Hollis Frampton Letter – Christian Reflections – Myrrh Bears Poem – My Graduation – Redbubble Artist – Building Bridges
September 1, 2023
Art Journal September 2023 by Jenny Meehan
Hollis Frampton Letter
“It is All for Love and Honour”, is one letter written by Hollis Frampton, and it makes for a good read, I’d say, an essential read, for anyone working in the creative realm. I just love this letter, and read it regularly to myself whenever I come across situations or people who do not know how to value artworking.
Here’s a intro quoted from a website:
“In December of 1972, Donald Richie, then film curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, wrote to artist Hollis Frampton and suggested that they organise a retrospective of his work at this most prestigious of museums. To an artist of any standing, this would be a tempting offer; however, Frampton took issue with one particular line in the proposal, a single detail of Richie’s which rendered the suggestion entirely unattractive: “It is all for love and honor and no money is included at all…” Unwilling to work without financial reward, Frampton responded at length with a rousing letter, reprinted below in full, that has since become legendary in the art world for reasons which are plain to see. It’s fair to assume that a fee was later agreed: MoMA’s Hollis Frampton retrospective–The Films of Hollis Frampton–ran from March 8 -12, 1973.
This wonderful letter, and many more, features in the “More Letters of Note” book with permission of the Hollis Frampton Estate. “
Here is a link to the full text.
https://lettersofnote.com/2015/12/15/for-love-and-honor/
My favourite part is this:
” I’ll put it to you as a problem in fairness. I have made, let us say, so and so many films. That means that so and so many thousands of feet of rawstock have been expended, for which I paid the manufacturer. The processing lab was paid, by me, to develop the stuff, after it was exposed in a camera for which I paid. The lens grinders got paid. Then I edited the footage, on rewinds and a splicer for which I paid, incorporating leader and glue for which I also paid. The printing lab and the track lab were paid for their materials and services. You yourself, however meagerly, are being paid for trying to persuade me to show my work, to a paying public, for “love and honor”. If it comes off, the projectionist will get paid. The guard at the door will be paid. Somebody or other paid for the paper on which your letter to me was written, and for the postage to forward it.
That means that I, in my singular person, by making this work, have already generated wealth for scores of people. Multiply that by as many other working artists as you can think of. Ask yourself whether my lab, for instance, would print my work for “love and honor”: if I asked them and they took my question seriously, I should expect to have it explained to me, ever so gently, that human beings expect compensation for their work. The reason is simply that it enables them to continue doing what they do.
But it seems that, while all these others are to be paid for their part in a show that could not have taken place without me, nonetheless, I, the artist, am not to be paid.
And in fact it seems that there is no way to pay an artist for his work as an artist. I have taught, lectured, written, worked as a technician…and for all those collateral activities, I have been paid, I have been compensated for my work. But as an artist I have been paid only on the rarest of occasions.”
How many artists can relate to this? Rather a lot, because we all meet from time to time the expectation that we will be grateful to do something for free. This is quite different from choosing to donate or initiating something we do free ourselves.
As a mother who chose (and was able to choose) to make unpaid home management and mothering my main occupation, alongside my role and work as an artist/art tutor, its also been very interesting for me to keep in mind the truth this letter speaks in relation to my other main direction of time and energy. All of my investments matter. Its always helpful to appreciate that the fact one doesn’t receive monetary payment does not equate with a lack of value, though it’s so easy to fall into thinking that unpaid activities are somehow “less” because money symbolises value to a large extent in our capitalist society.
I’ve seen both my artwork and my mothering/homemaking impact people in very positive, significant, and sometimes even profound, ways. It’s precious and beautiful. I’ve also seen it not valued… But this is just life. The key thing, I think, is that we know ourselves, and the many expressions of ourselves, to be significant and of value. I’m grateful I know this now. I haven’t always. It’s been a welcome change to know value from the inside out.
Having said the above, it matters so much that work, in whichever kind of sphere, deserves pay. Holding an innate sense of value is great but doesn’t pay the bills. I love the way the Hollis Frampton Letter says it how it is!
When I first came across this Hollis Frampton Letter, I was stunned at the expectation that an artist would not require payment ever existed at such a “high” level in the twentieth century! The MoMA! Really! Its not a new letter and the 1970’s are a long way back, but it was both shocking to me and helpful. Helpful because there’s a tendency (when you are not “well known” and without a high profile reputation or cultural acknowledgement) to believe that the assumption you will work for free is only something encountered in the routine and out of the lime light areas of existence! It’s somehow helpful to realise how widespread a problem is, even if that’s not exactly encouraging, it helps.
Art art Art art
Just called this section “art” , because it’s a few random examples of some of my work I’ve been reflecting on and creating recently. I do give myself a bit of a break over August as it helps to keep things fresh. It’s a mistake not to have Sabbath periods.
Breakthrough (Barry) life drawing by Jenny Meehan aka jennyjimjams ©jenny meehan
Collaging. I love it. Life comes our way in fragments. How lovely to join pieces together!
