Mingus monsieur l'artiste a encore frappé

Mingus monsieur l'artiste a encore frappé, en disant: J'ai toujours rêvé d'aller en voyage à jouer dans une fanfare, mais je ne peux pas échapper à cette impression que quelqu'un s'est enfui avec mon tuba ... attendez! ... c'est que mon collier ou un coup de main à mon la gorge?

Translated:
Mr. Mingus artist has struck again, saying: I always dreamed of going on a trip to play in a brass band, but I can not escape the impression that someone has absconded with my tuba...wait!...is that my collar or someone's hand on my throat?

Christmas Card from Mingus the Whippet

We asked Mingus to pose for a christmas photo for us, and this is what he (after much cogitation, many treats, and hours of angsty whining) created:



The title provided by Mingus is: “chocolate cherry dog danish with festive garnish”

It is an exceedingly complicated exercise to unweave all of the symbolism and contextual implacability coherent and inherent in his vision, but we will attempt nonetheless.

This title, though humble in its intent, only belies the seriousness and depth of contextuality of the metaphors contained therein. The image looks quite tasty, if one fancies whippet pastries, yet also contains an element of danger and foreboding, as if perhaps (against all odds, by miracular intervention) the canine has survived the baking process by freeing his nasal implement. The quantum state he has achieved with this vision creates a definite tension between the polarized options of a dozing animal, and one that has been baked alive into a consumable delicacy. The image gives us no clue to discern the truth, and the lingering quease and unease and modernist questions posed by this “Schroedinger’s dog” cannot be avoided.

The stubbornness illustrated by the animal in either of his quantum states is clearly demarcated by the slight glisten of moisture on the ebony tip of his nose. He seems to be saying, “Witness the indomitable canine spirit!” at the same time he is murmuring, “Leave me alone, for I am currently napping, chasing small (but spritely) bunnies in my dreams.” The bright red, santa-esque swaddlescent coverering, while both suggestive of canned cherries in glaze and of the spilt blood of our Saviour, only contributes to our confusion between dining and divinity. It is an easy conclusion that Mingus means to draw strong parallels between his quantum identities and the birth, death, and eventual rise of Jesus Christ. While this strong symbology could easily be dismissed as pandering and in poor taste, he takes advantage of his humble stature as a faithful quadrupedal servant to man to deftly sidestep any such criticisms.

The silver snowflake ornament on the center of the blanket/filling is also subject to similar parallelisms. While, upon first glance, one simply sees it as a quaint holiday adornment, it becomes clear (once we have delved fully into the Schroedinger’s Christ morphologies and associated zeitgeist) that it also stands as a beacon with versimilitude to the North Star that allegedly led the wise men to the cradle of the baby Jesus. I think at this point it is most likely unnecessary to even mention the dyslexic “god-dog” connection, but it simply cannot be ignored as part of the cross-species-cultural elements of the piece.

In summation, if we were to amalgamate the vast potpourri of imagery and meaning contained in this image, Mingus seems to be saying, “Come witness the gentle rise and fall of the cherry filling as it moves with my humble ribs. See how the universe expands and contracts and yet your dog remains in one singular location.”

Indeed, Mr. Mingus, indeed, the universe has expanded again this year, and contracted and we are still here, pondering what it all means, why animals are so inscrutable, and what we should eat next.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Charlie, Melissa, and the artist formerly (and presently) known as Mingus.

p.s. We have settled nicely into our new house, Melissa is kicking ass and taking names at her new job, Charlie is still figuring out what he wants to be when he grows up, and Melissa is being beautifully patient while he works on that.

Whishnuddha

I created this image for Melissa to help protect her from nightmares when she was doing her genetic counseling internship in Denver over the summer. It has been my job to wake her from them, and with us apart, I figured she needed a protector.

Whishnuddha is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for resting humans and a manifestation of Caninus in the traditions of Somnolence.

The Doghavad Gita describes Whishnuddha as the all-pervading essence of all resting beings, the master of and beyond the past, present and future, the creator and master of all dreamed existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the sleeping universe and originates and develops all elements within. In the Purinas, Whishnuddha is described as being the color of gold, six-armed and two-legged, holding a lotus, sword, conch, chakra, bread, and squeaky plush duck.

Whishnuddha iconography:
• His six arms and two legs indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature.
• On his chest is the dogbhana charm, suspended on a golden chain, symbolizing his commitment to mortal humans as well as the location of his earthly form.
• He stands in his food bowl, from where the richest happiness of sustenance is created.
• His earring represents the infinite cycle of life and the endless universe of restive sleeping imagination.
• A pattern of tangled vines commonly shown in the background if images of Whishnudda symbolize the tangled essence of the human subconscious, while the symbol of Whishnuddha clearly in the foreground shows his dominance over the organic growth and confusion of dreams.

Whishnuddha holds the six attributes associated with him:
• A conch shell, held by the upper left paw, represents Whishnuddha's power to create and maintain the spiral cycles of sleep and dreams in the un-woken universe.
• The chakra, a sharp-spinning discus-like weapon, held by the upper right paw, symbolizes the rested, purified, and spiritualized mind.
• A sword, held by the lower left paw, symbolizes Whishnuddha's divine power over any evil forces present in the universe of dreams.
• A lotus flower, held by the lower right paw, represents spiritual liberation, Divine perfection, purity and the unfolding of Spiritual consciousness within the individual while they are at rest.
• A slice (or loaf) of bread, held by the most upper right paw, symbolizes the richness and fertility of the cupboard of human life.
• A plush squeaky duck, held by the most upper left paw, represents Whishnudda’s power to balance alertness and diligence with leisure, cuddling, and nattering.

the purest evidence - cover

i cannot disappoint you - cover

surrogate laughter (cover design)

            special thanks to cover model Ethan Lebovics