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I have just returned from spending a week in Santa Fe, New Mexico with my best artist buddy, Bridget Benton Carwyn.
Traveling is always an inspiration, but it is especially so when it is with another artist in an "art town" like Santa Fe.
Traveling is always an inspiration, but it is especially so when it is with another artist in an "art town" like Santa Fe.
Me an Bri at Bandelier
It seems fitting that this being Native American Heritage Month, I found myself immersed in an area of the country that is saturated with, if not authentically Southwest Native American culture, then at least the culturally appropriated version of it.
From the adobe-style buildings, to the textiles, to the silver and turquoise jewelry, regional Native American peoples have created the basis of the “Southwest” style.
Museums Abound!
Santa Fe is chock full of museums. Now, I love museums. Wherever I go, I seek out museums, and can spend an almost distressingly long amount of time in them, reading every interpretive panel and label as I go.
Museums are different than when I was young (heck, everything is different than when I was young!) All educational materials were oriented from a white, male, European-oriented point of view. This has really shifted.
The Palace of the Governors
Case in point: The Palace of the Governors. (Don’t get too excited, it’s not much of a palace!) It was built in 1610 and served as a local seat of government for the Spanish empire, then for the United States territories. In 1901, it became a history museum.
Now, back in 2004, Jim and I visited Santa Fe and went to the Palace of the Governors. I remember seeing exhibits in the long, rambling adobe building situated on the main public square.
Since then, it has gone through a complete transformation. The block behind the Palace was razed and the New Mexico History Museum was built. The Palace is still a piece of the museum, but the bulk of the exhibits are in the new building.
There, I learned in great detail about the clash of three groups; Native Americans, the Spanish, and later the “Americans” (I wish to goodness I could call us “United Statesians”- far more accurate!)
Formerly, any atrocities and injustices caused by European expansion was glossed over and minimized. This time, it was all laid out clearly and objectively. Not only that, the agency and formidability of the various Native tribes was also clear to see.
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) is more than a collection of artifacts displayed with interpretation. It is a museum that specifically communicates through the lens of Native Americans of the area.
Before the museum opened in 1987, an Indian Advisory Panel was formed to provide technical and cultural advice and approval of the objects displayed. The factual details and the philosophical interpretations are guided by these representatives. The outcome is that I, a European-facing outsider, can get a glimpse into the world of the Southwest Indian culture in a way that is immersive and multi-faceted.
Interpretive panel, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
Father Sky, Mother Earth by Tony Abeyta 1995
Contemporary artwork is included along side of the historical objects, giving an even larger sense of it being a living experience, not a dry report.
The main permanent exhibit is called “Here, Now & Always” The title is appropriate, because it used to be that Native Americans were described in past tense, like they didn’t exist anymore.
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), is the museum associated with the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). This art school is meant for students to explore their cultural traditions and bring it into contemporary expression.
A quote from their website: “IAIA is a place to embrace the past, enrich the present, and create the future, moving ahead to paths yet unexplored and undiscovered.”
A quote from their website: “IAIA is a place to embrace the past, enrich the present, and create the future, moving ahead to paths yet unexplored and undiscovered.”
Art of Indigenous Fashion, MoCNA
What have I learned?
I understand that what I am about to say is going to be a cliché, so please bear with me.
European culture is very compartmentalized. Emphasis on the individual, especially here in the US, is unusually important. On top of that, artists and art are seen as being apart from the rest of society, as being “special” and isolated.
Interpretive panel, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
As I was immersed in and experienced what these museums were offering, two main themes emerged.
One, that for these Native American creators, communal identity is a part of what goes into every form of expression.
Two, that the things created and displayed were often regarded not as “objects,” but as living things with an energy of their own.
One, that for these Native American creators, communal identity is a part of what goes into every form of expression.
Two, that the things created and displayed were often regarded not as “objects,” but as living things with an energy of their own.
One terrific exhibition at The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery. The collection of pots and sculptures displayed are from diverse places and times, and were curated by a group of Native American potters, historians, and educators.
Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery, MIAC
From their website: “Unlike exhibitions guided by Eurocentric timelines and Western concepts of art and history, Grounded in Clay’s focus on personal and community meaning emerges as a conversation expressed in prose, poetry, and the visual language of pottery.”