“Beautiful Loose Belly” life drawing by Jenny Meehan aka jennyjimjams ©jenny meehan
I’m trying to recognise more of my own emotions in a fuller way, and this process involves, for me, embracing an acceptance of my belly… Yeah, really. I need to let things go in a good way, and this means accepting my rather prominent belly. If its the seat of my emotions, then I need to love it more! I’ve put this drawing up on my redbubble artist profile, so you can buy a print of it if you wish! I’ve called the print “Female Freedom.” I often use more than one title for a work, and giving a print a different name from the original drawing isn’t a bad idea… Its a more generalised, universal phrase “Female Freedom” but sits with my “Beautiful Loose Belly” very well!
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/150404436
So not that much to show… But a very nice time in and around Weymouth on holiday!
Here’s a few photos…
Portland Bill Lighthouse.
This photo includes (in the far left), the seven metre tall white stone obelisk, built in 1844. It’s at the Southern tip of Portland Bill as a warning of a low shelf of rock extending 30 metres south into the sea.
Pulpit Rock, Portland Bill (the Pulpit Rock part is the piece behind the people!)
Christian Reflections
A quote from “My Utmost for His Highest”. by Oswald Chambers, has set me thinking I my usual meandering manner!
“A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue – he is devoted to God Him/Herself*. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it. Things come to you with greatness and add vitality to your life because everything is energized by God.” (*my add)
I love the energy! It’s much needed! Yet, what is it to be devoted to God? And what is” the vision”? My response to this text is somewhat different now to what it would have been years back when I first read the book, and I am going to digress!
It is unhelpful to “abstract” God… putting our Creator God into a concept we have, which is always a limited image/ idea. But it’s a necessary evil, for our very limited capacities render reductions very necessary! Our minds would be blown without them! Our “vision” (even our best one) is essentially impaired and vastly coloured by our life experiences; particularly by our parents or significant others, and how life has been for us. Love is the best word I can find to label the divine, but even as a contemplative Christian, I find “Love” can be vague, and maybe even impersonal. For me, this is why Christ, God incarnate, is so important. Because though God is, in one very definitive sense, expressed in bodily form, at the same time He/She is also retaining total mystery, and expansiveness. So maybe for me, “the vision” I embrace… Is in how I perceive the person of Christ to be… And this serves in some way as a corrective lens??? I’m thinking on this!
As well as Christ incarnate, there is also a wider dimension to Christ in the cosmos, sometimes referred to as the “Cosmic Christ”. Richard Rohr gave this presence a name. For him, the Cosmic Christ is the spirit that is embedded in—and makes up—everything in the universe, and Jesus is the embodied version of that spirit that we can fall in love with and relate to. For more reading on this go here:
The Cosmic Christ
I’m not a theologian…Far from it; I am pretty ignorant and the scope of the area is indeed vast and far beyond me. But Christ has, and is, key for me in the way I think about and express my love of divine love, compassion and life purpose. This is the meaningfulness which continues to bring grace into my heart.
I was reading recently about some baptism wording…It was something like “I join the side of Christ” and I think it was maybe a battle kind of analogy, in the sense of a person being on the “good” side rather than the other. However it struck me that for me, to be on the side of Christ speaks of different things.
For “the side”, for me, speaks more of Christ’s body, and the suffering, vulnerability, pain, etc that that was part of Christ’s life. It is part of my life. That my Creator might meet me in that, is worth everything to me. It transforms my experience of life. It means that God is both all powerful and all vulnerable. It means that my Creator is with me in ALL of my life experiences, if I want to allow my Creator to meet me in those experiences. It means a depth in faith, which comes through allowing my Creator to touch my life, deeply, to the core. And that no pain or suffering is not understood by my Creator. It is compassion manifest. It is involvement by the Creator of the world IN the world, without limit. Actually, and Potentially. Potentially is very important, of course. As is inspiration and vision. Our eyes need constant opening. Our minds too. Humility. Awe. All of those things.
“Vision of God” is something to constantly seek. To have eyes which are open. To have ears that listen well. There is much to be seen and found in many different faith traditions. We will tend towards one or the other, for a variety of reasons. What is a great loss, I think, is to close up ourselves to the insights, wisdoms, revelations and understandings which come to us in many ways just because it is not “our” religion or “our” faith tradition.
Love, and Godde* (as Love manifest), is going to seep though into our hearts and lives as much as we let it happen. Life is very complex, very deep, and often very confusing and conflicting. It it natural to seek for clarity and this is not a bad thing. However it can be unhelpful to make divisions where unity exists. Differences are fine. They are good. Different views and thoughts, ideas and beliefs are part of what makes life interesting and beautiful. Whatever our faith tradition, we have so many overlapping areas. If we want conversation, communion, love and understanding, then we will respect each other in our different perspectives and recognise that God is present in our lives in many marvellous and mysterious ways, which are far beyond our comprehension.
(*PS, had to slip this in; this term suggests the middle ground between “God” and “Goddess,” combining a feminine-type ending with the traditionally masculine-type word, yet transcending both by pointing beyond itself to a divine reality that we can grasp only by metaphor. I really like it! God is gender free but still, I find this productive for my own thinking! I think I might get in the habit of using it! )
Open Water Swimming Art
I’ve got lots of beautiful open water swimming themed art and design on my redbubble artist profile… Take a look! When you buy a product on redbubble with my design on a get an artists margin which helps support my creativity.
