Saturday, December 28, 2019

Artist or Journalist.... including CV

Artist or Journalist...

Graduate of NSCAD University, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1969: Rod Malay shuns the title "artist" as he feels more a journalist, who tells stories in images, not words.

"Mona Lisa and Friends (Diana and Callisto)" 2019, oil painting. Mona's story, behind that famous smile...








Throughout  the 500 centuries, Mona Lisa has intrigued and mystified academics, artists, poets, song writers, cinema, theatre, plays... Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet" is called the 'Mona Lisa of Literature'... of the enigmatic, in popular culture. Mona Lisa has been repeatedly scrutinized, admired, copied, and parodied
.
Malay, the artist (?), and feminist at heart, was likewise fascinated with this woman and that "enigmatic smile". There was an injustice against Mona Lisa who lived in a patriarchal, ritualistic, society, where her only duties were to family, church and men... then at last, abandoned to die in a nunnery. Thanks to Leonardo De Vinci, Mona lisa went on to become the most famous women and most expensive work of art in the world. Yet the injustice continues.

Malay, devil's advocate, decided to modernize this women, in a new narrative, to release her from the ancient and modern patriarchal society. Thanks also to Jean Pierre, "Diana and Callisto" 1745, Greek/Roman mythology.


"River Mother 1980", oil painting. War, death, rivers of blood








































Giving birth, violence around her, a storm rages, forces her head down into the ripping winds. Water in turmoil angry, aggressive, biting, chaotic, wrenched with war and blood... into which she births her child... Should be the peaceful flowing river, continuity of all life. She cries for her children. She sees war, destruction, death, extinction. The tumultuous  river is her tears. Her body is cut with many wounds. Still, she cries for her children. She gives birth, She gives death.
 In her humility...

Cry for her

My heart breaks for her                                                                                                            For her belief                                                                                                                            Her hope                                                                 
She never despairs 
She cries forever for her children                           
She is the universal MOTHER                            
She is black                                                              
She is white                                                             
She is brown                                                                          
She is rich                                                                
She is poor 
She is the universal MOTHER                                
Of all the lands                                                       
She cries forever 

Cry for her



"The Sad Man 2017 " Male castration in a "Me Too" world 
My heart breaks for him also. Have made a life size sculpture of him as well as a movie.
Will save telling his story, for another time, if you get back to me.

My journalism stories go on , a "million" or more...

"Rock of the Ages" dominance, rituals of power
"Crowded Nest" Diminishing resources
"Joan of Arc"  Peace in death by fire
"The Thinker"  a woman
"ANA" woman of steel
"Pandora" Chained woman of slavery
"The Cowboy from Shangri la " The universal cowboy
"Narcissistic Socialists" Greed, power, denials, fantastic rituals
"No Further Comment" story on the death of society
"Squash Time"  Fear, in a man

"As A Man thinketh" So go I...

Presently, have been working on the "Masters" series, as with Mona Lisa, Diana and Callisto above, the 4th piece completed in that project. Am taking some time out with that series to work on two large compelling, contemporary oil works, 4ft x 4ft/ 120cm x 120cm, wood panels addressing the ANT RACE, subtext: the catastrophic failure of realism on the human journey...

And on it goes... a life!  All of these stories and more, from over 40 years in the challenge of art journalism, have been created in a wide  cross section of genre: Oil painting,  sculpture. lithographic printing, book writing, stage and on-street performance, music, photography, poetry, movies, a travelling installation on 18 Wheeler Freightliner, .                                                                                                                                                                                          The package, of all these projects, physically exist in my studio. I have always claimed, "My art is not for private walls", but for public spaces, national galleries, museums, the streets... where censorship can be challenged, for the good of country, democracy and realism.   
  
Installation is required in a contemporary public Gallery...  My physical presence  would be instrumental in the presentation. Gallery collaboration is needed, to establish the special constructs, physical, digital, visual and sound.      

Curriculum Vitae  Rod Malay


       2016 -2020                        Creating a two piece contemporary art series "The Ant Race
                                                  sub-title: Catastrophic denial of realism in the human race
                                                     
                                               Developed the Master's Series, oil, presently on-going 
                                                      
                                                  Created: Grace In Motion sculpture

                                                   Published book: Narcissistic Socialists
                                                      
                                                      

       2015                                       A Sad Man   video  completed, 9 Sept 2015

                                                      Created the sculpture: A Sad Man 
                                                      Chicken wire, burlap and Plaster of Paris.

                                                      Writing a book: Wensiff’s Lover
                                                      As part of a “Little Books series” from
                                                      The Primitive Artist

       2014                                       Inside The Metaphoric Man   video
                                                      Presented to five Film and Video Festivals in Canada
                                                      And USA, North American road tour

                                                      Created a blog: www.shakethedevilofftour.blogspot.com
                                                      About 40 blog chapters with titles like: The Malai 
                                                      Chronicles, Capitalism vs. Mythicism, Behind God’s        
                                                      Mask, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche , Back to Ego and                                                             Other Boxes  and so on and so forth…

      2010                                        Five month solo tour of North America for:
                                                   Writing, visual art, video documentaries,
                                                   Photography, music, poetry

                                                       Jasper Bog World Bank    video 
                                                       Presented at stage production of: Inside The Metaphoric
                                                       Man and presented to five Film and Video Festivals in
                                                       Canada and USA

                                                       In The Dog House Now    Film Presented at the
                                                       Dawson Film Festival


      2007 - 2009                              Designed and constructed the Nile House
                                                       3 story , residential/commercial

                                                        Guitar lessons and song writing

                                                        Collaborated with Lithuanian artist
                                                        Created  glass ceiling sculpture: Absolutely But Not                                                                  Absolute

                                                        Installed on terrace ceiling of the Nile House,                                                                            affectionately labeled "The BOOB House"

      1990's - 2000's                          Designed and constructed environmental sustainable                                                              residential housing.'' often referred to as "sculptured"                                                              homes.

                                                        24 large scale experimental interpretative abstract oil
                                                        paintings on canvass, no boundaries.

       1975 - 1980's                           Abandoned all previous pursuits, to become a "starving  
                                                        artist".
                                                      Focus solely on fine arts... Theatre production, Fringe                                                              Festival.
                                                      Created/performed: Cowboy from Shangri La
                                                        Wrote poetry/presented at local venues

                                                        Designed and constructed a travelling art installation: 
                                                        NO Further  COMMENT. Toured across Canada in an 
                                                       18 Wheeler Freightliner.
                                                        30,000 visitors, substantial national media coverage

                                                        Designed Ceorfanhus, massive concrete structure,                                                                  depicting the human journey, received UNESCO                                                                      endorsement 

                                                        Designed, manufactured the Ped-l-on, two seater pedal                                                          vehicle for inner city transportation.

                                                        Studied "Trends Theory" at TUNS school of architecture 

                                                        Studied Lithography, NSCAD   

                                                        Squash Time  Film    Presented at the Atlantic Film
                                                        Festival

                                                        The Martins and The Coys   Film   Presented at the 
                                                        Stage production of : The Forties Follies
     

1969 - 1970                                    Opened Graphic Design business in Montreal, Canada

                                                     Published book on inner city sign systems

1962 - 1969                                    NSCAD... Graduated, diploma in graphic design

                                                       Famous Artists Schools, USA, graduated in fine art painting,
                                                       correspondence program