In one video, a potter said “Each pot has its own journey. Each pot has its memories.” (See video below)
It seems to me that the act of creation for many Native American artists is not merely an attempt at personal expression, but is an essential tool. A tool not only for cultural survival, but for their communities to thrive, and communicate who they are to the outside world.
Yes, but what about Moi?
I am beginning to realize my art is very ego driven. I don’t mean “ego” as in over confident or narcissistic. I mean I became attached to the identity of "artist" when I was a tiny child, because the people around me told me I was “talented.” It was a way for me to feel special and unique. Nothing wrong with that. Except that this desire to be seen as talented and “good” at art drives my decisions to this day. It separates me from my art. It separates me from myself.
What if I didn’t regard the art I create as “objects?”
What if I regarded each piece I made as a living thing?
What if I saw it as essential?
©lesliepetersonsapp Drawing, The Hanged Man
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Final Entry!
So, Why Noir?
Being an artist may look like fun, but it is tough.
Putting yourself out there for others to see is perennially disquieting. In order to make it all worth it, the subject and method has to be captivating.
Putting yourself out there for others to see is perennially disquieting. In order to make it all worth it, the subject and method has to be captivating.
©lesliepetersonsapp Miss Darger II 24x30
I am compelled to tell a story with my art. No matter if it is based on Shakespeare, mythology, or film noir, I am driven to explore and share the landscape of my imagination.
©lesliepetersonsapp The Knave of Swords 30x20
Similar to the myths and stories of old, the characters are driven by forces larger than themselves and are so very, very human. Often being brought down by their own drives and weaknesses, they are driven by a futile effort to cheat Fate. The themes are undying elements of what it is to be human.
By utilizing the elastic armature of the elements of film noir, I create art that is charged with longing, adventure, romance, and intrigue. I am able to expand and deepen my skills as a person and an artist, all the while having the time of my life.
©lesliepetersonsapp Circle Mirror 36x36
For now, I am entirely caught up in the dark labyrinth of film noir.
But who knows what future stories my art will tell?
But who knows what future stories my art will tell?
Need more noir?
Check out The Film Noir Foundation, which restores films noir and shows them at their film festivals.
It's founder, the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, is also a host on TCM's Noir Alley, which shows films noir every Saturday night and Sunday mornings.
Check out The Film Noir Foundation, which restores films noir and shows them at their film festivals.
It's founder, the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, is also a host on TCM's Noir Alley, which shows films noir every Saturday night and Sunday mornings.
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #9
Why is Shakespeare still so popular after all this time? It's because his stories and characters are timeless. There have been countless versions of his plays where the settings and characters’ identities are changed to bring new interpretations to the story presented.
The characters in noir are as vivid and fundamental as an archetype. They are so solid they can be dressed up in any outer appearance and still resonate, still express the noir sensibility.
The characters in noir are as vivid and fundamental as an archetype. They are so solid they can be dressed up in any outer appearance and still resonate, still express the noir sensibility.
There are a profusion of examples of crime novels that star characters of many kinds, from the famous private eye Easy Rollins, to tough gay guy/investigator Dave Brandstetter.
The themes are universal and can be ascribed to any individual. So, I can change the outer identities of my characters, and it can still be noir.
©lesliepetersonsapp Bars 16x20
The scenes in my artwork are presented without irony and are imbued with an immediacy which invites the viewer to experience the scene as a contemporary moment.
They don’t coyly refer to themselves as being "film noir" or use signifiers to make them seem like cultural artifacts. There is no breaking down of the fourth wall.
It is as if we could walk through the picture frame and become part of the action. If this could be possible, what would we see, and who would be there?
©lesliepetersonsapp Incognito 10x8
©lesliepetersonsapp The Hanged Man 32x18
It is easy for me to depict white, cis-gender women. It’s more of a stretch to depict scenes with people outside my personal lived experience.
But the figures in my work and in my imagination sometimes take on a life of their own, and want to be expressed as they are: male, non-white, queer...
To not follow these impulses would, in effect, be negating their existence.
Whether I handle this successfully is a question I continually ask myself.
The adaptability of film noir characters allows me to enlarge the limits of my understanding and expression.