Nisargadatta Maharaj quote on wisdom and love image ©jenny meehan
Jenny Meehan Poem: Myrrh Bears
Myrrh Bears
“Tie yourself to the Tamarack Tree.”
The myrrh bears whisper.
Soft,
as black breezes echo,
disguising mysterious literacy.
Though
only yips and yelps now fire
rapid rustlings,
through spiny, knobbled, spurs.
The light toys, wistful, within the dark ended day.
I’m spotted
by a sable, shadowed, mover
at precisely the point he fixes on me;
his moon-like eyes, defying night.
He wears a shrouded mystery.
“Tie yourself to the Tamarack tree.”
Those echoes of vanillin sweetness;
aroma of a haunting, yet hunted, memory.
The resinous beast wears ebon furred skin,
transfers his weight, on branches of reddish-grey.
Held, in his spiny madness, he startles
the cavernous nest of trees.
I delve through bitter, scented places of ululating fear,
press my hands through fingered roots,
in mossy thoughts,
draw near;
within the ceaseless distant barks,
the cuts and bleeds cry
clearer.
I lick from gummy sap, a kiss
to which my flesh
adheres.
“Dark dynasties, despair, for I defeat you.
Take needled skies, heave heaven’s hopes within.”
The myrrh bears in their frenzied spirit, shake the trees
to hear the heartwood of a mortal being’s song.
Jenny Meehan 2009( Written for one of the rounds of the Literary Mary Competition).
Here are my current thoughts on this poem, written 14 years ago!!!! It is a strange poem, this one, but I like it. I think a simple reading of it would be its an invitation for myself to allow myself to move into areas of my mind and emotions that I have blocked myself away from, which is a fear inducing exploration, however there’s a strong sense of redemption and the divine present too. The tamarack tree is wooden… Maybe symbolism of the crucifixion/(a union with Christ?)
It’s my union within the sufferings of Christ which bring forward a kind of victorious point in the poem. There’s a search for redemption, yet some considerable ambiguity in the poem in many respects, which I like a lot. It’s a poem I wrote before starting psychotherapy, yet it points quite firmly in that direction I feel. There’s certainly a strong pull to the need to articulate myself and get to the core/ expression, ie “heartwood of a mortal being’s song” which I can relate to for myself, yet also relating to the triumph over death of the fully mortal and yet fully divine Christ.
Myrrh Bears Spoken Word Video
My Graduation
This is my graduation photograph taken in 1994. I studied at Kingston University as a mature student on a combined honours degree course (History and Literature), and with the final year focused on Literature alone, I achieved a BA Hons in Literature. I went to my graduation alone. My mother, who experienced chronic mental disorder (schizophrenia) over the majority of her adult life, (which impacted her capacity to be present in several respects) did not feel able to attend. My father died five years earlier.
And so I went to this ceremony without any family member. I didn’t feel able to ask a friend to come instead, as it seemed to be an event which was all about adult children and their families and relatives, rather than friends. In retrospect, it was a bit of a mistake to think this; a friend would have been fine and better, because going alone, and having no one there felt deeply embarrassing, humiliating and sad. But I really wanted to go, and at that time I thought it was the only way!
To go to one’s own graduation alone is not a good thing to do, at least not when it reminds you of other times when your parents were missing from your life.
But I know I’m not the only one.
And so this is this is shared for those of us who have lost, due to many reasons, the family support and encouragement that we wanted and needed, and whose families were not able to celebrate their successes for whatever reasons.
What I achieved is something that I can be proud of, and the fact I was alone when I stood there to receive it, in spite of being in a crowded hall, doesn’t make it any less worthwhile.I hope this is of some comfort for anyone reading this who can relate it to a part of their own life story.
It still makes me sad, because I know how deep it cut, and my happy smile was genuine, but doesn’t show the whole picture. I’d also add that, due to psychotherapy, my faith tradition, and the love of many wonderful people in my life, I now know what it is to be supported, and I have many people who can stand with me. I know how to seek the support I need when I need it. To be honest, this is probably more of an achievement for me than the degree I obtained, and for anyone struggling with their mental health right now, it might, I hope, be a helpful thing to read.
Jenny Meehan Redbubble Art Prints
I regularly upload selected artwork to my two Redbubble artist profiles. Here are some examples below. Take a look! You can buy my art printed on many different substrates and products. I like my work to be enjoyed and accessible, and using Redbubble achieves those objectives.
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop#profile
Redbubble Artist Jenny Meehan AKA jennyjimjams
Redbubble provide worldwide delivery, and your purchase helps support my creative work in all areas, writing, painting, and explorative experimental artworking and research.
You can shop at a safe, well known online marketplace for beautiful abstract art and home decor, including homeware, fashion, stationery, masks,, wall art and many other great interior design accessories.
All very useful if you are restyling parts of your home, have moved into a new home or office and need to decorate it, or want to purchase an original, unique gift for someone for a special occasion.
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/shop#profile
Putting selected work on redbubble is an example of how I make my work more accessible, as my “fine art” and original pieces are out of budget for many people.
Redbubble are a “print on demand” site which I upload selected artworks up onto, meaning the products and prints can be manufactured by Redbubble and orders fulfilled directly by them.
