1984 Surfaces

RETROSPECTRE

The Early Work of Robert Pasternak

1980 - 1984

 Sunset - acrylic on masonite - 10 x 12 in -  Dec 1984

It was 36 years ago this month in 1978 that I decided that I wanted to be  an artist. I was about to turn 15 years old. This web log has chronicled most all the art that I produced from then, up to this point of 30 YEARS AGO.

I got behind in my web postings for 1984, so this post contains all the work of 1984 with various omissions.

This will be my final posting within this particular blog. Please take the time to view my earlier work up to this point. Also please check out my new work, NEWS and other work in my other blogs or websites. Thanx for being here. . . or there.
                                                                                     r  o  b  e  r  t

 Christ - acrylic on illustration board - 20 x 3 in -  Dec 1984

 What You See - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 34 in - Dec 1984

 Daredevil - acrylic on canvas - 18 x 24 in - Dec 1984

 Roberto Doran - acrylic on canvas - 18 x 24 in -  Dec 1984

 Batman  - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 34 in - Nov 1984

 If Your Surface Stays Unbroken - acrylic on canvas - 36 x 48 in - Nov 1984

 Surfaces No.6 - pencil crayon, ink, pencil on paper - 11 x 14 in - Aug 1984

 Surfaces No.5 - pencil crayon on paper - 16 x 20 in - Aug 1984

 Surfaces No.4 - acrylic on illustration board - 10 x 40 in - Aug 1984

 Church on River - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 26 in - Aug 1984

 Surfaces No.3 - pencil crayon on paper - 17 x 17 in - Aug 1984

 Fence Corner - acrylic on illustration board - 16 x 28 in - Aug 1984

 They Were Friends Of Mine - pencil crayon on paper - 13.5 x 19.5 in - Aug 1984

 Target On The Different - acrylic, pencil crayon, ink on paper - 20 x 26 in - Aug 1984

 Hand In The Sky - acrylic on canvas paper - 18 x 24 in - July 1984

Fence Corner With Ships - acrylic on canvas paper - 18 x 24 in - July 1984

 Ghost House - acrylic on canvas paper - 18 x 24 in - July 1984

 Under The White Paint - acrylic on canvas paper - 18 x 24 in - July 1984

 Batman - acrylic on illustration board - 15 x 20 - June 1984

 ...and in this son was goodness - acrylic on illustration board - 18.25 x 11.5 in - June 1984

 AGES - acrylic on canvas - 48 x 86 in - May 1984

 Follow Me Home - acrylic on illustration board - 13 x 20 in - May 1984

 Harlequin cover - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 36 in - May 1984

 Confusion In The Wind - pencil, ink, pencil crayon, felt on paper - 9 x 12 - Apr 1984

 The Spirit - pencil crayon on paper - 12 x 15.25 - Apr 1984

 King & Queen - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 36 - Apr 1984

 Kick Axe-B - pencil crayon on paper - 18.5 x 18.5 - Mar 1984

 Kick Axe-A - pencil crayon on paper - 18 x 18 - Mar 1984

 Particles Chase - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 26 in - Feb 1984

Help Me Up - pastel on paper - 7 x 13 in - Jan 1984

See Your Self

 The Hand Sees - December 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 22 x 28 inches

I was about to turn 20 years old when I drew this self portrait. It was a Christmas gift for my girlfriend at the time. Then some years later, last year as a matter of fact, that I received a phone call from a second hand store I frequently shop at called Antiques and Funk. They said that they had purchased a picture of mine from someone and continued to describe it to me. I was in a bit of a shock actually but then found it really interesting. What was the story? I wondered. Had my old girlfriend finally decided that she did not need to be reminded of me or had she in fact gotten rid of it years ago and it has seen other owners?

I went to the shop to view the picture. It was in immaculate condition. I was thankful of that. This same girlfriend has a couple of other early paintings of mine that I hope are ok and kept safe. If they were not still loved, given the opportunity I would buy them from whoever had them. These other two paintings can be viewed in an earlier post here. They are called Hope For One and From Jungle To Jungle.

 Through Time Altered Minds - December 1983 - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 40 inches

Here is another self portrait that goes beyond the usual facial recognition and speaks also of body language and mental states of altered reality.