©lesliepetersonsapp Keys 40x48
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #8
When we are engrossed in a mystery novel, the complicated plot tangles we must unravel keep us entranced.
©lesliepetersonsapp Pursuit 24x48
The characters in noir are caught in a web of intrigue and moral ambiguity. Their exploits involve daring and danger, plot twists and betrayals. They usually believe they can manipulate a situation to their advantage over another.
The dream I weave in my paintings is a version of myself who is, in a word: clever.
Very unlike who I really am.
The dream I weave in my paintings is a version of myself who is, in a word: clever.
Very unlike who I really am.
In my artwork, the space can be complicated and sometimes difficult to navigate. The claustrophobic, multi-layered space illustrate the sometimes-turgid complexity of our minds and relationships.
The identity of figures is often obscured, sometimes visually competing with shadows that seem more alive than they are.
©lesliepetersonsapp Search 48x40
The hall of mirrors scene, The Lady From Shanghai
Mirrors, doorways and windows proliferate, creating dazzling illusions, and act as apertures into other worlds. The dark, chiaroscuro lighting symbolizes obscured meanings and secrets withheld.
Like getting into a good novel or movie, my paintings invite you to take time and decipher what is being presented.
©lesliepetersonsapp Many a Moon 38x38
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #7
A long time ago, a wise friend counseled me, saying “Romance is about NOT being fulfilled, it’s about longing.”
©lesliepetersonsapp Vacancy 48x40
The characters in film noir practice a lot of bad behavior. They smoke and drink, lie, cheat, extort and manipulate.
©lesliepetersonsapp Urgent 48x24
I, on the other hand, have developed a preference for a life of minimal drama. Life is too damn short to spend it with worry and strife.
Yet, in much the same way someone may like a good war movie, yet has no desire to engage in combat, many of us achieve a certain catharsis by watching the sufferings of the glamorous figures in a film noir.
My art is charged with longing, drama, sexual tension, taboos, and covert couplings. Like a private eye, snapping a picture through a window, we espy people in places they are not supposed to be, or with someone they ought not to be with.
You could say I vicariously through my own art.
As Phyllis and Walter said in this famous exchange in Double Indemnity:
Phyllis: “We're both rotten.”
Walter: “Only you're a little more rotten.”
Double Indemnity
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #6
How many times have you said to yourself, "this is a bad idea,"- then went ahead and did it anyway?
Night and the City
Placing that call (or hitting "send").
That second drink.
Saying yes (or no).
A scheme. A move. A journey. A purchase.
How many times have our worser impulses lead us into misadventure?
This is the essence of the typical male protagonist in film noir. A guy who is presented with a choice, and even though it is a bad idea, he goes forward with his instincts, his craving, his desire, his compulsion, his desperate need, instead of what we know would be the right choice. He must live, or die, by that fateful decision.
We watch the drama unfold, unable to look away.
We watch the drama unfold, unable to look away.
©lesliepetersonsapp Backlight 38x48
Men have their own particular burden to carry. They are supposed to do, to achieve, attain, and win. But the world does not have a level playing field. Additionally, he knows that when the going gets tough, he's the one who is expected to run into the fray, stare it down and fix it. But what if it is unfixable?
The strive to win against all odds is often what motivates Antihero- or the giving up is what fuels his self-destruction.
The strive to win against all odds is often what motivates Antihero- or the giving up is what fuels his self-destruction.
The Homme Fatale
Not all Fatales are Femme. Any androsexual will tell you so.
A fatal attraction to the “bad boy” is the plight of many an otherwise prudent woman. Many are compelled to “fix” or heal a wounded man.
The bad boy seems like a shiny, bright apple on the tree of life, just out of reach. Women tell themselves, “If only I could reach him, hold him, heal him. Then he would be mine.”
But this is an illusion. Another cathartic mechanism in the fantasy world of film noir.
In the real world, such men are exasperating at best- dangerous at worst.
In the real world, such men are exasperating at best- dangerous at worst.
The simple fact is, in our society, men suffer from emotional isolation and alienation. This is no cakewalk, and should not be in any way romanticized.
Yet, the figure of the bad boy, the homme fatale is as romantic as they come.
There is a type of strength that we associate with the quiet suffering we associate with masculinity. The lonely man, isolated and aloof has great dramatic and sexual appeal.
