Enter the Fool (April 1, 2023)

Foolishness, cursive, one sketch, Vatican fashion, manifestos, Istanbul, artists on social media, David Medalla, collage street art, "Long Time Coming," groove dub techno.

“The Fool” from Kat Black’s Golden Tarot, U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

April has me feeling like The Fool from a tarot deck, a human discombobulated (who isn’t at this point?) by mostly bad news streams (but—Trump indicted—yay!), the idiocy of humans, bad weather/good weather cycles, climate change (California tornados!), and work. Speaking of which, I’m on the “downhill” side of work now (I’d like to think, but maybe it’s the fool in me talking) and looking forward to the end of April.

I don’t have the best handwriting. But, can you still read cursive? Can you make this out? Apparently people are losing the ability to read cursive; they grow up reading print on a screen.

Handwriting by me, J.V. By the way, the word at the end of the third line is “gusto.”

Here’s more cursive (stitched) from Suleika Jouad’s Isloation Journals.

ART

Over the last several months, I’ve managed to do one small drawing in my bedraggled sketchbook, a rule-based “chance” piece based on the word “h-e-x” which determined: 1) a colored blob, 2) a simple, ink-drawn portrait of a person, and 3) an asemic—white writing on dark background. I think this may also count as an “uncomic.” The portrait is from a black and white photograph of a young Filipina during WWII. She is sitting next to a friend. They are posing as requested, but looking at the photographer and the situation with both a little amusement and a little wariness:

“Hex.” Ink on handmade paper (small).

LINKS

• And now for this important fashion update from Hyperallergic. But, you know, Fellini set the precedent (content warning, some Catholics may find this disturbing):

It’s manifesto time:

• Thanks to artist Mai Ryuno: Harrell Fletcher’s “Some thoughts on writing a manifesto.” “. . .there is often a beauty to work that is not trying too hard, that just crosses the threshold of becoming meaningful.”

• Sadgrl’s manifesto, for people who’ve had it with the corporatized internet, which seems to be in the process of cannibalizing itself. There are alternatives. See also her “Critique of the Modern Web.”

More on cursive writing:

• Cursive writing boosts cognitive skills, article by Lisa Horn.

• See also: Summary of studies on cursive writing from National Library of Medicine / frontiers in Psychology.

• “Myth of Agency Around Artists’ Signatures,” by Anoushka Bhalla.

And . . .

• Art in Istanbul after the Earthquakes. By Jennifer Hattam.

• “The (Social Media) Lives of Artists” in Pablo Helguera’s Substack newsletter Beautiful Eccentrics.

• Helguera’s post reminded me of Filipino artist David Medalla, who passed away in Dec. 2020.

• MissPrinted does collage street art. Below: “Who has the scissors has the power”:

SOUNDINGS

• Guitaro5000 goes out on the streets and asks strangers to sing with him. He just likes that moment when people let go and have fun. Sometimes he meets a real gem:

• This issue fueled by Harrison Divecha’s Groove Techno Mix:

Thanks to all who come here to visit. I’ll be back on the first Saturday in May, with a new schedule for this newsletter.

Do visit my Ko-Fi page (thanks and hugs to those who continue to send their support!). I will be making paid subscriptions available this summer (but no paywall).

I’m on Mastodon: @jeantangerine on mastodon.art and @jeanevergreen on montereybay.social.

My neocities experiment is still ongoing (whenever I have a few moments to tweak it) just for fun. At the moment, I’m all purple.

Quick frantic update: Wha? Forgot! THIS IS POST No. 100!!! Imagine a dancing birthday cake gif!