Art and the Homeless

An effective orator must exhibit what Aristotle called "urbanity" in speech. Aristotle considered urbanity (or civility) as a crucial aspect of effective oratory. Urbanity is the ability to communicate with ease, elegance, eloquence, and refinement in speech. It involves a combination of factors, including: Cultural sensitivity: An orator with urbanity is well-versed in the cultural context of the audience, crafting the message and the language used so as to resonate with the listener. Sophistication: Urbanity demands a level of sophistication in language, tone, and delivery, which helps to establish credibility and authority. Politic: An orator with urbanity is courteous, respectful, and considerate of the entire audience’s feelings and opinions. Rhetorical style: Urbanity requires a mastery of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, allusions, and anecdotes, to engage and persuade the audience. By exhibiting urbanity in speech, an orator can: Build trust and rapport with the...

It is my privilege and honor to have one of my paintings included in an exhibit at the Winchester Cultural Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is an oil painting of an unknown vagrant. A "portrait." A picture of it is included in the set, hyperlinked, at the bottom of this page. The old bum with a long, white beard, and long, white hair, reminded me of the Greek philosopher Diogenes, and it was so-titled for the exhibit. The following statement was written to explain why. The importance of the Greek philosopher Diogenes is in proving that philosophy is not exclusively the property of the upper class. Diogenes of Sinope, a Greek philosopher, is often regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of philosophy. His life and teachings have had a profound impact on the development of Western philosophy, particularly in challenging the notion that philosophy is the exclusive domain of the elite classes. Diogenes was born into a humble family and lived a life of simpl...

Most of my paintings could best be categorized as Symbolism, or symbolic, by which I mean they have more to do with the painted figure's circumstances, than with the figure's formal representation. By formal, I mean such academic criteria as drawing, anatomy, foreshortening, contrapposto, and so on. The minority of my figure paintings are of this more academic type, that is, formal without intentional symbolic meaning. While self-expression is my intended motive, I will never completely abandon formalism, aesthetics for aesthetics's sake, in art. This is not a reaction, a hatred for progress, or anything like that. Just the opposite. My satisfaction comes from the irony of painting a symbolic subject as formally as if it were a still life, or portrait, or any of the usual repertoire of subjects of the academic painter.  This, despite the fact that the subject of most of my paintings is a derelict, a “bum,” sprawled informally upon a doorstep (not his own), oblivious to bot...

The targeting of works of art in public museums by the radical fringe must stop. Listen to reason. You damage your own cause by your actions. You draw attention to your issue but, what we want to know is, what does the targeted work of art have to do with your cause?  "What did he mean by that," we ask; "what did the Mona Lisa do to you?" Retaliation for perceived wrongs—even if against the law—is, at least, rational. As it is, your suit is forgotten, as everyone looks to the well-being of the Mona Lisa. Your bid for fame and glory is like the assassin's failed attempt on the emperor . He sits more securely for your trouble. As of today, the name of the person escorted away by Louvre security guards for vandalizing the Mona Lisa in May, 2022, remains undisclosed. Anonymous. Was it a publicity stunt? But, to whose advantage? One might be excused for being suspicious. Nobody seems to know anything. Look the other way. In the latest news, Louvre director Laurence d...

One of the first decisions every crowdfunding proposal must answer is how much money is needed? For my project, the amount can be stated as, “all costs.” I will qualify that by stating my intention is not-for-profit. In this way I intend to avoid the need to declare personal income from the project, neither spending money, nor earning money from it. Successful implementation of the project—to my satisfaction, and that of contributors—is the goal. Briefly, the object is to export a complete exhibit (show) of my paintings. I am an artist—a painter—not a curator. After funding, my next priority is project management. On a list of my priorities, complete project management tops all logistical details. At this time, I am showing an exhibit of my work. The gallery is located 20 minutes from home. I loaded the work into the cargo area of my car and shuttled it to the exhibit space myself. The exhibit place director met me at the door with a cart. The exhibit was mounted by the gallery. I att...