Yet, the figure of the bad boy, the homme fatale is as romantic as they come.
There is a type of strength that we associate with the quiet suffering we associate with masculinity. The lonely man, isolated and aloof has great dramatic and sexual appeal.
©lesliepetersonsapp Look Out 30x24
But here we must ask the age-old question; is the catharsis we gain from art worth the messaging it perpetuates?
©lesliepetersonsapp The Boxer 30x40
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #5
First, let us examine the word Femme. Merriam-Webster:
Femme:
1. an adult female person
2. a lesbian who is notably or stereotypically feminine in appearance and manner
Its French, you know? It comes from the French word for woman.
Next, let us examine the word Fatale.
Another French word. It means "fatal”.
Merriam-Webster:
©lesliepetersonsapp Queen of Diamonds 30x20
Fatal:
1. a. causing death
b. bringing ruin
c. causing failure
2. a. determining one's fate
b. of or relating to fate
c. resembling fate in proceeding according to a fixed sequence
1. a. causing death
b. bringing ruin
c. causing failure
2. a. determining one's fate
b. of or relating to fate
c. resembling fate in proceeding according to a fixed sequence
Put them both together, and it becomes:
Femme Fatale:
1. a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations
2. a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery
Femme Fatale:
1. a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations
2. a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery
The Femme Fatale is like a fairy tale princess turned on its head. She is the anti-princess. Her nemesis.
The word “nemesis” is often used to refer to an arch enemy or polar opposite, or, as my friend Merriam-Webster sez, “a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent”.
But I like to think of her in astrological terms.
Astrologically, nemesis is a theoretical star that may have once been a twin star of our sun. A Femme Fatale is a mysterious dark star, a nemesis to the bright, sunny fairy tale princess of my childhood.
Astrologically, nemesis is a theoretical star that may have once been a twin star of our sun. A Femme Fatale is a mysterious dark star, a nemesis to the bright, sunny fairy tale princess of my childhood.
But if she is so evil, why do we love her so much?
Be good, be patient, look pretty and maybe the prince will come and save you. I was taught that as a girl, it was the foundation of my world view and identity. I had no examples of powerful, non-domestic women in my life. Into this vacuum stepped the only example of feminine power available to me: the Femme Fatale.
Classic film noir emerged during a time of immense social upheaval. Women had gone out into the working world during WWII, then were abruptly required to get back to the home and be nice. The Femme Fatale was an expression of this anxiety, an attempt to vilify powerful women and shame them back into the kitchen.
Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity
Gloria Grahame in The Big Heat
Though she is usually regarded as a destructive force of evil, in actuality she is often portrayed with layers of nuance- if you care to look. It is often clear that she is a woman who doesn’t have a lot of choices. She is trying to flip a bad situation to her advantage, perhaps turning the tables of power back on the men who use and control her. For me, the Femme Fatale is often infused with a tragic quality: a resourceful gal, just trying to make the best from a bad hand dealt.
In the course of my personal maturity, I am finding my way to a healthier embodiment of power.
It has taken most of my adult life to build up some understanding of how to be an entrepreneur, which is essentially what a professional artist is.
I’ve had a lot of catching up to do.
It has taken most of my adult life to build up some understanding of how to be an entrepreneur, which is essentially what a professional artist is.
I’ve had a lot of catching up to do.
©lesliepetersonsapp Blue Room 40x40
But all the while, I still rejoice in the cathartic glorification of my dark princess, the lost twin star, our nemesis, the Femme Fatale.
For Extra Credit!
A fabulous article: In Defense of Villainesses, by Sarah Gailey- so much fun!
A fabulous article: In Defense of Villainesses, by Sarah Gailey- so much fun!
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #4
Any artist will tell you, the key to artistic maturity is to discover one's own unique, consistent language. I seek to find a balance of representation and abstraction.
Modern Art, and design in the Modernist period dealt with this specifically.
Modern Art, and design in the Modernist period dealt with this specifically.
Italian travel poster, Mario Puppo, 1948
Italian travel poster, Mario Puppo, 1941
While experts say Modernism died with the onslaught of WWII, I think it was a part of the cultural zeitgeist well afterwards, especially in popular culture.
