February 2018

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2018

IN FLANDERS FIELDS draws upon the first two lines of John McCrae’s iconic World War I poem: “In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row”.  For me, the visual image created by these lines has always been a very calm, organized and almost static one. It is an image of the dead, not of their dying. With my IN FLANDERS FIELDS I try to shift the focus backward in time from the orderly to the chaos of death. I hope John McCrae would understand and approve.  Hand inked and hand pulled monotype matted and framed to 17” x 7”.

TEMPLAR

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2018

Another of the “Hooded Figures”, TEMPLAR is one of the most detailed and representational ones so far, specifically referencing the Knights Templar of the 11th to 14th centuries, and equipped with helmet, chain mail, spear, sword and shield. Hand built and raku fired paper clay on a hand cut MDF base, TEMPLAR is 7 ½” x 5” x 4”

PASSAGE TO RIGEL

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2018

When I decided to change the base on COLLABORATING WITH POLISTES (the new “Polistes” piece is REVISITING POLISTES) I also decided that the old base was much better as a stand-alone sculptural piece. With its coloration, sinuous lines and small opening, the mental image I had was of deep space, the space-time continuum, “worm holes” and travel to distant stars, hence the title: PASSAGE TO RIGEL. Hand built and raku fired paper clay. 12; x 9” x 7”