The Dreamer...

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on April 4, 2015 at 4:01pm

Hi Bruce,  Thank you so much for responding.  The background you provide adds to the layered narrative of the work. I found it interesting what you said about gender in your work, and I will have to go back and spend some more time with the other pieces to appreciate the concepts.

Kristen

Comment by Bruce Zeines on April 4, 2015 at 2:25pm

Interesting comment. The piece was done specifically for a group show that had as its theme, a dream that was very complex in its' description. The intent was to create an interpretation of the written piece. My take was to center in on the dreamer, and let the other aspects that appealed to me unfold. The only part of the piece that was planned was the foreground figure.

Now I have been told that much of my work is male centric. I do not deny that. I am male, and what I render is my subconscious. But that said, I always allow the viewer to place themselves inside the work, and let it tell them THEIR own story.

The figure on the steps though is me with my hair tied back into a ponytail. The Dreamer is androgynous and much of my figures suggest the location of chakras. I try to portray in some manner my own experiences with the inner movement experienced through meditation without being trite or cliche. It is difficult to communicate the mysterious, other than by being mysterious within the piece. That is the narrative behind all of my work.

Scratch board is very compelling to work with. You start with the dark, and bring out the light. It is also physically demanding on the hands as opposed to drawing with a pen. This piece was developed a little at a time over a period of 40 days. Thank you so much for taking the time to reflect on it.

Comment by Resident Curator on April 4, 2015 at 1:46pm

Curators Comments:

 

The Dreamer Dreams the Dreamers’ Dream is a provocative piece, enhanced by the graphic value pattern. The inclusion of dark horned figures amidst the swirling movement in the top of the piece suggests a nightmarish scenario, despite the peaceful posture of the large sleeping/dreaming figure in the foreground. I wonder if there is the suggestion of pregnancy, as the dreamer holds her round belly.  While I see this figure in fact as rather androgynous, I also assume the figure in the center with her back towards the viewer is the subject herself repeated in her dream world.  Technically, I enjoy the dramatic contrast and black and white reversals between the positive and negative space. The white halo or glowing aura surrounding the main subject acts as a supernatural element as well as a design construct to separate the figure from her fantasy. For me the text added throughout the image doesn’t add to the piece but neither does it detract.  The image beautifully speaks to the activity of the subconscious on its own.