Description
This one is the most complicated painting in the lot. Painting #27, entitled “I’ve Fallen (and I Can’t “Get Down”)!
At first glance it appears quite obviously that two EMT robots are coming to the aid and/or repair of a fallen robot. But those of you who follow me KNOW, that what you see at first is only a small part of the story! What is really happening in this painting it is a homage to all of the musicians who died tragically at the age of 27. Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse are the obvious ones that most people are aware of, but I’ll bet you didn’t know there are 57 musicians in the 27 Club at this time! So that’s why it is so complicated… ALL of them are represented in this one painting. Some by name, others by reference or by image. It covers everyone of them I could find beginning with Alexandre Levy in 1892 and ending with Thomas Fekete in 2016.
I don’t expect you to find them all as the quality of the image here is kinda’ mediocre at best (on purpose). The list is only as good as what one can believe concerning what is found on the web, but as of this moment, it is based on the “facts” I had available at the time the painting was being done. I kept extensive notes as to who died, when they died, how they died, what type of music they played or band they were in, and where they are placed on the painting.
Some points of interest: The fan in the window, on the original wood panel, works. When turned on, it spins, and you can see a small painting of Jimi Hendrix playing guitar. The TV rolling on the table shows Jim Morrison on the fuzzy screen. The silver EMT robot carries the names of all those who died of “natural” causes (i.e. diabetes, heart complications, etc.) painted into the rust on his body. The names on the returned mail at the door are rappers who were shot and killed (the term “going postal” is why I used mail to illustrate bullet deaths), the names in the shadows around the mail, and across the threshold, are those of additional musicians who died of murder. Scattered around the cars and the fallen robot are the names of the victims of vehicle accidents (auto and motorcycle). The upside down airplane, with the #4 on its wing, has the names of the four musicians who died in aircraft mishaps written in the shadow under the plane’s wing. There are quotes from rock stars and other sources that I used for shadows under the trim on the wooden chair rail and window sill. The shadows cast by the incoming EMT Robots form skulls when looked at at a severe angle (look across the painting from either side with your eye almost touching the edge of the art and you should be them). Anyway, there is more… but I will leave the rest of the discovery up to you.
In closing, I had been thinking about this painting for a long time as the number 27 approached, and I must say, I had a great time painting it. I almost hated to see it finished as I don’t have one quite that complicated in my mind’s eye that is coming any time soon.
I took a lot of photos of the process as I was painting it, but unfortunately, I did not do a time lapse on this one. I just figured it would be a bit time consuming and didn’t want to bother with it. The painting took two weeks to paint, and for me… that’s a long time. I hope you enjoy it and find the subject matter as fascinating and ironic as I do.
Footnote: Sadly, two others have joined the 27 club since the completion of the painting. However, you will find they are not represented in this painting, nor will they be added. As it is with all my art, this painting is a time stamp of an exact moment of time in my life. When this painting was done, the known death toll was at 57. Sadly, the list will continue to expand over time… but the documenting that sad news, I will have to leave for another artist to convey.
This Original Painting is no longer available. It has been sold and is currently part of a Private Collection in St Petersburg, Florida – 02.24.18
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