Friendly Advice

 

Friendly Advice

Friendly Advice -- collage by douglas brent smith, 14 November 1983, from the journal "Theme and Variation"

Back Cover, Theme and Variation

Back Cover, Theme and Variation

 Back Cover, Theme and Variation -- collage by douglas brent smith, 1983


NOTES:

Not so much a collage as a collection of images that builds up as I'm writing a journal, this one from 1983 - 1984. Based on the pictures on the wall, the picture at the bottom of Dorinda and me playing together is from Bridgeton, NJ -- no doubt Dad & Edna's house on Jay Avenue. We look happy.

The woman on the slide of course is Nena and she looks happy, too. These were perhaps dramatic but oh so happy times.


where?

 

movements

                   from a stranger

blackouts

from the center of the soul


childlike prods

                to an undiscovered corner

tripping, tipping

                   into a hole


movements

                  as the stranger

blackouts

from the cage of ourselves


liberating touches

                on the edge of frenzy

seizing, freezing

                 short of the goal


where is the cutting edge?

one of us is bleeding.




-- douglas brent smith


The Motion Age Beatnik

 

The Motion Age Beatnik

The Motion Age Beatnik -- collage by douglas brent smith, 21 March 1984


Notes:

I met the three people who are featured in the lower right corner of this collage. It was during a festival that I was involved with in Child's Play Touring Theatre. I do not remember the name of the mime trio. I think they were from France. They were fun, they were fabulous, we all got along famously. Never to meet again, but for a day or two we were all fast friends. I didn't speak any French, so our interactions were mostly non-verbal, but they were a mime troupe after all, so no problem at all.



Old Advice

Old advice could still be good -- if it ever was good.

Some old advice does not age well and so we throw it out. Stock market tips from 1980 won't do you much good today. Fashion statements from 1990 probably won't serve you well now.

But some old advice holds up well. Take care of others. Tell the truth. Always do your best. Lots of old advice is still great advice.

What's your best advice?

-- doug smith


Test Drive

Test Drive

 Test Drive -- collage by douglas brent smith 10 March 1984

stranger

something's unclear

and i fear it's true

who live here?

is it me or you?






-- douglas brent smith

from "One of One: 143 Poems"

Good Interior Decorating

 

Good Interior Decorating

Good Interior Decorating -- collage by douglas brent smith, 10 March 1984

From the Private Collection of Marvin Tudas

 

From the Private Collection of Marvin Tudas

From the Private Collection of Marvin Tudas -- collage by douglas brent smith, 4 December 1983

Study for Painting

Study for painting

 Study for painting -- drawing by douglas brent smith


Notes:

I did actually paint this study, although it has been lost to the ages somehow, maybe in the fire in Louisville, maybe in one of my many moves. Too bad, it came out much better than this sketch. The window scene was different, featuring a VW beetle. The floor was black and yellow. It's an acquired taste but I really liked it. It was fairly large compared to my usual works, too -- probably 36 x 48 inches.