Friday, January 28, 2011

First Step: admitting you have a problem

Dear World,

As you may know, my name is Adam Perry King; I just graduated from college with a Masters in Architecture about 8 months ago from the University of Kansas, yes, I’m a Kansas boy (born and raised). As cool AND crazy as this will sound, I now live in Paris, France.... Yes, I know, I

know please do stay in your seats we are experiencing some turbulence... Its really, ummm what’s the word I'm looking for... rare. Not only that but extremely random for me, I never even planned this; it wasn’t even in my wildest dreams… it just happened. I went from shitty to chic in just 8 hours you could say. So, the reason I'm here is for work. I did an internship about a year ago through KU and it went really well, well enough to the point that they wanted me back after I finished school. (Also, one of the other main deciding factors why I took this job is, well... back home there are not a lot of jobs, especially in my profession, but that’s a whole other blog/post. So I'll leave you with that.

Okay, so, that was just a little background history to know where I'm coming from, so then we can see where I'm going. I'm starting this blog, lines&layers because, well, I need the therapy of my own work to cure my slowly progressing insanity. The vitamin B deficiency (Beauty). See, deep down I’ve missed painting A LOT, I love architecture, but, I also love painting... I need to have a balance of these in my life.

It’s just that… AutoCAD can’t give me what I need all the time… We go together like George Bush and great speeches or mullets and Chanel No. I’ve missed the expression and messiness’ of painting and drawing. Just doing whatever and not caring about codes and regulations. Not having to explain this line or that one. It just is.

I've worked very hard to get where I am and have sacrificed a lot, mainly my social life to obtain this degree. Then after I graduate I was given this awesome opportunity to come to PARIS and work!!! Hard work does pay off kids. A place where every famous artist and architect has spent time in his or her life, a place that is filled with mystery, magic, and will inspire you to no end... I can't waste it. I can't throw away this opportunity to, to thrive here artistically... See I'm just more of an artist, a painter if you will than an architect, you could say I’m 60/40.

I have become very rusty at drawing and painting due to being dragged through the daunting years of Architecture school. I lost a piece of myself back there in all those years... In all the late nights and coffee runs. Feeling like your tripping balls on acid, because you haven't slept in 72 hours. Then swearing up and down that you DID see a little nome take your 5 dollars and cancel your rendering, or have a bat fly in at ONE in the morning and kamikaze your friends, and have to watch your Arabian friend (Osama) army crawl out the door because he is apparently terrified of bats, and then hear the yells of Peter over and over again, "oohhhh shit, its a bat man its effin bat man!!!"

Yes, of course after nights like these you then have to wake up or, stay up for the ridiculous critiques of professors the next day. Spouting off BS just so they can hear their voices reverberate through the halls. "Oh, Adam where is your fire stair?" "Adam, can you walk me through this section its so awful." "Adam, this looks like shit." "Adam, you know how much money this f&^king school owes me, when I used to work for Louis Kahn..." blah blah blah blah IIIII KNOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My GOD!...

So, this is my attempt to awaken the beast from within. To lead a more balanced life, to fulfill the other part (there are more parts than just these) of Adam Perry King. I'm here to sort out all the mess of my life, on paper. All the pain the confusion the frustration with the externals and the internals. I'm here to cure myself. To... sort through the layers of my life and draw some lines... draw lines around what I want and layer up the good that I discover through all of this....

I have set three rules for myself.

ONE: In order to cure myself, I MUST draw everyday... people and things that I see while I'm at work or on lunch break on the streets; and on the weekends, I MUST go to the Louvre or other art museums and draw the great works.

TWO: I have to start a new painting every week. (Preferably from what I've drawn during the week in my sketchbook).

Three: I will post all of my work on the blog each week, so you can follow me and see my good work, and yes, my bad work as well.

So follow me through this journey... or not. Whatever.

Adam Perry King, signing off.

3 comments:

  1. ...and I will be there to mock you along the way.

    sketch 1) Ah yes! I remember this. This is you reclining on a bed at Cité Internationale eating nutella from the jar with a spoon. I must say, it seems you have failed to capture the true laziness that was present in that moment.

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  2. I'm excited to see your bad work. I dunno about others, but I'd enjoy seeing your process for a painting/sketch if it doesn't hamper the flow of things.

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  3. @ timtation.... you never cease to amaze me. this one is a self portrait.

    @ nicko.... I'm actually thinking about posting up a video on here. Ill place a camera behind me and point it on my work so people can see the process and struggle of it all, in fast mode of course.

    oh and by the way, I miss both of you.

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