"Blognic in an Egg" - T. Nelson, 2011
Acrylic on canvas. 18 x 24
Presented is my copy after the Hieronymous Bosch "Concert in an Egg" - in homage to the Lille copy. I retitled the composition, "Blognic in an Egg", featuring a selection of American parochial bloggers, complimented by an assortment of attributes and symbols forming a sort of commentary on the phenomenon that is the Catholic blogosphere.
Once again, my apologies for the poor photography. The panel still needs to be varnished, and then perhaps, I can provide a better image. (BTW - if you click on the image to enlarge it you will notice the image is not as sharp and clear as it should be - the image itself is very well defined - but the camera was loose on the tripod. Providentially the blurriness demonstrates the condition of my eyesight. I hope to get through the holidays before going in for surgery.)
Define blognic: Blognic is a derivation of picnic, most likely invented and popularized by Fr. Zuhlsdorf, the famous Catholic priest blogist. It may be described as a nearly impromtu gathering of bloggers and their readers, and/or fans, although such gatherings are frequently planned in advance. I know.
Define blognic: Blognic is a derivation of picnic, most likely invented and popularized by Fr. Zuhlsdorf, the famous Catholic priest blogist. It may be described as a nearly impromtu gathering of bloggers and their readers, and/or fans, although such gatherings are frequently planned in advance. I know.
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Terry...
Thanks Adrienne - happy Thanksgiving to you too! I'm so glad you are not mad at me anymore!
ReplyDeleteI love you - big hug!
Terry
That upside hanged man (off the power line pole) reminds me of a tarot card: The Hanged Man, was that intentional or subconscious
ReplyDeletehttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/RWS_Tarot_12_Hanged_Man.jpg
Intentional - it works as a symbol of imprudence.
ReplyDeleteThe up-side down guy has sinister meaning.
ReplyDeleteVery gruesome.
A warning to those that divulge satan's secrets...
*
I love it!! hahaha @ michael voris and monkey! Great work, Terry. The lady in the chapel veil--kinda looks a bit like Mary Eileen, but that's not intended--or is it?
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and all your readers too! :)
Ummmmmm, Terry - I was never mad at you. If I was you would have known it for sure...
ReplyDelete:-)
I like your painting style a lot, Terry, and this one is intriguing. But I really don't understand the subject enough to catch the nuances. Or the basic idea. Completely clueless here. I never got enough into blog personalities to where I could ID folks in pictures. I'm feeling like maybe that's a good thing--keeps me out of gossip mode--but the odd thing about it is, I sorta feel left out! I know that's dumb . . . .
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving y'all - and thank you.
ReplyDeletePablo - not in this case.
Perhaps another blogger besides Georgette will join in identifying the rest of the characters. Everything in the painting has significance.
ReplyDeleteI recognize MV and Fr Z. And Black Sheep Dog too. Cardinal Burke, of course. Is the person between BSD and Fr Z. Mark Shea without a beard?
ReplyDeleteI like the hand near the bottom with the 'donate' bowl. Very good.
I'm trying to place the saint on his hands and knees. A priest, too young to be St John Vianney.
And the 3 figures who appear in the crack at the bottom.
This is very intriguing, and I could stare at it for hours, trying to decipher all the meanings. Such as the impaled bird on the priest's biretta.
Just fascinating.
Oh - and Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteTerry, it's very well done. Beautiful even.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the intention is not a rebuke or an insult per se, right? I would imagine you're aiming at downright deeper. I know you actually like most of those pictured, some of them very much.
I wish I could figure out all the meanings. Did you include a reference to yourself in there? It seems like something you'd do. :)
And for the record, the reason I like Mary Elaine is because she seems to refuse to get into the "Catholic gossip" on her blog.
Awesome painting.
"downright deeper" should be "something deeper".
ReplyDeleteThe sainted priest on his hands and knees has me stumped too. He is gazing at the screen of his laptop, but upon closer inspection, it's a mirror -- which makes me think of the story of Narcissus. Hmmm, wonder what that could mean....LOL
ReplyDeleteThe trio at the bottom of the egg, hmmm....the two on the ends are pointing the finger at someone else, while the guy in the middle is pointing at himself. That's gotta be you, Terry--am I right? hahaha!
Happy Thanksgiving Terry! Now I know why your blog is silent for almost a week, you were concentrating on your painting. I like it.
ReplyDeleteHard to see on my netbook screen. Will have to wait until I get my main computer back and up running.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I can see it somewhat on this small screen.
ReplyDeleteIs that a layman wearing a tiara in the background? LOL - a blogger who is holier than the pope? There aren't any Catholic bloggers like that, are there?
