I’m just back in the studio after a week in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware that was relaxing for the most part. I learned last week that when vacationing with friends encouraging planning is a losing proposition, at least with a controlling personality like mine. Well anyway, I came back to my studio space to this big ass painting, which is as scary as ever. I had to get a furniture dolly to move it around. I’ve been painting the first layer of my hidden or secret painting step of my process. Normally this would be something I could do in a couple days but I think I won’t finish the secret painting for a couple weeks. I’m trying to learn the patience to slow down with this step since this whole hidden layer of paint is for my eyes only and will be covered over later, so I figure I might as well enjoy it a little. It occurred to me last week that because I’m working so large, and I have all these other ideas burning in my head, that I might have to stop for a few weeks at some point and do something else for a while. I rarely start and stop a piece so this will be something new If I decide to take a break from Pilot #5, but the last time I start and stopped a piece – back about 9 years ago now – it turned out okay I think. See below:
This piece Mega Spacey Hit Parade from 2006 took about 2 years to finish
Although this monster is formidable I’ve at least figured out how I’m going to attack it, which is a positive step because I have 2 more works this size I will need to do to complete the set of works. On another note I’m two thirds through the new Ta-Nehisi Coates book “Between the World and Me” and its excellent and infuriating simultaneously, mostly because of its bleakness – which is necessary but still depressing. Being solution minded as I am I can’t help but think there is must be some wand that can be waved to solve structural racism in America, but I take it from the book that the very problem of race in America is that myth made race in the first place, and fantasy fuels its perpetuation. Anyway I’ll finish it soon and deliver the elegant response my friend Melvin Rogers has intimidated me into soon. Until then here are some process shots of Pilot #5 to give you an idea of how giant the piece is.
Anthony Smith Jr. 