I have mentioned the importance of Miyoko Ito many times before (here, here, and here), but there’s a little more to celebrate this Christmas day: I just received the new book Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts hot off the press.
Published by Pre-Echo Press, and featuring the research and writing of Jordan Stein, Heart of Hearts is the major publication that Miyoko Ito and her work deserve. Jordan Stein is an active and insightful curator who has developed a major presence nationally over the last decade. His research into and presentations on Ito are extremely significant, adding great depth to what is available on the artist.
Detail of Orange Cloud from 1977 by Miyoko Ito as shown in Heart of Hearts.
Loaded with chromatically accurate images, Heart of Hearts is the most complete compendium of Ito’s work available. Beyond this, the book provides a single place from which students and admirers of her painting can find all pertinent information about her life and process. Stein’s essay provides key context, deftly connecting Ito to not only her roots in the Chicago art scene but the broader aesthetic superstructure to which she belonged.
Detail of Susquehanna (The River) from 1959 by Miyoko Ito as shown in Heart of Hearts.
These two arenas – solid text and quality images – really set this publication apart. From the beautiful debossed cover (front AND back) to the matte surfaces of the large full color spreads, this book delivers. The sense of texture and painted action is wonderfully realized in these pages. I kept being surprised by the surfaces of the paintings coming to life. This is an ESSENTIAL book for anyone interested in mid-20th century painting generally, or Miyoko Ito in particular. To finally have one volume that really pulls it all together is just wonderful.
Front and back covers of Heart of Hearts.
This book is an appropriate celebration of Miyoko Ito as a person and as an artist. It includes nearly all of her work, some of which have been lost. While not technically a catalogue raisonne, it might be the next best thing, as it provides the most complete picture of her work that we’ve ever had. For this, we can thank Jordan Stein and Pre-Echo Press.
In my opinion Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts is the most important publication dealing with American painting since Yale’s four-volume catalogue raisonne of the work of Richard Diebenkorn. Go buy it.
I watched Poltergeist again this year, and am still so impressed with it. There are a lot of reasons, but a few things really stand out.
It’s not just the expertly crafted and paced music (Jerry Goldsmith).
It’s not just the practical, in-camera, optical effects (Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Nilo Rodis-Jamero).
It’s not just the fantastic physical and emotional presence of JoBeth Williams (an absolute classic performance that should have been rewarded).
JoBeth Willams as Diane Freeling
It’s not just the introduction of one of the most compelling characters in all of cinema (Zelda Rubinstein as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons).
Zelda Rubinstein in Poltergeist.
All of that is great and worthy of note.
But it’s also that the children and women are centered. They’re not “hysterical” nor are they “irrational.” They see and know deep realities, even if they can’t understand or entirely describe them (a theme borrowed from Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind). These characters are the central interpreters. They stand in for the viewer. We don’t dismiss the father as a moron, but neither do we have to make him the hero. Furthermore, we don’t have to MANUFACTURE the heroism of the Carol Anne, mom Diane, or mystic Tangina. The film naturally makes them function in ways that stimulate the narrative arc without BS or montage-based tropes. They don’t miraculously and instantaneously become triumphant; they live through a trajectory of growth. They don’t automatically know everything; they use their innate characteristics to attend to the film-reality in specific and logical ways.
Heather O’Rourke, JoBeth Williams, and Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist.
Sure, there are other examples of these qualities in popular (and more niche) media. But an average suburbanite mom coming into contact with a situation so physically and conceptually counter-intuitive gives this movie a sense of genuine humanity. Its influence is still palpable in the the horror genre some forty years on, and it’s an experience always worth a revisit.
See it if you haven’t yet (it’s available on MAX)!
Barbara Rossi. “Shep Step II” from 1973. Elmhurst University Art Collection
RIP Barbara Rossi, one of my favorite teachers. One memory:
Her old-school slide shows are legendary. One particular day the class sat in darkness as Professor Rossi went through slide after slide of her travels in India. She had amazing experiences around the world, but I found myself particularly fascinated by her images of street life there. Her eye for design and the presence of design in spaces was sharp and always curious. I’ll never forget the Coca-Cola signs she she showed that day.
They displayed economic/corporate colonization, yes, but also intimated a kind of cultural osmosis; they took on some essential Indian quality in spite of their western origin. It was the kind of thing I’d see personally many years later in China.
Professor Rossi turned my eye on in a real way, and maybe that’s the best thing we can hope for from our teachers. She (like Jim Lutes and Anoka Faruqee from around the same time in my education) is one of the enduring influences on my work and thinking.
PS: Her epic study of Indian painting, “From the Ocean of Painting: India’s Popular Paintings, 1589 to the Present”, was published in 1998 by Oxford University Press. Buy it here.