There are thousands of artists on there, so it can be tricky to locate my specific art prints unless you have a link or the full artwork title.
So if you want to order anything with my art and design on, and are having difficulty locating it on redbubble, please do contact me directly via my blog with a screenshot of what you have seen and want and I will locate it for you and send you the link.
Putting the full title in Google within speech marks also usually brings the specific artwork up, particularly if you add AND Jenny Meehan to it.
Postage costs at Redbubble basically get higher if you order many different types of products because they are shipped from different manufacturing points, some of which are in different countries. It might be worth considering this when you order, as some products will be cheaper to post than others depending on where they are being printed.
Building Bridges
I like to include past artwork as well as present in my art journal. Here is a piece I still have which went down well and looked very good in its context at the time, being shown in the Engine Rooms Gallery of Tower Bridge which I feel was perfect for it.
Jenny Meehan – About this work:
“This artwork expresses some of my female emotional experience: the emotion of two
parts of my sense of self being pulled together. A feeling of balance and unity, which holds, even when the two sides are different in some respects. The suspended purple and yellow contrasting colours create stasis and tension. Yet, there is also a mirroring of the same essential structure in my composition, drawn together in a pivotal centre, which may suggest movement.
This piece resonates in relation to the Tower Bridge; an engineering achievement involving among other things, precision, balance, and design. Creative energy, both within and without, in both engineering and art. ”
Exhibition Information:
Southwark Arts Forum, Tower Bridge “Art at the Bridge” #7 “Building Bridges, the Female Perspective” in celebration of International Womens’s Day,
“Drawn Together” by Jenny Meehan.
Drawn Together (Artist’s own signed print) was exhibited at the Tower Bridge Victorian Engine Rooms in 2016. © Jenny Meehan
The work is available as open edition unsigned prints on the “print on demand site” Redbubble
I like my work to be available to a wide range of people, with all budgets.
West Dean Estate by Jenny Meehan
Above is one of my paintings carried out at West Dean College. It’s of the view from the front of West Dean College. ©Jenny Meehan
Design and Artists Copyright Society
DACS info for those wanting to license images
Do you need a licence to use one of my images?
Yes!
I’m a member of the Design and Artists Copyright Society, (DACS) and my digital images are licensable via DACS.
Please contact me in the first instance with your enquiry. I’m flexible about fees, which are based on the industry standard, but negotiable. NOTE :All fees cited by the Design and Artists Copyright Society are proposed; not set in stone; and depending on circumstances, budgets, the nature of your project etc I can be flexible.
To get an idea of the industry standard fees for an image licence take a look at the Design and Artists Copyright Society Information page.
You can simply fill out an image licence request via the Design and Artists Copyright Society form here too if preferred:
https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works
The Design and Artists Copyright Society is an informative website and a good introduction to the process of licensing an art image for anyone seeking an image to use who is not familiar with the process, what information is needed, etc.
I am also happy to help you personally though as well, and have an extremely large archive of digital art images so do feel free to contact me directly and give me an idea of your project, intended use, and requirements.
Remember..
DACS will automatically propose a licensing fee in line with the industry standard. However, please note, this is a negotiable fee. I am happy to be flexible about the initial fee proposed, and it’s not a problem if the initially proposed fee is outside your budget.
It works like this…
Administration of the licensing process is facilitated through the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), who liaise between us with respect to the exact fee agreed. Depending on circumstances and the nature of your project, I can usually offer fee reductions for a certain percentage of licensing arrangements.
If you decide you want to use their online form, then you need to attach the low resolution image of my artwork which you have found on the internet, they will know which image you seek permission for.
As I’ve said, you can also contact me informally, in the first instance if you wish to, of course. Any formal arrangements will need to be made through the Designer and Artists’ Copyright Society, but I can often offer the opportunity to alter images, for example, putting in different aspect ratios or colourways, so it’s really helpful to communicate with designers and clients first with respect to the actual image required.
So, feel free to contact me. I will also be able to let you know the maximum size the digital image is available at. If you then wish to licence the artwork image, you would then contact the Design and Artist Copyright Society to arrange the licencing agreement according to your requirements. Once paid and agreed, I then supply the high resolution image directly to you.
Ivon Hitchens
Winter time is the best time ever for looking at books for me, and one of my favourites is my book on Ivon Hitchens. The work of Ivon Hitchens was introduced to me way back in 2010 by John T Freeman on a course at West Dean College. It made a big impression on me, mainly because it put the idea of poetry and painting together in my mind. I prefer his earlier paintings, and I especially like the Terwick Mill paintings, one of which I show you below.
Terwick Mill no. 14, Waterfall 1945 oil on canvas, (40.5 x 74 cm)
The period around Christmas is when I tend to do a lot of reading and get rather over excited about ordering books to read! Thankfully there are a lot of free books available via the local library and various apps! Audio books are even better, as boring things like cleaning and sorting out can be carried out at the same time! I’m dipping into “Fat is a Feminist Issue” by Susie Orbach at the moment. It’s interesting for me to increase awareness of how I tend to stuff down my emotions if I get the chance. She has lots of very interesting things to say about women and our relationship with food.
