Art: Rejection at the altar by Darrell Black
Mixolydian Mixup
An Arcadian arcanist,
β-cadence marks a serrated betta’s graded circadian;
a seance waning, once cicadas serenaded waded in.
Sepulcher seas and cemetery streams, stretching seams with
bursting steam
glassified before a scant billion oscillations of cesium-133.
Sprockets rocket from a pocketclock not broken;
from brass to glass, a half-shattered mass: a token.
Oaths left unspoken, spewing broken oakenwood
mashed into matchsticks; magical hazards and
staggering avarice.
The cadaver of Lazarus rose to be ravenous,
snatching cavernous latches of thatching,
attaching their batwings to leftover lashings.
The trees are diseased;
the dead are displeased.
Dizzy indeed;
please carry me fairly.
bold crows scold a hesitant mouser
harpsichords are found to ring
zesty, waxy, heavy, bright
even in the dark
a palatial slice of horizon
skybound castles come scaled; drifting, dripping,
raining nicely on my thatch-weed roof
furious mundanity manifests as
bold crows scold a hesitant mouser
paused on the edge of an unkingly gift
About the author:
Bailey Lingen. I am a student at Illinois State University and an aspiring poet, musician, screenwriter, visual artist, and installation artist. I am also a climate activist and a vocal antifascist. My notable publications include the op-ed piece “Jeff Koonz: I’m Calling Bullkitsch” in Harper Anthology vol. XXVIII and the self-published creative nonfiction piece “Boketto Suru”, which received the Daily Deviation award on 1/10/19.
In the artist’s words:
My name is Darrell Urban Black. I was born on March 25, 1964 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Far Rockaway, New York. In high school, I excelled in science, with an affinity for outer space. In June 1969, as America fulfilled J. F. Kennedy’s dream to put the American Stars and Stripes into the dusty surface of the moon, my fascination with spaceships grew. As a child, I made spaceship models and eventually placed my artistic visions on paper – resulting in some 500 drawings. Those phantasmal spaceships eventually carried me to unique wonderlands of strange forms and colors.
In 1982, I joined the National Guard. During this time, my previous drawings were lost – but not my passion. In 1988, I joined the Army and served another four years. I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration at the University of Phoenix. In April 2001, I was nominated by the German government for a “candidate of the year’s prize for promising young artists” for my artwork titled “The Invasion,” which was part an exhibition shown from May to July 30, 2000 in the Frankfurt International Airport entitled “The Zeppelin in Art, Design, and Advertisement.” Another piece referenced in the nomination was titled “The Cosmic Linen,” which was executed with a unique glue and acrylic on linen technique. The image was described as “universally appealing and representing a topic which concerns all of us – the universe.” I have had many local, national, and international group art exhibitions. I have artwork permanently displayed in a number of art galleries, museums, and other institutions in America and Germany. My artwork has been displayed in Veteran Art Shows – including one at the Intel® Corporation in 2014.
I work in a variety of formats that include Pen and Ink drawings and acrylic paintings on canvas, wood, and Mixed media objects. My creative process is a mixture of works on paper, acrylic paint, found objects, and non toxic hot glue: my technique creates a three-dimensional effect on any surface that gives a sense of realism and presence in my artwork. I refer to this optical artistic illusion as ”Definism.” In my opinion, Definism portrays various differences in human nature – from life’s everyday dramas, to humankind’s quest to understanding self. My artworks transport viewers from the doldrums of their daily reality to a visual interpretation of another reality.
I presently live in Frankfurt, Germany, and continue to draw and paint in pursuit of my artistic dreams. I’m a member of the Veteran Artist Program abroad (EuroVAP).
http://darrell-black.pixels.com