2023 has been an amazing time of fishing so far this year. We’ve gotten in some great trips in MI and around Mid-Missouri, but the best part – even more than catching the fish and seeing their beauty – has been being out and in nature with my kids. While they don’t all love angling equally (Atticus and MeiMei are PASSIONATE, while Miranda and FangFang aren’t very interested), they have all had some great successes and days of fun.
Favorite Spot
The kids love fishing in Hinkson Creek. It’s a dynamic spot that changes almost daily. Sometimes there are only minnows and small Bluegills there. Other times it’s got decent-sized Bass, Catfish, and Gar. It’s easy to get to, and even pretty accessible for my daughter who uses a wheelchair.
This summer we got to see Hinkson Creek radically transform in a matter of minutes. There have been a number of flash floods in the area this year, but we happened to be fishing during one warning. We watched the sky and checked weather constantly, but other than a short shower, nothing was amiss where we were. But we knew there were high winds and strong rains just miles away to the north. Hinkson Creek runs southward through Columbia, and gathers water from a lot of land in the area. Eventually the creek deposits into Perche Creek, which itself hits the Missouri River several miles south of town.
That day, the storm surge from the north rolled up to our little spot on Hinkson Creek. We first noticed the water picking up speed, then heard a rush in the forest upstream. We turned to look and saw a wall of debris and muddy water heading our way. Within just a few minutes the river rose six feet. Dirt, rocks, and even entire trees blasted through the area. It was awesome to behold, and such a learning experience.
You can see in the images above just what I mean by the creek rising. The concrete bridge my kids are fishing from in the image above is UNDER the water in these three images.
We stood by, watching the raging waters, for a good long time. It was illustrative of the power of even smaller sections of rivers, and it gave us even more appreciation for our proximity to the Missouri.
GAR
One of our favorite types of fish is Gar. We have Spotted, Longnose, Shortnose, and Alligator Gar varieties. They’re always fun to battle and they come from an ancient lineage of fish that really look almost dinosaur-like. They’ve got serious teeth and definitely don’t want to be caught. Bony and strong, Gar are hard to hold onto and are known for spitting hooks easily because they aren’t very fleshy in the mouth area.
In the creeks and smaller rivers, Gar don’t grow super large, but we do get some that are in the 28-32 inch range at times. We’ve even been able to land them on hook-less rope lures, which is fun.
Beast Bass
This summer gave us some SERIOUS Bass. The current Smallmouth Bass record in the state of Missouri is 7lbs, 2oz, and two of the fish we caught this summer were pretty close to that size. In May Atticus caught a huge Largemouth coming in over 6lbs (right). Later that month when we went to Michigan he hauled in this beautiful Smallmouth that was 5.8lbs (center). Given that we’d lost so many bigger bass with our lighter line, by June we’d converted over to 15lb test. It wasn’t until late July that I got my 5.5lb Largemouth (right). These personal bests are going to last a while, I think.
Good Lessons
We will continue to fish our favorite spots in the area through the rest of the year, but we’ve also planned to hit one more longer trip before the end of the summer. Meramec Springs, where the state fish hatcheries stock Trout, are not too far away. Though it might be a bit too hot for Trout, we’ll give it a try. I haven’t yet taught the kids how to clean and cook fish; we’ve been catching and releasing everything so far. Given how much they seem to respect the fish, I think they’ll understand and appreciate the circle of life aspect of harvesting some for food. But I think I’ll wait on that until Trout are on the menu.
I’m very proud of the kids in regards to angling. It has been a great way to get them out in nature, yes, but it’s also developed their resilience and patience. They’ve grown in understanding delayed gratification and following through. And they’ve gotten to work on problem-solving, working together toward common goals, and appreciating the efforts and successes that each one reaches. I’m impressed with them.
There’s Always a First Time!
Each trip to the creek or river or lake offers chances to learn new things and experience life together. That makes it all worth it.
Late last year I talked about how Geo and I were working back and forth with some artwork/carving/A.I./carving/artwork-type collaborative stuff. The process has continued.
Smelling the newly carved oak from Geo!
I know, I know. You see the initials A.I. and you’re skeptical. As you should be. I’ve been doing a lot of research on A.I. generated images, and while I think the majority of the A.I. space is trashy, there are a few people doing some amazing exploration. Joey Borovicka over in The Timeout Zone is doing quite interesting “synthography” using A.I. models. Wolfe von Lenkiewicz is also making intensive forays into image-making with precision A.I. models.