One little morsel to cherish ” The roots of compulsive eating in women stem from women’s position in society – she feeds everyone else, but her needs are personally illegitimate. Food, therefore, can become a way to try to give to herself. “
Quoted from “Fat is a Feminist Issue” by Susie Orbach
If I eat books, I think I will be Okay!
I have been true to habit of flitting from book to book, but it seems to work for me. I blame scrolling on the internet. I have got so used to it I tend to do it with all the kinds of reading I do. That’s one really big advantage of listening to audio books. I keep on track for longer!
Psyche, Body, Spirit…Unbound
Here is my recent mosaic…
Psyche, Body, Spirit…Unbound Mosaic by Jenny Meehan
I still need to remove a few bits of grout but I’m posting up here while fresh in my mind.
Mosaic is not my main medium, for I am more of a painter-poet, but I need to paint in my garden mostly, as I don’t have a dedicated studio space. I do have a studio tent I constructed and that is good for many things, but it is still rather too cold and wet right now. In the Summer I can paint in the garden so space is not a problem then.
It’s kind of odd, this mosaic, in a quite interesting way. I like it when I make things which confuse me initially. Maybe that is the source of the peculiar expression! An online dictionary tells me that:
“A frown (also known as a scowl) is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration.”
I was keen to create something with a surreal feel and also which contained a human face. A human face made of blocks of stone was bound to be interesting, I suppose. I like to ask friends how my work speaks to them because I always learn a lot from doing so. One friend very insightfully picked up on the sense of a journey, the presence of water, and that the face was an onlooker to the scene. Also that one leg was under the water and the other on top of the water. I can’t remember all her words, but they added a lot of depth to my own responses.
The mosaic, I realised, (as I was making it!), was part of my poem (which I wrote within the same time period) “The Mummy and the Pyramid. I started the mosaic ages ago in September and I didn’t have much of an idea of its meanings for me in any clear sense. Broadly, it was centred around self-realisation and self-actualisation. We know things at different levels. This is why contemplation and dwelling on things without rushing ahead is so valuable. This is probably why I have a passion for art and poetry. They do ground me! They help me to not avoid my emotions but rather to encounter them. So a good process.
I do love the way that when you are creating artistically, (if you allow yourself to be carried along in a stream of consciousness – not quite knowing what an earth you are doing, but allowing oneself to engage with it anyway) there’s such a mysterious yet rich area for thoughts and feelings to emerge and to listen to. I found the lengthy process of mosaic making helpful. It is so much longer than that of a painting; well, in its actual execution at least. My paintings do often have a dormant period where ideas are still in gestation! And a lot of thinking goes on then. But as I said, I did find there is something particularly grounding in mosaic making. Being forced to stay with something singular for so long is not my usual style. For my often flighty mind and ever changing focus, this is no bad discipline to develop.
So with the extended time spent working on one thing when I usually work on at least three, plus each session of mosaic making being at regular intervals (just as therapy is!) I think this gave me a lot of time for reflection and contemplation as the mosaic unfolded. In this manner, the poem came from the mosaic and the mosaic came from the poem. As the ideas for motifs to use in the mosaic came to mind in their own good time, and I floundered about with respect to a title, I then utilised the mosaic imagery into the poem, which in turn, kindly gave the mosaic it’s title! It was a good combo!
I am sure that, mostly, with mosaic making it is best to know what you are doing and have a set idea clear in your mind at the outset, but I am not used to working that way. Unless I have been painting for others (commissioned to produce something), I prefer to wander around in the dark in a piecemeal fashion, and so I am keeping that approach. This is very possible with small mosaics at least, though not so possible with large ones! It is the case however that composition is everything (well, not everything…but if the underlying structure isn’t there, (however random that may seem) the visual art struggles to stand on its own two feet in my mind. There is nothing like a nice sturdy composition!
Alongside this, though, there is also a great excitement and liberty in a complete loss of structure – in fluidity and flexibility – in possibilities which cannot be seen or predicted. In mystery. It is the interplay between structure and disarray – the tension – which creates a paradox. Paradoxes tend to be rich with depth and discovery, if we can bear to hold ourselves in the space between too apparent opposites.
I have, true to form, meandered!
You can hear the poem which interacts with the mosaic here, as I have put it up on my YouTube channel:
The poem also relates a little bit to an earlier poem (God has Helped/January 2022) in the respect that the earlier one had a resurrection theme to it. As here in this part:
“The memory box
This unsealed tomb
strung in curses of defiant
protection?
Evil, elemental
spirits
bound a bandaged
menace
refusing carriage to the other world?”
from “God Has Helped” by Jenny Meehan ©2022
You can listen to the whole poem here on my YouTube Channel as I created a video poem version at the end of last year https://youtu.be/WIZ1MHpLSSQ
I was dwelling on “God has Helped” and asking myself questions about it when I wrote “The Mummy and the Pyramid”. The Egyptian theme has been in my mind for a while because I spent a lot of time cutting out many Egyptian stencil motifs to use in my artwork at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. I have always liked the paintings and motifs I have come across when looking at images of Egyptian wall paintings. Art Deco also draws inspiration from the art and architecture of ancient Egypt, and it’s my favourite decorative style of art!
