Time flies when you're not having fun

As far as I can remember, I had a fascination with the typeface Clarendon. Turns out, so did one of my painting heroes, Jasper Johns.

I've been a follower of his since I was in high school when I saw a show of his I-forget-where. He inspired me a lot when I was still taking pictures, opening the door to creating layered images. But as I searched the memory banks, I knew I'd seen something he did long ago that resonated with me.

Jasper Johns, 0-9, 1960. Printed by 

Robert Blackburn.

With the gradual chiseling out from the pandemic, I have had a lot of ideas influenced by the constant barrage of news media. For one, the continuous assault on the LGBTQ+ population. 

Bizarre as it is, and that the majority of the nation is absolutely fine with same-sex marriage, the idea of transgender is flipping people out. Laws are attempting to be passed in states about the un-ending battle of transgender individuals in school athletics. 

Why does this matter? Have children been reduced to entertainment such that they need to perform at sporting events? So what if a 5th grade trans kid can jump higher than your daughter in gymnastics? What does that impact?

Most egregiously, however, is that now, parents who help their children with their identity exploration by providing medical care and medications are being investigated for child abuse. The governor of Texas, Greg Abbot (R), has issued directives for Child Proctive Services of Lubbock, TX to begin criminal investigations into the family of a transitioning adolescent who has requested hormone treatment to delay puberty. (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-investigating-parents-transgender-youth-child-abuse-2022-03-02/)

Again. What does this matter? What business is it of a politician in a far-away state mansion to tell parents and their children what to do/not to do? Parents know what their child wants, needs and how best to support them. A transitioning child is an uncertain situation in most families. Why make it worse by someone else--in government, no less?

All this got me thinking, of the freedoms we do have, at least (most of the time) here in New York. As a spectator, the most I can do is support legislation, show up to rallies and create art pieces. The newest is a further consideration of the layering of ideas, using the layering of the 4-color process used in E.  I could write volumes about this, but here's the piece instead, in progress.   

To see E, please visit https://democracyspokenhere.blogspot.com/2019/10/athol-massachusetts.html