I have been interested in using image-generation tools in a limited way. Basically, I’ve been incorporating them into the workflow. This means we start with ideas, images that we’ve made ourselves, or carvings that Geo has made. Then, uploading the images as a baseline source for the A.I. generator to use, we add text prompts to encourage various modifications. In this way we use our own images in the A.I. system and calibrate them using the wording we input. Obviously, since the models have been trained on images borrowed from the wider world, we’re viewing this as a limited experiment, but I think it’s worth it.
Here’s a sequence of explorations that we’ve done with imagery of the acanthus and my own artwork: first, I used some wording from Geo in the Dream by WOMBO A.I. app, then I loosely drew over the generated images. After making a various edits and selecting one of the versions that I’d drawn, I sent a copy to Geo, who used it as a basis for his carving.
Quilt-form based on acanthus leaves. A.I. generated from Weissler prompt wording. Acanthus Quilt. Geo Weissler. Carved oak. 2022.Drapes. Ballou. Tempera and oil pastel on panel. 2021-2023.Hidden Drapes (After Ballou). Geo Weissler. Carved oak. 2023.
Living Carve. Ballou. 10×10 inches. Ink, colored pencil, gouache on paper mounted on panel. 2023. Private collection.
The image above, Living Carve, was built by using words of Geo Weissler in Midjourney, then modified digitally in Procreate on my iPad. I took that result, printed it on a large format Epson printer using Epson Enhanced Matte paper. I then used colored pencils and gouache to develop the image and enhance the richness of color and depth of surface. Below you can see a shot of the piece framed. You can see some of the surface treatment, the sense of the material accumulating to present the image. I like the chiaroscuro and quality of light. There is a subtle feeling of trompe l’oeil to this piece, which is something I’ve only tried to do a few times before. I may try a composition like this once again. If you’d like to inquire about work like this, visit me on Instagram.
I’ve known Michelle for many years now. She’s been a central part of the local art community for all of that time, and a dedicated student of painting as well. Beyond this, Michelle is someone who always has a kind word, and her encouraging, affirming presence is something everyone in our town knows about.
She also used to be my friend Mike, who I drew for this series here. Obviously, I will not try to tell Michelle’s story. It’s not mine to communicate. But I did think it would be appropriate to place a new portrait here in the Becoming the Student group.
Portrait of Michelle R. Seat. Procreate, iPad Pro. 2022.
Since I’m an educator, I’m sure you can imagine that I come into contact with many LGTBQ+ folx. Particularly in the last decade I’ve worked with trans people in a few different contexts, but most often in the graduate program where I teach. Just like anyone else who is human, the trans people I’ve known have exhibited a wide range of personality and affect.
Everyone comes with their own traumas and triumphs, their own unique inflection on life. And the fact is that simply being human is hard. People have to come to an understanding of themselves for themselves, and my primary obligation to those around me is to be kind. While that strategy hasn’t always worked, I think it’s an important guideline. And it’s framed the way I teach and the way I interact with people. It’s not up to me to define anyone else; it’s up to me to be kind and helpful.
DETAIL of Portrait of Michelle R. Seat. Procreate, iPad Pro. 2022.
(That’s central to how I see education. My teaching philosophy includes the concepts of “facilitation, encouragement, and tact.” It’s important for my interactions with people – especially students – to function as opportunities to support and enliven them. I want to aid their ability to understand themselves and help them develop strategies for building creative points of contact. Art – or really any form of communication – is worthless if it doesn’t offer access points for others.)
So, I offer up this new portrait of Michelle in celebration of her humanity and her winsome, joyful presence in our community. I did interview her for this entry in the Becoming the Student series, but I have decided to let that conversation stay just between the two of us. There are as many ways of being human as there are humans experiencing being.
DETAIL of Portrait of Michelle R. Seat. Procreate, iPad Pro. 2022.
…all is transformed, all is sacred, every room is the center of the world, it’s still the first night, and the first day, the world is born when two people kiss, a drop of light from transparent juices, the room cracks half-open like a fruit or explodes in silence like a star, and the laws chewed away by the rats, the iron bars of the banks and jails, the paper bars, the barbed wire, the rubber stamps, the pricks and goads, the droning one-note sermon on war (…)
the invisible walls, the rotten masks that divide one man from another, one man from himself, they crumble for one enormous moment and we glimpse the unity that we lost, the desolation of being man, and all its glories, sharing bread and sun and death, the forgotten astonishment of being alive;
I have known my friend Geo ever since we lived next door to each other in Evanston, Illinois in 2006. Though my adventures took me to Missouri and around the world in subsequent years, Geo made an effort to stay in contact. The man traveled to visit some of my shows, even appearing in Columbia, Missouri for an exhibition in 2009.
Geo surprised me back in 2009. We got Thai food and cocktails.
