Feed: The Artwork of Brandt Hardin - AggScore: 50.1

Gel ink pen on Cardboard / 2012

Michael Franti singing feet away from us!

Art should be interactive and pull an emotional response from its audience.  I had the delight of seeing one of my favorite musicians, Michael Franti with Spearhead over the weekend, who drew love from my heart and swirling visions from my third eye.  This is the type of guy who makes certain his music is an up close and personal event for everyone involved.  Spearhead opened up for Steve Winwood at The Woods at Fontanel in Nashville to raise money in a benefit for  Radnor Lake. During two different songs, he ran through the audience and back into the lawn area dancing with children, pulling people from their seats and hugging them into a state of joyful dancing.  It's impossible not to smile at such a site and feel the authenticity in the message of Michael's music.  My wife and I stood at the railing separating the reserved seating from the thoroughfare leading back to the lawn area.  Michael ran back and forth and even jumped up on by the railing, playing guitar and interacting with the audience.  It was a true thrill being a long-time fan of his music for around ten years now.

Here are a few wonderful pictures which my talented personal photographer and wife Aurora managed to get despite trying to keep up with a man running as fast and with as much grace as a cheetah through his audience to show them he's here down on Earth with the rest of us.

I run into a lot of the "Love It or Leave it" attitude with my political art and posts.  Some of this backlash prompted me to throw together what is actually my first photographic meme.  I feel we all must embrace our mistakes and downfalls along with the violent and often shameful history of our country if we wish to better the world.  Not much has changed today as we've simply shifted slave labor to other countries through Big Business's outsourcing, which doesn't pay a living wage while we slaughter civilians in Middle Eastern countries under the guise of fighting terrorism.  We must learn from the past to change the future...

Detail of Zombie Lucille Ball

As I stagger toward the end of my Zombie Walk of Fame series, I've certainly saved some of the best portraits for last including Lucille Ball, who I literally just finished coloring tonight.  Of course Miss Ball was famous for her American staple of a sitcom, I Love Lucy as well as four successive spin-off shows following the actress's character.  Lucy won four Emmy Awards from thirteen nominations spanning one of Hollywood's longest lasting television careers.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit I had a bit of fun fish-hooking and goring up such a classic icon of cinema!

Click HERE for a stream of more previews from the Zombie Walk of Fame where I'm zombifying 101 stars straight from Hollywood Boulevard!

The 2012 Presidential Election is festering up to potentially be the dirtiest political race in the history of the United States.  More money brings more problems and LOTS of mud to sling.  Much has changed since the 2008 election as The Supreme Court has since ruled in favor of corporations being able to anonymously funnel an unlimited amount of money to their chosen candidate.  Of course, money isn't the ONLY factor in deciding a popular election, but it's increasing the deciding factor.  Fortunately for Republican nominee Mitt Romney, he certainly has no shortage of funds and is also protected by his Magic Mormon Underwear.  These sacred garments are worn by folks of Mormon persuasion day and night to safeguard against the evils of the world including liberals, terrorists, homosexuals and poor people who would hope to see the downfall of a rich elitist such as himself.

Inks on Bristol / 2012

In the end, Romney is banking on the power of his temple garments and God Almighty to make it rain enough fluid cash to wash away the Obamanation and usher in the dawning of a new conservative era.  The Republican Party hopes a Romney win will course-correct President Obama's attempts at narrowing the wealth gap in our country, leaving men like Romney as the ruling class.  Money walks, money talks and money buys elections in our brave new world.  This man was chosen for the divine path to the White House because he's undeniably filthy rich.  Just how much money does Mitt have?  According to USA Today, if one takes the combined wealth of the past 8 U.S. Presidents and doubles it... that is Romney's net worth.  If elected, he will be the richest man to ever occupy the Oval Office.

How much does money truly factor in to which party gets elected these days?  In 2004, 98% of House Seats and 88% of Senate Seats were awarded to the candidate who spent the most money.  In 2006, the same held true for 94% of House and 73% of Senate seats as well as 93% of House and 94 % of Senate seats in 2008.  These are staggering numbers, which really tell the tale of how cash affects the outcome of voting.  Of course, in 2008, Obama had a 2 to 1 monetary advantage over McCain.  It is clear why Republicans nominated the wealthiest candidate they could find...