A little bit of context needs to be kept in mind, for it was during the 1920’s when the Art Deco style emerged, and so its not hard to see how Egypt held a particular allure for artists and designers. The discovery of the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun in November 1922 sparked a massive amount of popular interest. Generic Egyptian imagery began to be seen all over the place.
The flat, geometric, highly patterned, yet also narrative, visual combinations found in Egyptian wall paintings, plus the context of being inside a tomb, was such a pull when thinking about aspects of myself which have been repressed and/or suppressed, but which continually surface. To my mind, there is so much of any person which is like a mummy… Bound, yet ready for release and new life – if we grant it the grace and acceptance to allow it to live. I was thinking about sexuality, but this can be true for any aspect of the self I think.
For me to work on a pictorial piece of art, rather than my more frequent abstract paintings, has been a refreshing change. I think having the mosaic understood as part of something else, in this case a poem, feels very good to me as it has some context. A lack of specific context with a pictorial piece of art is a necessary yet uncomfortable situation I feel.. So there is comfort in its placement in my poem!
There is reference in the poem to “mortar and stone pieces” and while I was thinking primarily of a wall, I quite liked the hint towards the process of making a mosaic which I do think was in my mind when I wrote it. As I was reflecting on my mosaic and asking myself what on earth it could be saying to me I identified its three main symbolic elements as being body, mind and spirit, and this is how it came to then enter into the poem so fittingly.
I am quite relieved that the mosaic has a place in the poem because there is no place for it in the house it seems! I will find a good place for it soon I hope. It is hard when there is not much space! Guess I need to do a bit of a New Year sort out!
PS: I have an even older poem, which I wrote in the early years of my psychoanalytic psychotherapy, around 2012 “A Poem to my Therapist” which uses an Egyptian theme, so I am going to dig that one up as soon as I can find it and make a video poem of that too.
Guinness 0.0% Alcohol Free Draught Stout
..
I can say this is easily my very best birthday present… alcohol free #guinness! 🙂
As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol (not since 2010!) I can say my very best Christmas (or was it Birthday? – as so close together I always get muddled!) present was this alcohol free Guinness! Hooray! Well, who would have guessed ten years ago this would have been possible! I’ve been meaning to try it out for ages and I won’t look back now!
Before my alcohol use became more accurately described as “alcohol use disorder” I used to drink just beer and stout. (until my thirties!) I only later started drinking wine. This means that it is wine which is the drink I associate with over drinking, so I’m finding the alcohol free Guinness not presenting any issues for me in terms of being a pull towards alcohol. Not everyone who chooses sobriety can take the alcohol free beer option but for me it’s a total win win!
It makes so much difference to have plenty of choice when you don’t consume alcohol. I have tried a few other alcohol free beers and lagers too. My favourite so far is the Lidl one. Lidl “Perlenbacher 0.0” is not too sweet and really inexpensive too!
Wine
Well, as I’m on the subject of drinking, (which seems to be a topic on many people’s minds, based on the frequency of it coming up in sauna conversations at my local leisure centre!) I might as well move onto wine.
I do take communion wine in church as it is part of The Eucharist. In fact, I have found that because it is consumed in this context, it is more meaningful to me. The reason for this, is that this is the only place I take some wine. The term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. And when I take the wine in that context it resonates very deeply for me in it’s associations with the blood of Christ. It is a simple symbolic ritual for me which helps me to recognise the reality of Christ’s life blood in me.
This very positive recognition of faithful love is a blessing to me. Instead of me drinking wine in a destructive way – consuming a substance in order to anaesthetise my pain, which is what I used to do – I drink the wine to honour Christ’s love and sacrifice. In this symbolic ritual I partake in Christ’s life giving love in a metaphorical sense. That it is metaphorical does not devalue it to my way of thinking, (though there are many different approaches to the matter and disagreements about this!).
It’s a small part of a much bigger picture. Partaking in the life of Christ is an experience which goes far beyond the altar and into every realm of life and experience if we let it do so. I rather like Richard Rohr’s words:
“Eucharist is presence encountering presence — mutuality, vulnerability.”
( from “Eucharist as Touchstone” )
With this thought in mind, and very much inspired by a recorded poetry reading by Judy Grahn on YouTube, I’ve written this poem! “I Paint You”. It is the partner piece for my painting “The Ruined Woman” (Which is in turn part of a Trilogy (Exhibit 1: “The ruined woman” (a painting – poem) Exhibit Two: “Venus de Milo” (sculpture and also video “Artefact/Artifact” ) and Exhibit Three: “Violence Vigil – Watch and Pray”.(short film)
Here’s a low res image of “The Ruined Woman”
The Ruined Woman ©jenny meehan partner to “I Paint You” by Jenny Meehan
I Paint You
Turn
turn to
face the future
yes
you
are wine
woman.
There is wine
Your beaker
blood promises
not death
but life
Your beaker is not empty.
Turn, turn –
Face
the future –
Build
Speak
Weave
Know
you are old and young in one.
You are not alone.
No one
taints you
scars you
mars you
stop you
drops you
Empathy is the water
that moves and spreads you
Empathy formed with
a nerve
of steel
Am I not
soft and tender?
