Essay / Avant-Garde

Un-knock-down-able Cat!

Why is the cat so happy? Whence his pleasing grin? This un-knock-down-able cat is composed of un-duplicate-able forms which only a five year old could assemble with such confidence and verve. No two legs alike! No two ears alike! A hint of symmetry about the

Essay / Avant-Garde

How they’re enemies

Transcription from the artist’s impromptu remarks about his own work: They are enemies because they have different armor. Actually, look: that plate metal guy doesn’t have anything on his shield, and that mail armor guy has a lion rampant on his shield. That’s how they’re

Essay / Avant-Garde

Storming the Battlements

Variation in mark-making: A minus. The passage where the slotted visor gives way to the billowing crest is especially strong. Could have used some punctiliar elements. There is only one dot in the whole composition. And the rectilinear elements are curvilinears in disguise. Contrast: A.

Essay / Avant-Garde

Two Brown Knights

Hold up your shield, brother Knight, and ward off that stiff wind that threatens to push us over. This rugged terrain beneath our feet makes for tough going, but we must stay at our post with our weapons at the ready and our unfashionable noseguards

Essay / Avant-Garde

Whoa Nelly!

A high-flying knight superimposed on a high-stepping horse. The horse’s battle dress features the patented angry eyebrows which strike fear into the hearts of any tiny little archers that dare to raise a longbow against him.

Essay / Avant-Garde

Solid Knight

Stick figures can no longer hold the sheer expressive force of the knights. Behold! The advent of the solid form, on which the St. George shield and crusader helmet can be displayed. On the left of the image is the shield, while the right side

Essay / Avant-Garde

Another G. K. Chesterton poem, and another Freddy illustration. When we went hunting the Dragon In the days when we were young, We tossed the bright world over our shoulder As bugle and baldrick slung; Never was world so wild and fair As what went

Essay / Avant-Garde

Dual Tone Duel

Variations on a theme: Eine Kleine Knecht Musik # 3,226.

Essay / Avant-Garde

Dragon Attack!

St. George: Distract him, li’l Bullet Head! Li’l Bullet Head: Booga booga! Booga booga! Looky here! Dragon: Check out all of my majesty! St. George: Ha! Smiting shall I smite thee, and smitten shalt thou be! Dragon: rrrrRRRAWRrr! Li’l Bullet Head: Your consummate Vs can’t

Essay / Avant-Garde

Big Red Knight

Title: Untitled (#2,621 in a series) Artist: Freddy Size: 11″ x 17″ Medium: Marker on high-acid paper Provenance: Southern California, early 21st century Now in the collection of: Private owner The paintings of the artist known only as Freddy reflect, especially during his ongoing “knights”

Essay / Avant-Garde

Teddy Bear Sunflower

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lean to me, Teddy, As brown as the line of earth, As I lean to you. The marker runs out Burnt