The Cowboy Angel and the Gates of Eden

 

'The Cowboy Angel and the Gates of Eden' - Mixed media digital and otherwise - printed, painted and arranged on canvas and board.- George Roberts January  2024.

Eventually finalised what was originally a digital image /sketch - see 'Fermi Paradox' post. When I got around to making a submission for the Royal Academy Summer Show they had already reached their self imposed limits for registration (165,000 submissions). Anyway, I was reasonably pleased with the completed collage, which differs in a number of ways from the original idea in addition to the title. The new name for this collage alludes to a Bob Dylan song 'Gates of Eden', which I used to sing way back in the late 1960's. Since then full internet access to and from millions of personal mobile phones has industrialised  the movement of information, sanctified money and generated a multiplicity of affordable 'keys' to the Gates of Eden.  We have collectively made gods of celebrity and created heroes from rogues. We have mixed the truth, lies, science and faith to such an extent that we struggle to  make decisions in our collective best interests. Perception of the Universe is now so corrupted by our shared beliefs that evidential reality has become subjective. Why is Paradise  perceived  as somewhere else, ever something to be gained or lost but always locked away and gated beyond our current reach? Beats the shit out of me!

"Of war and peace the truth just twists

Its curfew gull just glides

Upon four-legged forest clouds

The cowboy angel rides

With his candle lit into the sun

Though its glow is waxed in black

All except when ’neath the trees of Eden"

Mr and Mrs Briggs go Paddlin' - 2023

 

Mr &Mrs Briggs go Paddlin'  by courtesy of Mr &Mrs Briggs
- traditional watercolour on NOT paper - George Roberts 2023 

Eynsford, Kent - a nice summer's day by the river to remember with friends. It's re-mailed and on its way folks! 

I always wanted to be a sculptor

 

'Red Kites' a mobile by George Roberts November 2023

With apologies to Alexander Calder and with the kind permission of Mr and Mrs Boon behold the wonder of 'Red Kites' a mobile constructed from mild steel.

The Fermi Paradox - a digital collage of my astro-imagery and mark making

 

'The Fermi Paradox and fake views'  - digital collage - January 2024, George Roberts

This piece of work started off  in my head when I read on line that the Royal Academy had made a call for 'entries' for their 2024 Summer Exhibition. The theme for this year is "to explore the idea of making space, whether giving space or taking space. This can be interpreted in various ways: to make space can mean openness – making space for something or someone, also making space between things". Clearly the RA were not looking for a "one step for man one giant leap for mankind" sort of thing but hey that's where I like to go. My 'day job' experience of  'Architectural Competitions' might well be summed up by " No one ever won a coconut by observing the rules of competition". So I ploughed on with the ideas whirling in my small brain (or 'filbert' as it's known in the South) mindful that I might buck the RA's rules and astound them with my conceptual insight and brilliance.

So what is the Fermi Paradox? Well the gist of it is: 

• Space  is mindbogglingly large and contains trillions of galaxies each containing billions of stars and countless more planets, therefore there must be very many many places in the Universe suitable for life to occur and flourish.
• The Universe is very very old so consequently there has been more than sufficient time for civilisations in multiplicity to advance beyond our comprehension.
• So if this is the case "Where are they and why haven't we heard from them?"

The bleak answer probably can be surmised from the comments section of all social media platforms where even intelligent folk can vehemently deny demonstrable facts and scientific proofs because they don't conform to their own particular world view. Sadly, this is not a reference to the UFO debate but directly related to the average lemmings liking for dangerous sports and precipitous cliffs.

My collage is all about the experience of  'space, time and light'  which appear to be wrapped up tight and filtered through the optic of a Proscenium Arch. I sometimes wonder if there are audiences on both sides and whether we are all watching the same play?

I shall not be submitting this to the RA as a digital collage would appear to break their rules concerning unique copies. On the plus side I've saved myself the £40 entrance fee and still had the fun of making the marks. I have some board, glue, a photocopier and  a ink jet printer, so will probably convert the digital into the real sometime soon.

A day in the life of ‘Waterfront’ the Penguin No2

 

Gone fishing’

Get tanked up with Syd Carp no3

 

“It’s important to keep the fish in your tank happy! Clean water makes for happy fish, so once a week I change a third of the water in the aquarium. Look how happy this Yo-yo loach is ! Bless his little Cotten fins!” Syd 

Glass and steel sculpture

 

'Poppies' by Anita and George Roberts - fused glass and
stainless steel bar and fixings.