My fine form comes
from my centre.
It is a hurricane.
May be
protestations for blood spilt
without evidence.
Am I not
an error
.No.
Written by © Jenny Meehan 2023
Slowly: a plainsong from an older woman to a younger woman Poem by Judy Grahn can be read here among other places:
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/slowly-a-plainsong-from-an-older-woman-to-a-younger-woman/
(I hope if permission granted to post it here too if possible)
But even better than that, you can listen to it on YouTube now! Also, the YouTube video is an old recording of Judy Grahn reading her poem herself, which is clearly the best way to receive any poem (from the lips of the person who writes it) . The recording of Judy Grahn reading her poem is also different to the text I’ve found online as it is much longer. It may be she edited it down later? I do this a lot and I’m sure many other writers do. Indeed, as all artists with our work, we tend to reflect and refine with the passage of time. I do like the spoken word version best though.
The link to Judy Grahn reading “Slowly: a plainsong from an older woman to a younger woman” is here:
It’s simply amazing to listen to… A total inspiration, and I know I’ll be looking through the Poetry Foundation’s Archives a lot this year. It is also possible to see the full recording via the Poetry Foundation. Here is more information here in the text included in the Poetry Foundation website:
“The Poetry Center presents Judy Grahn and Diane Wakoski, appearing at the San Francisco Museum of Art, each reading from new work on a program of women poets organized by The Poetry Center and introduced by director Kathleen Fraser. Grahn reads from a long prose work in progress, and from the She, Who poems. The latter at the time is noted as being prepared for publication with the Women’s Press Collective, which was located in the basement of A Woman’s Place Bookstore, on Broadway in Oakland. Wakoski reads three works in manuscript, a poetic essay followed by two longer poems, from her yet to be published book, Virtuoso Music for Two and Four Hands (Doubleday, 1975).
Note: the original event also included a third poet, Grace Harwood, video for whom is unavailable.”
The recording of “Slowly – A Plain Song from an Older Woman to a Younger Woman,” on YouTube was the last poem Judy Grahn read at the event. This was a poem she described as “having to do with the two kinds of women that there are: older ones, and younger ones. She made heavy use of “feminine rhymes,” which Webster’s dictionary notes are not listed in the dictionary, as these two-syllable rhymes are “trivial and used only for humor.”
I took a brief look but couldn’t find it (the dictionary quote) online however I have no doubt that’s its there. I did find this, as I was interested in the grammar of “Am I not”
I like very much the use of “Am I not” in Judy Grahn’s poem, so I used it in my poem too. It’s rather formal and detached I think. I see from the dictionary it’s far from “Ain’t I”! (I can remember using that expression on my youth, but have dropped it and acquired more of a Surrey accent, along with traces of South London! Ain’t I posh! 😂)
Another thing I noticed and liked very much is the way question marks are not used with “Am I not”. A certainty underlies the question. It makes it bold and brave. Going against traditional grammar rules is something I could consider, and this includes punctuation. This is why I end with “.no.”
I have read many poems over the years with non standard grammar and/or punctuation, but recently I tried hard to use it more conventionally. This is helpful for other people reading, but for me as I move more into speaking out aloud my own work more I think it could be a bit restricting so I need to reconsider how much it matters. I struggled at school with reading, writing, spelling and grammar and though I wasn’t quite in the “lowest” group for such things (though I did feature in the remedial reading group at Infant School I am proud to say!) I was below average.
You should never underrate a good teacher though. My English teacher at secondary school was both tough and faith-full. She believed for the best and as when I exited Twickenham Country Girls School, though wasting a lot of it, I could carry an A in English Language and a B in English Literature, which was pretty amazing bearing in mind the circumstances of my life at that time! Being beaten up by the gang of girls I hung out with in the fifth year was bad, but suddenly I had nothing to distract me and I realised I needed to come out of school with something to show for it.
jenny meehan in West Dean Forge
Thinking on steel takes me right back to many happy times in the forge at West Dean College. I took part in several blacksmithing courses. As well as working with steel, I also experimented with other metals, such as copper and aluminium on a couple of courses led by Mike Savage.
That quick trip down memory lane reminds me that I really need to work on getting back to that size this year I think. Though keeping “Fat is a Feminist Issue” in my mind at the same time, of course!
Shortcomings
“Shortcomings, both real and imagined, when deeply seen and accepted, are an important part of the transformative process of learning to let go. If we do not let go of the need to be perfect, our need to be perfect will get in our way. Likewise, if we do not let go of our fear of failing, our fear of failing will get in the way. But as we learn to let go of the need to be perfect and the fear of failure, the intimate, earthy stuff of being a vulnerable, loving human being begins to shine through. In an ongoing process of learning to let go we bear witness to the great truth that the master limps. The mastery of life is intermingled with the ongoing weaknesses and limitations that gives life its rich and many layered texture and meaning.”
Copyright © 2013 Dr. James Finley
Thanks to Dr. James Finley for permission to quote in this Jenny Meehan Contemporary Artist’s Journal.
“the intimate, earthy stuff of being a vulnerable, loving human being begins to shine through.”
I need to read that again!
And importantly the “learning to let go”. This is not something we find easy in life! We want control. We want to know.
