Saturday, March 03, 2007

Vintage Tin

There is a certain intangible quality about 0ld tin, as it sits rusting away in fields and junkyards, that fascinates those who discover it. There is a mysterious, eerie sensation of looking into the past through the face of a survivor that compels artists and photographers to preserve these vestiges of simpler times in their paintings and photographs.

These tin derelicts assume attitudes of defiance, puzzlement, and resignation in their stand against the onslaught of weather and metal scavengers. Paint blisters and peels under the scorching sun, revealing layers of colour and primer that both blend and contrast in expressions of abstract art. Faded scales of original blues and greens flake from oxidized surfaces as old metal turns to natural hues.

Memories lie in these metal shells like the dust on their dashboards which even the wind cannot blow away. Faint traces of things past remembering are reflected in glass that is almost opaque, and chrome that is dull and yellow. Shreds of rotten upholstery, hanging from roofs and torn from seats, provoke speculation about particular circumstances that are now long forgotten.

11 comments:

Ron Morrison said...

I wrote this thirty years ago and it appeared in several magazines (one of which I was the editor). I thought it might be fun to put it up thirty years after.

Ron Morrison said...

Thats nice, but does this high falutin gibberish actually mean anything?

Ron Morrison said...

No, but it is a fine example of anthropomorphism.

Ron Morrison said...

I thought it was lovely.

Michelle said...

It was lovely. As was the dialog with yourself. :)
Very visual description about the objects of your paintings.

Michelle said...

I'm still waiting for those cows and labs...

Ron Morrison said...

Coming right up, sometime in the intermediate future- I have to consult with W.K. so as not to step on his toes, he may wants the cows.

naquaiya said...

Your writing is terrific and it is the inspiration that keeps you going. Here's a thought for you, what you wrote 30 years ago still applies today. Are you aware of what that means? It means it is a truth. You should take this and post it as a permanent fixture to your blog because it applies not to one painting, but to you and your point of view. It is about you, the artist, and we as viewers have the right to know.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks, Michele-glad you liked it.

kee said...

Nice writing Ron. I enjoyed very much reading it.

I have odd question.
Did you happened to notice any different paint layer in any one car? If you did how many different layers of paint in one particular car did you observed?

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks, Kee, funny thing is you don't usually see the layers so much-what you see are sort of pools of different colours. The cars that I have collected in my photo-reference catologue have usually weathered to the point where peeling paint is sanded smooth and you see colour variations rather than layers.