This guy was trippin' some major balls.....

          While touring the wonderful CAM art exhibit in Raleigh, North Carolina, I was introduced to the marvelous work of art, Blind self portrait listening to the beetles while scratching a notched stick so to invoke, the universal magic of the power of destruction, by Abraham Cruzvillegas. The piece (left) is composed of 169 pieces of paper painted over with acrylic paint, each one containing a random item (i.e. a sugar packet, a lid, a picture of a tree, you get the idea)







Now, one might ask: Why? Why make such a random piece of art and what does it mean? I have no idea. But art is up to interpretation so it can have several meanings. Good Ole Abraham Cruzillegas might interpret Blind self portrait listening to the beetles while scratching a notched stick so to invoke, the universal magic of the power of destruction differently than i, or any other person, might. Another question, Why name it that? I asked this question to the tour guide who assembled this piece and she told me that he was probably trippin' balls when he named it (her words not mine). I agree.

[insert sketch here]..... my computer's being lame I'll give it to you Monday

The reason that I chose this work to examine is that this is one of the only works of art that I found meaning in. In my opinion, the reason that the artist made such a weird name for the work is to give you more freedom to create your own meaning for this work, If the work had a set title then you would perceive the work in relation to what it was named, but since you cant do that for this piece you are free to create your own meaning.

When i look at this piece of work it kind of reminds me of manila envelopes, each one containing a random item. If you are working in an office and you receive a manila envelope you don't know what to expect until you open it. Just like in life you may not know whats behind the door until you open it. There are other abstract ways to think about this. You could think of it as "wow there could be anything covered up in this sheet of paper!" only let down by the fact it was only a sugar packet. It could symbolize how you can expect a lot out of life, only to be let down in the end... OK that was dark. Ima just go with my first interpretation of the piece.