderful print collateral supporting Vashon’s 2011 Island Holiday Studio Tour and my own studio invitation just arrived.  The brochure, my card, my evite as well as the tour website were created by Sy and Ric Novak of Novak Creative .  Hats off, once again, for all that they do to professionally present and connect the many artists and art organizations of Vashon to the world. What is present day Istanbul was once Constantinople and once upon a time Byzantium.  My painting Byzantium is meant to reflect a way we may perceive time as history and history as the stratification through time of place. When out of political and military necessity Constantine moved the Roman capital to Byzantium in 326 it had already existed as a Greek city, situated at the only opening to the Black Sea, since 667 BC. Greek and Roman sculpture, columns, doors and marbles were taken from temples and cities throughout the Roman empire and brought to Byzantium to adorn new monuments a

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

Monotype Print 36 x 15 in. Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, arts, crafts, agriculture and namesake patron of the city of Athens is sometimes said to be the child of Zeus alone.  Zeus did give birth to her, but only after swallowing the Oceanid Metis, already pregnant by him, in an attempt to thwart the prophecy that a child of their union would be greater than mighty Zeus. This was of course the unhappy end of Metis but the unborn child continued to grow, gestating in Zeus's head and troubling him with terrible headaches.  Eventually, so great was his pain, he begged Hephaestus to strike him with his great axe whereupon Pallas Athena sprang from her father’s head fully armed. My Monotype The Birth of Pallas Athena , along with another four of my Monotype prints will be displayed at the Roby King Galleries on Bainbridge Island during their 2011 Print Exhibition, October 7-27 with an Artist’s Reception October 7 from 6-8 PM.

Vashon Allied Arts’ annual Art Auction celebrates the glamor of classic Hollywood at 5:30 pm, Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24. Artists have donated more than 140 pieces of original art. 2011 Commissioned Artists are: Gretchen Hancock , Art Hansen, Odin Lonning, Gus Schairer , Nancy Sipple and Elaine Summers. Orpheus and Eurydice , my contribution to this years Art Auction, is a mixed media work incorporating Monoprint process and drawing over and under vintage dress patterns. Mythic Orpheus was a gifted musician.  From his father and mother, Apollo and the Muse Calliope, he inherited a mastery of the lyre and a heavenly voice. No god or mortal could resist his music and even the rocks and trees would move themselves to be near him.  Eurydice felt no differently.  When she came to hear him play the lyre and sing, she, they, fell deeply in love and soon after were married.   They were as happy as only love can make two people until the day Eurydice wa

It’s the Bellevue Botanical Garden, ART IN THE GARDEN SHOW!   August 26 - 28,  2011.  Gayle Pickens, of Gallery by the Bay has curated a wonderful selection of garden art by regional artists. Come view the sculpture throughout the garden and meet the artists who made it. According to Gayle, some sculpture will be clearly visible, some work will be tucked into corners and still more waiting for your discovery around the next bend of the garden path. Art by 30 outstanding Northwest artists will grace this special garden show.  From the serious to the whimsical, this exhibit will include works in metal, wood, blown and fused glass, ceramics, bronze and other materials. Come visit Friday from 1 PM to 6 PM, or Saturday or Sunday, 10 AM until 6 PM.  It is free to see and there will be lots to buy.  Here is a link for directions and to find out more about the artwork and artists represented.  http://www.gallerybythebay.com/art-in-the-garden Above

Chiron and Jason My plates are RUSTING.   The Cor-Ten Steel seems to be shedding rust in large flakes.  That might be interesting?  I intend to find out tomorrow when I will place two of the plates on dampened Rives heavy weight paper and hope for remarkable rust!  I will post the results. Over the weekend, while rust was happening, I participated in an inspiring workshop with Valerie Willson and eight others.  Three days learning process, making and modifying etchings on zinc plates at the new Vashon Island print studio of Quartermaster Press with Valerie, was exhilarating!  Here is a Facebook link with descriptions and some photos.  Quartermaster Press Above and below are the results of my own efforts.   I look forward to Valerie’s followup Etching workshop.  Argos Etchings, Prints and Plates   

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

George Wright, sculpture and director of The Heron's Nest Gallery on Vashon Island invited me to create work for a self portrait exhibition at the gallery this month.  Above is my contribution, "Back to Back, They Faced Each Other" an 8 x10 x 2 inch Monotype print, portrait, mounted to a wood panel box. The show is quite fun and a bit of a challenge to identify fellow artists and friends. Here is a link to The Heron’s Nest .  Stop by when you have a chance.