Georgette is very clever...
ReplyDeleteAs is Larry - oh heck - you all are. The Martin is not being impaled, but is pulling the biretta off the priest.
Merc - You are correct - no rebukes intended.
Merc - I forgot to add that is why I depicted Elena, that way - notice she's looking heavenward as well.
ReplyDeleteI like this. Are you making prints? I would like a copy. Happy Thanksgiving, Ter. And I recognize some folks in the egg!
ReplyDeleteJust like Franz Kafka is the novel's bad conscience, so you are the blogosphere's.
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI actually like this one better than your Child Jesus painting, Terry. (Of course, I love the Child Jesus painting but don't love this. Except for maybe the Donate button. Classic.) This will haunt me in my sleep tonight the way Horror movies wish they would. You make me wish Sancta Sanctis were still active.
I had a guess about the guy who looks like he's taking a picture, but then I realised it was with a mobile rather than an SLR (or DSLR--or whatever he uses).
Wow, Terry, I didn't notice that! Everything really DOES mean something.
ReplyDeleteI noticed down in the left corner is the "National Catholic Fishwrap" ... does the macaw on Voris's shoulder represent those who "parrot" him?
What about the owl on the head of the old priest in the back - wisdom? Does the martin represent James Martin, SJ?
I also noticed that that's a burning city on the left - any particular skyline?
Mercury... yup.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteHi Terry,
ReplyDeleteMy friend Rick thinks the figure directly behind the red-hatted bishop is suppose to be me! I said I highly doubted you would include me in your artwork of American Catholic bloggers. Perhaps you could settle the matter by saying who that particular figure depicts. Thanks!
Peace,
Michael
Hi Michael - I'm sorry - it is not you. The man your friend thinks is you is really someone else. This fellow had a photo on Facebook at one time and I used that to represent only him. You just might be depicted in between the hermit and the hierophant however.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks!
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's interesting that your artwork should feature an egg, given this post of mine about Doris Lessing's novel The Memoirs of a Survivor. It's a book (and film adaptation) that features a giant egg which some commentators say represents the "cosmic egg."
ReplyDeletePeace,
Michael
Happy Thanksgiving, Terry! Love the egg!
ReplyDeleteMichael - that is interesting - I never heard of the book or the film, although I know of some aspects of the cosmic egg theory.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: So anyway - I knew you didn't get the painting - here are the characters represented in the egg: Fr. Z, Cardinal Burke, Fr. Mark Daniel Kirby, Fr. Corapi, a local guy named Cyril K. - he's the handsome one directly behind the Cardinal, then Thomas Peters in the papal tiara, Fr. James Martin w/the oversized purple martin pulling off his biretta, Elena of Tea at Trianon, Michael Voris, cradling Vincenzo - he likes monkeys; oh, and the priest in the green hat is a local priest and mentor to many, Fr. Welzbacher - a wise old owl indeed. The egg is a world, a milieu - and these folks would interest me at a 'blognic'.
ReplyDeleteThe other figures are symbolic of bloggers and blogging, and all the birds carry a superficial message reflecting 'tweets'. Likewise the telephone pole suggests the 'new' tree of life of communication so many seem to place their hopes in.
I especially like the Narcissus in the corner - opposite the fish-wrap which exists in defense of the human dignity possessed even by those who some consider enemies. The hangman represents the imprudence which often accompanies social networking. The parrot reflects the state of the blog and social networking - which often amounts to parroting unoriginal material and opinion. The burning tower represents the fall of the proud and arrogant while symbolizing the chaos since 911 in contrast to the often petty disputes and disagreements of 'Christians' online. Opposite, heavily obscured, is a cardinal and a priest - burying the dead - echoing my version of "let the dead bury the dead". The three figures in the crack represent confusion and acts as a warning to not trust online direction and personalities, while maintaining independent thought in freedom of spirit and conscience.
Of course the arm with the donate bowl suggests that everything has a price and bloggers seek to cash in and turn their 'intellectual property' into gold - which echoes the goal of alchemy. It also warns of the temptation to greed and stands in contrast to the demand for alms and support by the real poor, empoverished by war, disaster, and economic collapse.
There are many more layers of meaning, for instance - James Martin is not wearing his glasses - which means he doesn't see things as the rest of the blognic partiers do - and glasses in medieval thought frequently alluded to deception - hence Fr. Martin sans glasses.
Oh - the tortoise - the tortoise represents the confusion of the masses. Oddly enough - we recreate online while the world slips into the new dark ages...
I forgot to add - the fool popping out of the egg - represents folly and vanity, among other things.
ReplyDeleteI like this a lot Terry. It's very creative and very clever.
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