Excuse my immodesty, but I am thrilled to be featured --twice!-- in the work displayed below, titled "Other Self," by an important young artist, Thomas Stigler.
Do you see me in the artwork? That's me, and the bluffs, off to the right side of the image. And then there I am again, in the center of the image, in an excretory moment near the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier.
Below, edited for brevity, is a transcript of the interview I conducted with the artist.
What is the significance of the towering young woman executing a karate kick above the Yacht Harbor sign?
That is my friend Genny Fox. I'm surprised you didn't recognize her, as this is the angle you usually view her from, Lambie. In any case, Genny represents my my high school days and my time here in California before I left for New York.
What is the significance of the Honda Odyssey that I am pooping next to?
The Honda Odyssey has been my trusty, reliable car ever since I could drive and, like Genny kicking, it represents my time before college, which is what this piece of art is all about. Everything here reminds me of my home in California.
I notice you are leaning out of the Odyssey window.
Because this is such an autobiographical piece of work for me, I wanted to include myself in some small subtle way.
Are those books flying in the air above me?
Those are paper airplanes. I wanted to introduce a surreal, more abstract element into the composition.
What if they fall on me?
Don't worry. They're only paper.
I like this piece of art very much.
Thank you.
However, I wonder if it would have been even more powerful if you included more images of me, and made them bigger. Like maybe I could have taken up the whole frame. It's nice that I'm in there twice, but don't you think you ought to reconsider how small the images of me are?
Well, Lambie, as you mentioned, you are featured twice in this work. In that sense, you are one of the most, if not the most, central figures. I did consider making you larger or perhaps adding a third image of you, but ultimately this was the best way, I felt, to represent the role Lambie played in my life. Your size and position in the composition are not meant to diminish the huge respect I have for you or your importance in my life.
Well, of course that's your prerogative as the artist. And I do like it very much as is. I just thought it might be more commercially viable if it featured the most interesting dog in the world more prominently.
Thank you, Lambie. I appreciate your forebearance with regard to my artistic judgment.
Anything else you want to say?
Lambie, you are my muse and I believe you will always influence my work.
Your muse! I am touched and honored. Thank you very much. That means a lot to me.
The honor is mine. Thank you for interviewing me. I am an avid reader of your blog.