I attended a “Silence in the City” Retreat Day led by Dr James Finley many years ago and it gave me plenty of food for thought. It was called Transforming Trauma: Exploring the Healing Power of Spirituality (A one day healing retreat) and was described as being
A one day retreat devoted to exploring the healing power of spirituality. The day’s reflections will focus on seven traumas or wounds to which we are all subject as human beings and then go to explore methods of meditation and other steps we can take to help ourselves and others heal from each of these seven wounds. The emphasis will be on the lifelong process of learning to be a healing presence in the midst of the world. Time will be given for brief periods of silent group meditation and discussion of the themes presented. Those in ministry, in the healing professions, trauma survivors and all who are interested in exploring healing power of spirituality in their own life and in today’s world will benefit from this day of prayerful reflection.
It was VERY good. I’m rather partial to a retreat day on a regular basis. I find it very helpful!
Over the years I have attended many similar type events and also many retreat days in various places, including the Mount Street Jesuit Centre in London.
Becoming Painting © Jenny Meehan
Photographic Images from my Archive
I have lots of images of metal and wood, but here is a selection of some wood ones. Both the outside of trees, with the wonderful variation of bark, and the inside, which is revealed in objects such as fence panels and anything else made of wood, is always very visually inspiring to me. It is the flow of the lines which runs with fluidity, even in and on the solid wood, which captures my eye and leads me to press the shutter, even for the most mundane of objects. Things of interest and beauty are so easily overlooked, but the camera does help to isolate things in a way which draws the attention to them, which can be helpful. These images are the snap shots which help me remember the sights which beckoned to me, at different times of my life.
It has to be said that one of the unexpected benefits feeling very downcast and low in spirit, can be that one’s eyes fall naturally to the ground more often than most, and there, if one is willing, it is possible to find a treasure trove of images which might be missed otherwise. This is not to trivialise the problems, or the pain, but I have realised for myself, that it was in my darkest days (I would place this period as being between 2007 and 2011) that I took most of my “under the waist” level images, many of the ground, and many which focused on fixings, outbuildings and structures of many kinds, and various boundaries, ie, walls, fences, and barriers.
jenny meehan photography
I found a heart on the outside of the willow tree at Broom Road Recreation Ground, which I visited with my own children. Broom Road Recreation Ground, Trowlock Way, Teddington, TW119QY, was the park I was taken to as a child ( was brought up in Teddington, Middlesex.) It looks as if, where the branch was cut off, the heart then formed.
jenny meehan photography
jenny meehan photography
jenny meehan photography
The three images above were taken in my local area, Chessington, as I ferried the children to and from school when they were younger.
jenny meehan photography
jenny meehan photography
The two images above were taken at West Dean College during one of the short courses I attended there.
Design and Artists Copyright Society DACS
Please note that the visual art on this online journal is the fruit of a lot of labour. It may not be used without permission. The same goes for any of my own writing, poems, and also, if included on this blog, the work of other artists is indeed their work. Permission needs to be requested from the relevant artists before use is made of it, even when that use is non-commercial.
So, having made that clear…
Do you need a licence to use one of my images?
I’m a member of the Design and Artists Copyright Society, (DACS) and my digital images are licensable via DACS.
Please contact me in the first instance with your enquiry. I’m flexible about fees, which are based on the industry standard, but negotiable. NOTE :All fees cited by the Design and Artists Copyright Society are proposed; not set in stone; and depending on circumstances, budgets, the nature of your project etc I can be flexible.
To get an idea of the industry standard fees for an image licence take a look at the Design and Artists Copyright Society Information page:
https://www.dacs.org.uk/licensing-works
The Design and Artists Copyright Society is an informative website and a good introduction to the process of licensing an art image for anyone seeking an image to use who is not familiar with the process, what information is needed, etc.
I am also happy to help you personally though as well, and have an extremely large archive of digital art images so do feel free to contact me directly and give me an idea of your project, intended use, and requirements.
Remember..
DACS will automatically propose a licensing fee in line with the industry standard. However, please note, this is a negotiable fee. I am happy to be flexible about the initial fee proposed, and it’s not a problem if the initially proposed fee is outside your budget.
It works like this…
Administration of the licensing process is facilitated through the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), who liaise between us with respect to the exact fee agreed. Depending on circumstances and the nature of your project, I can usually offer fee reductions for a certain percentage of licensing arrangements.
If you decide you want to use their online form, then you need to attach the low resolution image of my artwork which you have found on the internet, they will know which image you seek permission for.
As I’ve said, you can also contact me informally, in the first instance if you wish to, of course. Any formal arrangements will need to be made through the Designer and Artists’ Copyright Society, but I can often offer the opportunity to alter images, for example, putting in different aspect ratios or colourways, so it’s really helpful to communicate with designers and clients first with respect to the actual image required.
So, feel free to contact me. I will also be able to let you know the maximum size the digital image is available at. If you then wish to licence the artwork image, you would then contact the Design and Artist Copyright Society to arrange the licencing agreement according to your requirements. Once paid and agreed, I then supply the high resolution image directly to you.
Contact Jenny Meehan UK Artist Designer
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Jenny Meehan - Art Journal 