I’ve been compiling a ton of images for my Great Rabbits of Literature sleeve for several months now and working out this concept in my head for much, much longer. If your first thought is Watership Down, allow me to emphasize the Great Rabbits part. (Those rabbits were assholes, and not my kind of assholes.) I’m not even that stuck on the “Rabbits” part; hares are cool too. And “Literature” is perhaps too limiting, as I’ve included ancient representations of mythological and folktale rabbits throughout history. The symbolism of the rabbit is linked to the moon almost universally, even in cultures separated by time and distance, with little chance of contact. Death, sex, luck, danger, drunkenness, love, rationality, brave and steadfast kindness, trickery, and cunning wit… the rabbit has been used by storytellers forever to give their audiences lessons in all of them. I’ll post in detail on each rabbit , little by little, as its portion of my arm is completed.

Below (here, for rss readers) is a jpeg dump of the source material I’ve given the artist. We start next week … and go on once a month for the rest of the year, probably. I’m really excited to be working with Cindy. (More next week, when I’ve got some bloody gross progress photos to share.) Her eyes lit up when I explained what I want to do, and that enthusiasm from the artist with the portfolio I’ve been dreamily clicking through since I started getting serious about this made it all come together for me. The time is now!

Great Rabbits of Literature

Fictional rabbits from ancient through modern times.

35 Photos

Our hotel room featured the following huge print:

What is happening here? There seems to be a table coming through either a window or a mirror, holding something like a helmet or welding mask topped by a cd (or dvd) that is spurting hot magma, as the Earth looks on. Am I wrong?

At the time I thought perhaps our confusion was due to the enormous fancy beverages we’d consumed during our questionable “Mongolian BBQ” dinner. I could’ve fit my head in the glass my mango-whatnot was served in. Well, maybe if slightly chopped and rearranged — certainly if ground, but if you don’t mind that’s not something I’m going to set out to prove. Please just take my word for it along with this camera phone snapshot. (Click to embiggen.)

Today looking at it quite sober, I actually find it more befuddling. Who thought this was a good idea? Someone created this, then some interior design person selected it for their hotel room design proposal, and then someone else — maybe more than one person — approved it. There was probably even a few more folks involved inbetween steps — family/friend encouragement and support. A couple “Wow, this is really inspired!” and “I like what you’ve done here. Good work.” type statements scattered throughout the proceedings. And there was a monetary transaction or two involved. How did this series of events occur? Further, how did this series of events occur in actual real life and not just in my dreams or on some reality show where drunken hotel guests are “punk’d”?

Moreover, can I have another face-sized mango thing? And a career in the hotel art industry? I feel like I could really excell in the world of pastel abstract stillifes. How does one break in to this career?

Forget my young adult fiction novel. I have a portfolio to put together.

That is all of the information I have about this object, which is terribly real and not Photoshopped. I know that’s my thing and all, but this is no joke. I need to know why this exisits. At some point, someone thought that there was a market for papal purses made of shimmery synthetic materials and sized for night clubbing — you know, before it would find its way to the secondhand store where it would eventually be ressurected in the name of ironic hipster style. Who designed it? Who produced it? Who bought it to begin with and how did it find itself at the Red White & Blue? I want character sketches of all parties involved. I need some explanations!

This guy was hanging out behind a bus stop where I was waiting last night. I have no idea how long it has been there, and bet a lot of people walk by without noticing, thinking it’s just more construction equipment lying around. Very Pittsburgh.

His response?

“I didn’t like the painting… I’m sorry.”

The Post-Gazette reports:

According to the police affidavit, the painting was damaged on May 16, leaving a “large vertical gouge” down its middle.

Ellen Baxter, the museum’s chief conservator, told police that the art piece was a “total loss.”

There has got to be more to this story and I would like to see the security video of this gouging. Art criticism could not be the motive here. I don’t buy it.

And then there’s the city having healthy 100 year old oak trees in Schenley Park cut down to make the 9th hole in the golf course a clearer shot. No really. The Post-Gazette gives an overview of several other instances of the city’s shady (unshady?) dealings with trees all over town. Uh-oh; trees are the new billboards!