Monday, July 4, 2011

James Parker - Adebanji's Poverty & Homeless

I'm so late with this project, I should be flogged with a bundle of old paintbrushes. Instead of whining and throwing up a bunch of excuses...go to Excuses.com and pick one. My apologies to you all and Banji.



Searching for inspiration for the
poverty theme, I needed look no further than my truck's rear view mirror. I spotted this decrepit old man in it with the words "objects in the mirror may be closer than you think".
I sprang back immediately, not wanting t0 have close encounters with this bum, until I realized it was me. Now, here is a guy that still bends over in parking lots to pick
up a penny. Ta-da...perfect for the poverty theme. So I did a self-portrait which sorta looks like me. The resemblance is much better if you quaff a fifth or two of Jack Daniels before viewing.


The second page of Banji's journal depicts a homeless fellow parked in front of a Louis Vuitton store. I'm supposing he was shopping for a new smoking jacket, but took a wrong turn looking for the Calvin Klein store. The big gap between the rich and poor has been around for ages. Early man just depended on what he could gather or hunt. Then one day, some wise caveman (Droogal Trump, I believe) had the bright idea to "store up" food. It all went haywire from there on. Jobs had to be created to transport and protect the food, and the guy who held the keys to the storehouse... Well his pockets and his paunch just got fatter. Same rules today, just more complicated. Hey, Charlie Sheen, can you spare a thousand? Duh.


Okay...now on to my final moleskin....Liz Holm and portraits. Be back soon with that one.....Promise!!!!!

5 comments:

  1. Hi, James - Your images are well worth the wait. You have the ability to make me smile and tear up at the same time. how do you do that. Wonderful paintings. Happy 4th to you. xo

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  2. It's never too late ! Glad to see you posting and you tackled 2 to boot. I greatly appreciate that any of us given the circumstances could be in dire need and the mirror would reflect us. Love your pieces James, well done.

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  3. Always love your work and your observations on life, you teared me up, too. Glad to see you posting and Adebanji is sure to be moved by your contribution to his moleskine; well done, James!

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  4. WOW!!! Wonderful James! I love them! I am wosre than you, I have still got Vern's and Dean's-need to send to Dean. So we both need a flogging!:(

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  5. Great work, James! Good to see that your sense of humor is still up and running...even with this subject...but then again, guess that's when it's needed the very most.

    Lol at Adebanji's comment! :)

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