For those of you recently exposed to the world of my art, you may not realize I don't really make art for a living but rather to fulfill a compulsion to create which was born within me.  I actually serve as Marketing Manager for Environmental Water Systems who distribute RainSoft Water Treatment Equipment.  Every other year, RainSoft throws a blowout International Convention for its employees and dealers. This year, I was fortunate enough to represent my department by traveling to Cancun and help collect our dealership's 18 regional and world-wide awards over the weekend!   We were given some free time on Saturday before our International Awards Banquet to bum on the beach and see the sites.  My buddy Cameron and I took the bus a few miles south of the hotel to see the Mayan Ruins of El Rey and the fearless iguanas who inhabit them.  Here are a slew of pictures I got of the Mayans' artistic architecture...

The Siiiiiiimp-soooooons....

Of course, this would be one of my favorite stops along the Zombie Walk of Fame as I work toward finishing up all 101 zombifications of stars I chose from the Hollywood Walk of Fame for my new series.  Matt Groening's yellow-skinned, three fingered universe centers around this family unit of Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer who have each become American icons.  I was among the first generation to grow up with television's longest running family and yearned for Thursday nights as a child and in my teens, gaining clever quips about culture, which I would regurgitate with my friends for weeks afterward.  The Simpsons ARE pop surrealism chewing up sacred cows and spitting them back in the mouths of the entire world.

With under 25 portraits finished to color, I'm on the home stretch as they stack up!  Also pictured is my Donald Trump Zombie (click HERE for more on him!)

Moe, Larry and Curly are the newest subjects from my upcoming Zombie Walk of Fame series, which I'm previewing for you today.  I can say I thoroughly enjoy drawing most of the time but something like this was pins and needles slapstick absurdity firing off in my brain the entire time I was working. Of course, these guys are based off the originals who indeed have their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, not the new knock-off movie which has come out recently.  The team of actors who made this act a franchise earned their keep in the trenches and beat the living hell out of each other for the sake of entertainment.  We laugh and laugh but ironically the English language doesn't place a specific term to represent the "feeling of joy at someone else's expense."  The German's aren't afraid to admit they like so see someone take a tumble, for them it's "schadenfreude."  I wonder if a sense of joy at seeing brains eaten would fall under this?  Here's The Three Stooges Zombies!

Three Stooges Zombies / inks on bristol / 2012 for The Zombie Walk of Fame

inks on bristol / 2010-2012

I'm still stumbling along here on the Zombie Walk of Fame trying to finish up what is now a process spanning over 18 months.  You're officially 70% of the way from seeing the full series of 101 celebrity zombifications of stars from the Hollywood Walk of Fame!  I brought you here today to give you a sneak peek at two subjects of my recent artistic butchery with the two most famous Captains in the United Federation of Planets!  I was delighted to find in my research for this project both William Shatner and Patrick Stewart had earned the honor of their spot on Hollywood Blvd and would be included.  I finally got around to coloring them so here's some process pictures for your fresh eyes of my Star Trek Zombies...

Hogan proves that Dogs also love Art!

Yesterday was our first go at a Yart Sale here in Clarksville, which turned out to be successful in many facets.  Chad Spann hosted this unique event where artists were free to set up tables, sell art and paint live on the lawn.  Despite a hilarious start to the day with a wind-crippled tent, purchase inquires on anything from Chad's grill to my camera, and some overcast skies, the day turned out to be a success in several facets.  I made some great contacts with local folks interested in everything from family portraits to murals and even found a home for a few original works of art and several prints.  

We're trying something a bit different this weekend and having our first ever Yart Sale at Chad Spann's house all day Sunday!  We'll have some original art and prints priced to move featuring work by myself, Chad, Charles "Wolfman" Bennett and Cameron McKnight.  Drop by for some lemonade, peruse the artwork, and check out what we create as we'll be painting LIVE in the beautiful Tennessee weather.

"Forty Six and 2 " / inks on bristol / Brandt Hardin

My home state of Tennesseeis at it again, creating yet another law pushing obtuse agendas biased toward Conservative Christian Ideology.   Very few national newspapers broke the story a few weeks back of what is already being donned as the “Monkey Law” by bloggers and reporters alike.  Brought to fruition by the State Senate, this new bill opens a door for creationism to be discussed in schools here in the Mid-South.   Senate Bill 893 and House Bill 368 allow teachers who do not believe in Evolution (or Climate Change for that matter) to provide a forum in the classroom to debate such established scientific theories.  What many critics view as step backward for progressive thought is being presented as a means for allowing students to debate these measures for themselves, albeit under the direction of teachers who dispute scientific theory assumingly based on religious beliefs.  Today, it was announced the law was indeed passed and would go into affect, opening the door once again for the classroom to turn to pulpit here in south.

