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Thirteen Ways |
Twelve Days |
A is for Alien |
Book of Crows |
Extraordinary Popular Delusions
& the
Madness of Crows
The Genesis of an Idea
 mark hoppmann |
Several years ago, I made a simple sketch. Crude, like most sketches, but this knock-kneed twisted little bird had a character that was hard to define. Of all the sketches I’ve made of crows, this is my favorite. Perhaps it was because its shape had been reduced to that of a simple triangle, which would make it possible to utilize it later in various compositions. Or perhaps its ambiguity is what attracted me. It has no eyes, and yet through its body language, it possesses all of the character and expression it will ever need. Is it male or female? It doesn’t matter. Is it coming or going? It is hard to tell. It brought to mind, something a professor once told me during the last moments of one of countless three hour drawing sessions. Our focus was starting to waver and we were beginning to stretch, wander, and converse with about five minutes left in the class. He admonished us by saying, “You might make the best sketch of your life in the next 30 seconds.” I like to think this is one of those sketches. |
Crows on my Mind
|
At any rate, the seeds for Extraordinary Popular Delusions had been laid. I just didn’t know that yet. In 2010 I was asked to collaborate with a group of musicians, www.simplemeasures.org based in Seattle to create a series of illustrations for Wallace Stevens, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. The following year, I illustrated and wrote my personal version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Both works became hand made books created in my studio. And, I made sketches. Hundreds of sketches. And finished drawings as well, as shown on the right. One idea evolved into another and "Vincent Van Crow" begat "A Murder on the Orient Express" which in turn led to "Cheshire Crows"; On and on with apparently no end in sight. |
 "crows on my mind" ©2008 Mark Hoppmann
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Extraordinarily Popular Delusions
 |
The title, Extraordinary
Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crows, like so
much of the work in this collection, is a play on words,
taken from a book first published in 1841, titled
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds,
written by Charles Mackay. While The Madness of Crowds
deals with the delusions of many, including the Salem witch
hunts, and Tulipmania, I have attempted to take both the
delusions and fantasies of my own and use crows as the
messenger. Some 60 illustrations later, and after a
solo exhibition at the University of Puget Sound, I
was ready to begin work on the second phase of the project;
which meant creating the side panels (half illustrations)
which both complement and support each main illustration.
For example, for the "Crowsetta Stone which depicts
the translation from hieroglyphics to crowneiform text , I
created a Crowtouche inscribed on a crowmmemorative stele.
But, I digress......
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Endless Possibilities
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I had decided long
ago leather would be my choice when it came time to
print and bind my book. Like so much of this
project, this too, is a first, having never worked in
leather in this or any previous life that I know of.
It was also my decision to let the illustrations
stand by themselves, or at least let the text
become part of the illustration.
This has been a journey as interesting as it has been varied, with inspiration coming from strange and unexpected directions. The greatest challenge has been, I think, remaining spontaneous and original, taking great pains to either not repeat myself or at least to depict previous ideas in a new light. I owe a great debt to the art of past civilizations and especially the artists and craftsmen themselves, with special apologies to Vincent Van Gogh, M.C. Escher, and not least, William Morris. What’s next? Endless possibilities. Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crows, my collections, my other projects and most importantly, myself as an artist are all a work in progress. I look forward to my next journey. At the very least, I hope I am creating a lasting body of work. |
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The exhibition of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crows at Collins Library, the University of Puget Sound February 1-29, 2012
To read a review of the exhibition in the Tacoma News Tribune, click on this link: www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/24/2039392/dual-sides-of-creative-coin.html
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