Blind Minotaur Led through the Night by Girl with Fluttering Dove, Picasso, 1935
My style is evocative of the painting and graphic arts that were contemporary with the hey-day of film noir. So, not only do I learn from films noir directly, I also love the style of the era, and let this inform the way I choose to depict the subject.
The Little Fish, Max Beckmann, 1933
Charles Sheeler, Canyons, 1951
Much like how I engage with the subject of film noir, I like to find the essence of what I am seeing and try to express it with forthright simplicity.
©lesliepetersonsapp Glass Houses 30x28
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #3
Many film noir aficionados know that American film noir was born from German Expressionism,
an art movement that started at the turn of the 20th century, and encompassed painting, theater, music, literature, and the brand-new medium of film.
It sought to express emotion and subjective experience by using symbolism, exaggeration, and distortion. In painting, the elements of design were used to support a narrative.
It sought to express emotion and subjective experience by using symbolism, exaggeration, and distortion. In painting, the elements of design were used to support a narrative.
"M" 1931 Fritz Lang
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" 1920
In cinematography, the techniques used included deep focus, extreme camera angles, dramatic lighting shone from raked angles, and chiaroscuro (which is a painterly technique developed during the Renaissance where use of deep variations of light and dark is used to enhance mood and create dramatic effect).
I consider the masters of film noir my teachers as well as my inspiration. By studying their cinematographic virtuosity, I have become a better narrative painter.
Because the noir aesthetic is so specific, I am obliged to narrow my focus and deepen my decisions, which has honed my skills.
Because the noir aesthetic is so specific, I am obliged to narrow my focus and deepen my decisions, which has honed my skills.
"Crossfire" 1947
©lesliepetersonsapp Lamplight 40x48
I have become better at marshaling the elements of design, such as value, arrangement, and scale. I believe these skills transcend any specific style and will translate to other subjects as my creative interests evolve.
©lesliepetersonsapp Exit 28x18
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
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A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #2
Begin the béguin
bé·guin|\ bā-gaⁿ \ noun \ bi-ˈgēn\
Definition of béguin
1. a :infatuation
2. a :a vigorous popular dance of the islands of Saint Lucia and Martinique that somewhat resembles the rumba
Etymology: American French béguine, from French béguin flirtation
bé·guin|\ bā-gaⁿ \ noun \ bi-ˈgēn\
Definition of béguin
1. a :infatuation
2. a :a vigorous popular dance of the islands of Saint Lucia and Martinique that somewhat resembles the rumba
Etymology: American French béguine, from French béguin flirtation
How did I start my film noir obsession?
I was in a state of transition with my art. Unsatisfied with the work I had been doing at that time, I went back to basics and started experimenting, and taking classes from Mark Andres. I was engaging in an exercise to copy a film still in the style of a painter of my choice. My choice was to do a still from The Bad and the Beautiful, in the style of the German Expressionist, Max Beckmann. I entitled it “Lana Turner Lost in the Land of Beckmann” The drama of the subject, matched with the freedom of Expressionist painting was a revelation.
I was hooked.
©lesliepetersonsapp Fatale 30x36 Collage on panel
At first, I created my art directly from screenshots of films. They were very altered, but from specific scenes. Gradually, the images kept getting more and more altered, until I started to create my own scenes.
Anticipate was the bridge. This was based on a scene from The Killers, but it was so altered, there would be no way to identify it as coming from that movie.
©lesliepetersonsapp Anticipate 16x20 Collage on panel
Blue Room was the first absolute original. I dressed myself up in costumes and took pictures of myself. From those pictures, I stitched together a scene with multiple figures, creating my own movie, as it were.
©lesliepetersonsapp Blue Room 40x40 Collage on panel
Now ideas emerge from multiple sources. I may be inspired from a film scene or photograph, or I may want to express something from my own imagination. The people I paint are slivers of my own soul, maybe even archetypes of our collective soul.
The scenes in my artwork are presented without irony and are imbued with an immediacy which invites the viewer to step into the scene as a contemporary moment. If we could walk through the picture frame and become part of the action. If this could be possible, what would you see, and who would be there?
©lesliepetersonsapp Miss Darger II 24x30 Acrylic on panel
Why Noir? is a series! Read 'em all.
Entry #1: Why Noir?
Entry #1: Why Noir?