By Mike Chambers

He’s hippity.  He’s hoppity.  He’s bip-bap-boppity.  As Winter’s harsh breath fades to little more than a drab memory and the posies and honeysuckle bloom once more, he bounds across the land with a basket full of sunshine.  Children laugh and tumble and sing in his wake as he heralds the welcoming embrace of Spring with tasty sweets and frivolity.  He is the Easter Bunny, and his time is once again nigh.

This iconic creature has been the subject of wonderment and lore worldwide.  We’ve seen him in parades, cartoons, books, and movies.  He has brightened the childhoods of millions, ascending the ranks alongside other such cherished figures as The Tooth Fairy, Optimus Prime, Super Mario and many more.  But what do we really know about this innocuous little beast?  Is he hiding something behind that bushy tail and those beady, calculating little eyes?

The Easter Bunny has its roots in pre-Christian fertility rituals centered around the goddess Eastre, whose earthly symbol was the rabbit.  It wasn’t until the 1500’s that the rabbit was firmly associated with Easter in Germanic writings, and this legend persisted and traversed the globe to the new world with the arrival of German settlers in the Pennsylvania Dutch colonies in the 1700’s.  A visit from Oschter Haws, as they called it, was second only to the arrival of Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve, thus affirming the first cultural association between the mythical Easter Bunny and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in what would become the United States.

Things escalated quickly.  Fast forward until shortly after the civil war, and the ascension of the Easter Bunny as an idol was complete.  Since then, children across the country have awoken on Easter Sunday to open baskets full of gifts and treats.  They gleefully rush from their homes to search for the precious hidden eggs this mythical creature leaves scattered about during his yearly trespass.  They revel in the pagan abundance of it all, gorging themselves on chocolate until their little tummies churn and bubble and froth with sickness, never once given the chance to understand that the true tradition behind this day has been hijacked by a floppy little monster with an agenda.

Friends, neighbors, fellow Americans, it is truly a sad moment in the history of this glorious nation when we allow our children to abandon the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ in favor of the trappings of gluttony, materialistic excess and unbridled idol worship.  It is a disgrace and a shame that we should allow the physical manifestation of a false pagan goddess to defecate upon our hallowed religious principles and guide our children into the gaping maw of Satan himself.  Something must be done, and it must be done now.

The Easter Bunny must die.

Inks on Bristol / 2012 / Brandt Hardin

Deuteronomy 7:5-6 


But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images,and burn their carved images with fire. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it an accursed thing.


Through the power of His Holy Word, God has already given us a vision of what this day is meant to become and called upon us to act without hesitation or mercy.  We must cast aside the wicker baskets and colored eggs and ribbons and banners and grind them into the dust.  We must gather unto us the chocolate bunnies and toys, graven images of this worldly aberration, and set them ablaze upon an altar of glory for others to see.  All across this great nation we must bring destruction upon the material accoutrements of the vile Oschter Haws until the smoke and flames rise to the heavens and render a sweet fragrance to God. 


And what of its followers, the men and women who adorn the likeness of Oschter Haws and dance to its malevolent tune?  We must pluck them from the shopping malls and parades and, praise God, even the churches of this land and cast them out with a righteous fury.  We must surround them and spit upon them and cast our stones at them until they repent of their wickedness and embrace the love of the One True God.  As they lie there in the dirt, choking and broken, we must join our voices and raise a cry of victory over the forces of evil. 


We must purge the children, who have feasted upon spoiled fruit and grown bloated with the sin of Socialist liberal doctrine, wicked carnal knowledge and blasphemous idolatry.  As they rise from their beds on Easter morning and scurry to the door, we must snatch them up by the nape of the neck and bring them into obedience to a loving God.  Bind them to the floor.  Lock them up.  Cleanse them with a righteous cane until the depravity and barbarity of their misguided upbringing flows like water from their frail little bodies. 


