Monday, December 7, 2009

AH, HE'S AT IT AGAIN......




Ok. The only reason I'm back here while essentially having nothing to say is most likely I probably do and I simply don't know what it is yet.
As I type this I'm listening to Bob Dylan's "Series of dreams"...a sort of personal mantra followed by "Jokerman'....which is so Blakeian and rich in imagery that it shakes the foundations of my self.....maybe a level I aspire to in my own work. Funny, I take more inspiration from music than other visual art forms.


Hmmm....what to say?






Ah, got it....( two minutes passed before I just wrote that.)


At one time, a good decade before me and comics collided I had a chance to become a world class wildlife artist. But a move like that requires in equal measures, connections, luck and a big spoon full of personal support. One thing throughout my artistic career that has until now has been a total lack of personal support.
Ok, another idea.....lets see how it flies. If it doesn't work, that's ok, if it does I'm in for some serious writing.
If ten people, all different, write to me with ten good questions, I'll answer them all right here as best and as honestly as I can. How's that? I figure ten questions about just basically anything shouldn't be to much or to difficult.


Go for it. I'm ready.


Love to all,
M.Z.

6 comments:

dogboy443 said...

OK, I'm not going to ask you an art or comics question. That would be the obvious direction.

How and or why did you get into Bull Terriers?

I am into Greyhound rescue and I'm curious what draws people to a certain breed of dog.

OK, your time starts...now.

Michael Zulli said...

Oh, this is just ducky. I could write for days. Well, I asked for questions, and now I'll do my best to give you an answer. At least until I get a stroke or something.

Until i was in my late twenties early thirties i owned Dobermans. Due to my situation at the time,( i was liveing in a house that already had another male dobe, generally a no-no)i found the best thing to do to keep a roof over my head was to foster out my last dog..this was extremly difficult as you might imagine. i miss Saba still to this day...thoufh he lived a long healthy life.

I spent several years dogless until i met my ex who came ready made with a dog. we'll skip a bunch of stuff here for the sakes off all involved, eh?
Well, several years later,(this would be the late eighties) the ex in question returns from a business trip from florida with a rescued bull terrier.IT WAS LOVE at first sight. i bought books and went to all breed dog shows. there i made a good friend with one of the best bull terrier breeders in the country. from THERE i found out about a man who took donations and put them in a checking account for the sole purpose of buying bull terrier puppies at the several large ( and utterly brutal) dog and puppie auctions generally held in the midwest. it was called the Willy Fund. I designed tee shirts and gave money to the fund up until last year. I also made artwork for a canadian bullie club to sell as note/christmas cards to raise money for bullie rescue. i also painted a set of three prints in a portfolio for rescue as well as full scale oils for auction for the BTCA for rescure above and beyond the individual cash donated to the club.
the central question of "why" is a two fold answer. the first is quite simply dog abuse is rampant in this country and i hate it with every atom of my being. the second being: in the mid ninties there was a famous photo published in a british newpaper of a big male bull terrier dead with a cinderblock CHAINED around his neck that had been thrown into the thames to drown. it was one of the most horrific images i've ever seen. i was so sick and angery that i re-doubled my efforts towards rescue and against breed specific legislation.
the sad part of this, as if it isn't sad enough is that i've resgned from the BTCA and have nothing more to do with bull terries as a breed...i'll always love the breed but frankly i've had enough of politics. personalities and bullshit to last me a liftime.
I'm going back to my roots and am soon to adopte another doberman. He is a white dobe with cyrstal blue eyes....AND NOT AN ALBINO. THE DOBERMAN PINSCHER CLUB OF AMERICA HAS INSTITUTED NOTHING LESS THAN A GENOCIDE PROGRAM TO ERADICATE THE WHITE DOBERMAN. the white doberman is a naturally occureing variant and every much a real, healthy dog as any other.

my new crusade.

M.Z.

dogboy443 said...

Thank you MIchael. I appreciate you taking the time to write this very passionate response. I too have a long story on Greyhound rescue but this is not the place. This is your house. Please post your White Dobie when you have time. I've never seen one and I'm very curious.

Bunnicula said...

Mr. Zulli, I am very glad to confess, sir, that am deeply moved by your work, though I have seen only a pitiful few. I was first captivated by it since I was twelve, and eight years later, it still has the same effect on me. Your work keeps my pencil going in hope that I can find the same profundity as you did.

And, sir, would you know if, at any point of your work, you found yourself facing the impenetrable, your own most unanswerable question; and if you did, what did you do?

I wish I could ask more questions! But I guess there would be a few more who would like to ask.

I feel happy stumbling upon your blog!

Bunnicula said...

*Re-reads the article...*

Support! Support for Mr. Zulli!

I seem to remember Schopenhauer, wit Nietzsche on his tails, saying that the absolute aesthetic experience is not with the visual art, but in music, for the lack of representation gives way to the direct reception of the abstract, the world devoid of corrupted forms.

Giallo Antico said...

Hello sir! I truly appreciate your wonerdful works. And i also noticed that you are inspired by symbolist and pre raphaelite masters. why is that so?