In more recent times we have taken to writing missives via email and text, sharing books and ideas. Geo has been a woodcarver for many years, and his work has been sought out all over the Chicagoland area since the 80s. I’ve appreciated the friendship Geo has given over the years, and see him as a kind of “future self mentor.” Imagine a version of yourself visiting from some alternative future who gives encouragement? That’s kind of what Geo is for me.
Portrait Demo Sketch (of Geo). Chalk pastel on paper, 24×18 inches, 2013. Created at Evanston Art Center where I gave a portrait workshop.
Through our chats and several visits, we have connected as artists and visual thinkers. Every once in a while Geo would send me small carvings and I started wondering what shared art-making might be for us. Eventually, it seemed natural to start formally collaborating on a group of carved paintings, three of which appear below.
Geo Weissler and Matt Ballou. Untitled (Wedge Interpretation). Relief carving with mixed media color. 2022.Geo Weissler and Matt Ballou. Untitled (Freak Flag). Relief carving with mixed media color. 2022.Geo Weissler and Matt Ballou. Untitled (Ensign). Relief carving with mixed media color. 2022.Click to see the works larger. These three are still in progress and may change.
Geo began these works by creating carvings based on some of my own WHENEVERwhen or Ensigns For Miyoko Ito series works. He owns several of them (in fact, Geo has purchased many of my paintings over the years) and was able to observe them closely. Inspired to bring some carved aesthetics to bear on those visual themes, Geo crafted some really interesting surfaces. One (the “Wedge Interpretation” piece above) he actually painted most of as well. I added chromatic exploration to each of the relief carvings, seeking to transform both Geo’s carved environment an my own formal structures.
I’m feeling excited – and thankful! – for this fresh collaboration. Here’s to many more shared works with Geo.
I’ve got a group of works on display at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. The show runs through October 6th, and I’ll be giving a talk that evening. For a preview, look below.
This is the third time I’ve shown this body of work, and I’d like to get the chance to show it again. The subject of the work – a “friendly-fire” bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. If you’d like to see more about this situation, check out my writing about it here.
The card for the exhibition.Back of the card with description of the show.Here are just a few of the works on display, along with some details. There’s a lot to see, so come on by!
I’m also pleased to have a small group of my collaborations with Joel T Dugan also on display at the gallery. These Phoneme works are some of my favorites, and there are a number of just finished works included.
Many years ago, my Cousin Chris and I were constant companions in the woods around Camden, NY. In particular, we explored the region between our homes. His place was several miles away to the west if you took the old dirt road that emerged onto the highway 50 yards from the house I grew up. We also did a lot of camping and hiking in the woods east of my own home.
Here’s what that area looks like today (well, a few years ago via Google Earth):
I grew up along Route 70 – Wolcott Hill Road – about two miles from the town of Camden. Wolcott Hill Road runs roughly South to North away from Camden, so this view is oriented with East at the top and West at the bottom. You can see the small lake in the lower half of the image; that is a reservoir, and part of Camden’s waterworks system. If you were to walk due West from the South corner of the reservoir, you’d come out on Wolcott Hill Road right next to my childhood home.
From the ages of 12 to 16 or so, I started making maps of our haunts out in this section of land. When I was 19, I decided to make a larger, more refined version of the map, bringing together all of the various places we used to camp and hunt. The result is below.
Watercolor map of area around my home. 24×22 inches. 1996.
There are some obvious mistakes of guesstimation here, most glaringly in the position of Route 85, which we locals know as Skinner Settlement Road. There is also some distortion of the placement of various fields, and a bit of miscalculation of distances, but I’m pretty pleased with my effort since I did not use any proper map as a source.
There are some great memories here.
At Winter’s Night, we camped in -2° weather. In the morning, we were lying in impressions in the hard snow caused by our heat coming through the tent.
At Cowadunga, we cooked venison in beer and used hard, flat cow poop for fuel – hence the name we gave the place.
The Reservoir Cabin Site was a special spot, and we stayed there quite a few times.
One night, at View, we had amazing, super clear skies all night long. It seemed as if we could see forever.
Though we never camped at Lone Tree Hill, we often climbed the massive maple there.
At Earthview we had one of our strangest camping trips ever, when we were accosted by a large number of Woodland Jumping Mice. What seemed like dozens of them came through our area, but the issue was that this was in the wee hours of the morning, so it was very dark, and the rhythm of their jumps through the underbrush sounded like footsteps. Pretty wild.
I’m glad I made documents like this throughout my teenage years. Though most are in a more rough or not so presentable state, they represent my attention to and interest in my surroundings and experiences. I’m glad to have them.
eikonktizo 