One day while sitting and stoned, I became self aware of a certain body position that I felt I was often in. I had not seen it reflected before nor did I ever consciously think of this position but there it was and it was my body remembering that I do this more so than my mind remembering this. It was a contemplative position because I was high and staring off into space.

The background for this painting comes about from my interest in wood grain and also of wood molding trim in houses and the different styles associated with different eras of houses. Compare this wood molding with the wood molding in the picture The Rose Still Grows that I have in an earlier post. Anyways, I did most of this painting at a friends house where I copied the molding and squared off the general composition from what was there. The two poles running vertically were water heater pipes running through the floor. The figure (me) was not part of this painting until later. Even though the idea was there to add me I contemplated it for a long time (yes, more sitting, staring...) because it was a cool painting before I arrived, with it being a bit more abstract and perhaps a bit more marketable (?) I like how all the surface areas have an angular or curvilinear movement of line or grain through it. I've never had hair like that, so I'm not sure what that is all about, even though there are other renditions of me in other works with the same hair.

Through the years many people have thought that I did my paintings with an airbrush, but that is not the case. I use ordinary animal hair brushes for all my painting.

To Stop A Passing Eye - October 1983 - oil pastel on paper - 20 x 20 inches

Hi

 Hi - September 1983 - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 40 inches

I guess I was in a bit of a devilish mood on this month 30 years ago. (actually for most of the year I think). I used myself as a reference model for this painting. On some level it's a self portrait I guess. Certainly an aspect of myself at the time.

This bottom piece was done after a sketch idea I proposed for a record cover idea. I won't say what band though. I see now that it definitely was not the right direction. But I liked the sketch enough to carry it over to a finalized piece.

Maneater - September 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 20 inches

Oh My I

Self Portrait - August 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20" x 26 "

I guess this is when I lost my eyes..... metaphorically speaking.  I never was able to focus on any one thing (style, medium, subject etc ) for an extended time. You can see in this posting that in the few months shown here, that I am all over the place. Is it all just about early artistic career experimentation?  I don't think so. I'm just so interested in so much. Curious about how it all works. Excited about experimentation. As much as I would like to focus in on an area for a year or two or 5 or 10, I just can't.
It's been 30 years of these shinannigans! I'm always exploring the new(for me) and always going back to what I've done and continued unravelling those threads. But throughout all of this, I like to think that my third eye is still focussed on the big picture.
  

 Futuremate - August 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20" x 26"

Lander - August 1983 - melted crayon on matt board - 14" x 22"

Tiger Face - July 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20" x 20"

Eye Of Spades - June 1983 - lino cut ink on paper

with hand pencil crayon color - 11" x 14"  

Eye Of Spades - June 1983 - lino cut ink & pencil crayon on paper - 

edition of 6, each with different backgrounds - 11" x 14"

June 1983 - ink in paper - 3" x 13"

Here above is the first logo design I did for a company. All hand drawn and inked. This logo appears on the poster below which also happens to have been my first poster assignment. I had not looked at this poster for almost 30 years. I think I never liked it for some reason. It's not great but I do like it now!

The Tubes - June 1983 - ink on paper - 15.5" x 21.5" 

May-June 1983 - Assorted Pins - acrylic or pencil crayon on acrylic base or matt board 

After seeing the hand painted pins of Winnipeg artist Margaret Hartley, I was inspired to make my own.  I did copy her Rocky Horror lips though....they were so good.

Still Light In Dark Times

The Rose Still Grows - April 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 20 in.

 Timesetter - April 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 26 in.

Cross - March 1983 - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 36 in.

The Assignment

Exit - February 1983 - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 40 inches

This is one of my favorite all-time paintings. I thinks it's because of the feeling that I still get from it. I get a buzz from it. As If I can get stoned just by looking at it. I remember when I had the idea for this one. I was at a friends place putting a puzzle together and I was assigned the sky. I was just about to put in the final piece when I thought, that once I place this piece in, the sky will all get fused together and nothing will be able to come in from the other side, as all the openings will be closed. So this was the moment of their last chance. I remember even hesitating before placing this last piece, perhaps only because I did not want to be finished my assignment.

Man In A Maze - January 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 26 inches