Only then may we be absolved of this heinous affront to God.  Only then may we send our collective plea to Him and pray for a final solution.  But what is the answer?  And who will deliver it to us? 


Your god.  Our God.  My GOD.  These are the Three Gods of the New Era.  Your god is a myth, a false legend, a wily trickster birthed of ignorance and sin and set loose upon the earth to lead the weary astray.  Our God is impalpable, murky, a nebulous bundle of loose ideals and collective philosophy propagated through the ages by metaphorical circumstance and allegory.  Our God is a construct of the masses.  Our God is simply my God obscured by the slimy film of worldly compromise and dim understanding. 


My God is absolute.  My God is the bread of life.  My God is whatever I want Him to be, because I am His creation and my every thought was ordained by Him before I came to know this life.

My God can shoot lasers from His eyes.  My God can have bionic limbs and a titanium exoskeleton capable of deflecting small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.  My God can have three heads, each mouth opening wide to spew forth acid and flames upon the tragic damned.  He can be taller than a skyscraper.  He can be more vengeful than the most dangerous and rabid of beasts.  He can snatch you up out of your skin as if you are nothing at all to Him because, verily, you are not.

As the children are fettered and weeping, as the flames consume the cursed makings of a liar king, as the followers of Oschter Haws squirm and die in the muck, my God will descend from a burning sky on a chariot of souls and the stage will be set.  He will face the wicked Oschter Haws on the field of battle, and many shall perish in the wake of their struggle.  Cities will fall.  The cries of the accursed will fill the boiling air as they are ripped and torn asunder.  Rivers will flow with blood and chocolate which shall spill forth into our streets and devour the elderly and the weak. 

As the empire of the dreaded Oschter Haws crumbles, my God will rise and smite it with a blow from His mighty hammer and the devilish beast shall fall.  Before the light fades from its predatory gaze, we shall consume its innards and set fire to its evil heart.  We will drag its ragged corpse through the streets and hang it from a tall post.  It will fester and rot in the sun, and the maggots will dig into its eyes, and false prophets will look upon this monument of flesh and bone and shy away from this land forevermore.

His righteous thirst for blood temporarily sated, my God will ascend to Heaven in a glorious inferno.  As His eternal eye settles upon us from the stars once more, we shall bury our honored dead and give praise to Him who leads us from bondage with mercy and deadly grace.

He is the Lamb.  He is the bearer of eternal life.  Only through His loving wrath may we truly seek redemption.  May we bless His fury and keep His jealous rage in our hearts forever and ever.

Amen.



From the Artist:


Author Mike Chambers is a good friend of mine- as to say we've on more than one occasion been inebriated to the point of poetic slander and mutual cynicism of the discontents of both society and system.  At our friend Nathan's birthday party last weekend, we decided to collaborate on this Easter project having The Lord Jesus Christ reclaim his holiday from the devilish little incarnation known as The Easter Bunny.  I quickly drew a drunken thumbnail out on a paper towel in ball-point pen depicting Jesus smashing the Hoppity One's brains out with the Hammer of God.  This was simply to save a memento of the idea just in case the moment of brilliance slipped my mind.  Good thing, because the author didn't remember a damn thing after a dozen or so Black Tooth Grins and ended up covered head to toe in all-purpose self-rising flour... don't ask.  Anyhow- a Biblical seven days later, you have this visionary magical treat!  In Vino Veritas


Oschter Haws: An Easter Tale of Calamity and Woe is purely a brainchild of satire.  Please don't harm, heckle, haze or otherwise create prejudice against your local community Easter Bunnies due to the above-mentioned content.  No real animals or eggs were harmed in the making of this commentary. 


Click HERE for more Incarnations of Jesus from last Easter!

Today I wanted to share with you a very unique commission I had the honor of drawing a few months back.   A young lady recently contacted me about my Sacred Texts series with a very open mind and a love for religious art.  She had initially inquired about my illustration, "After the Crucifixion"- a work which had already found a home with my Grandmother, a devout Christian.  We decided instead to include Amy herself in a Pieta scene as is traditionally depicted with Mary holding the body of Christ, having been brought down off the cross.  This depiction was first brought to reality and the world of art by Michelangelo in statue form over 600 years ago.  My illustration of The Pieta uses Daniele Crespi's Pieta painting from the 17th Century as a reference.