Legs Icon (Really)

19″x10″x4″
Pigment, oil, skin glue and 12kt gold leaf on curved panel
2008

1 of 8 divination tablets. 1 of 4 which have one side of white gold (12kt) – 50% gold and 50% silver – yin and yang are equalized. These are the newest and final pieces in the Legs Icon group.

Divination in this case means to hold a question in your mind, and then let intuition and chance guide you to a symbol or form. This emergent symbol or form is taken then to be the answer to the question, and is interpreted to give clarity. The divination question for this painting is “Really” – which is to say – what is really real? and also to express doubt if the word is inflected one way, and certainty is it is inflected the other way.

I have come to see the creative act as an act of divination – but I haven fleshed out this concept yet. Check back in on the website for essays on the matter over the next couple months.

Also inscribed is “Disce Pati, Disce Cantere” which means “Learn to suffer, learn to sing.” (Latin) “Disce Pati” is the Duncan clan motto from way back when, and “Disce Cantere” is my riff on that. I have these words tattooed on the right side of my rib cage.