Essay: Merovingian Figural Representation and its Prototypes

The following research paper is one I wrote for my university Medieval Art class in 2003.  During the lectures there was very little mention  of continental European art before Charlemagne, just a passing reference to the Merovingian dynasty. This piqued my interest, since the only other place I had encountered that name was in The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (the book The DaVinci Code was based on). The information I turned up had nothing to do with any conspiracy theory, but is equally interesting in its own way.

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The period of the fifth to the eighth centuries in Europe is often referred to as the Dark Ages, suggesting a lack of cultural sophistication, learning and artistic endeavor. It is true that the kingdoms of the Merovingians during this period produced little or no art in the classical Greco-Roman tradition. However, that is not to say that the Merovingians did not have a vital artistic tradition of their own. An examination of Merovingian art, both in sculptures and in illuminated manuscripts, demonstrates connections with several more and less Classical traditions, including the Insular, Byzantine and, especially in figural representation, Coptic art.

Mark

This is another comic strip from my University days, this one drawn for my own amusement. It’s just a slice-of-life story about a man with an unusual hobby. The drawing style is a bit experimental, loose and sketchy; it might look like a rough draft, but this is intended to be the final version. The emphasis is on gesture and broad strokes, rather than detail. Read the story as a PDF here.

On a side note, I’m also quite pleased with how the title logo turned out.

Mouvar Singing

This is one of my earlier pieces of creative writing, and the very first that I would call a complete story (that is, with a beginning, middle and end). I admit that the plot is fairly basic, but this is also an example of world-building and setting a scene through name and word choices. Although I often re-use settings or set several stories or artworks in the same “world”, I have yet to reuse this particular one.

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It all started when Ahmed stepped in the Mouvar Symbol. He should have known better, of course. That particular Symbol had been there for weeks, and everyone aboard Vengeance of Korush knew that when someone got tangled up in Mouvar business, there was no telling what would happen.

The fact was, he was rather distracted at the time. That day, his assignment had been to replace two worn-out power-transfer boxes; an awkward but simple task for an experienced engineer like himself. He took off his calf-length vest and wriggled through the narrow access tube in shirt and pants, pushing the replacement boxes in front of him. Working diligently, he finished the job with twenty minutes left on the watch.

Glendon Keele, P.I.

I drew this comic strip for the campus newspaper one year while I was at York University. It’s a Film Noir-esque story about the titular detective trying to recover the stolen Maltese Lion, and it is loaded with terrible puns about York. For example, Glendon Keele is named after the university’s two campuses, and the various members of the Hall family are named after lecture halls. However, you don’t need to be familiar with York University to enjoy the story.

Read the comic as a PDF.

The drawing style of this comic is very simple and cartoony; I knew that the images would be reduced for printing, and I wanted them to stay clear. Each comic was drawn on an 8×11 sheet of printer paper, and final printed size was around 3×4. There are 16 strips in the story.

On Continuing Learning

If I had my fondest wish, I would be a student for the rest of my life. That’s not entirely practical, but even when I’m not in school, I’m inevitably studying or exploring some topic. It might involve international travel, or just sitting down with an episode of Mythbusters; it might be as academic as Japanese writing, or as practical as changing a bicycle tire. Yesterday, I was building a stove out of soda cans; today I am watching a YouTube video on the origins of life. Tomorrow I might be reading a book about Ancient Egypt or soap making or folk music.

Studying these subjects is not just fascinating in its own right. As a teacher, it reminds me of what it feels like to be bewildered, confused, and simply not grasping what has been explained. It reminds me that what’s obvious to the teacher may be far from clear to the student. And when I extend my understanding of the universe around me, I can bring that sense of wonder and curiosity back to my own students.

Making Mountains out of Molehills

This essay is responding to the article “Deconstructing Disney in the Elementary Art Classroom”. Read the original article (PDF)

Walt Disney films have often been criticized, both for their conservative values and for bearing less wholesome messages than they advertise. The article “Teaching (Popular) Visual Culture: Deconstructing Disney in the Elementary Art Classroom,” by Kevin M. Tavin and David Anderson (2003), is one such criticism and also argues that criticism of popular film is essential in art classes. Unfortunately, the author’s argument is far from convincing, and is undermined by poor examples and an alarmist tone.

The Heroes of Blyny

The following “epic” poem is one of three that share a setting and verse structure. They are in the vein of children’s stories or fairy tales; this one is the most lighthearted of the three.
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Once upon a time
In the ancient hills of Myrr,
The goats ran free among the fields
The cats were heard to purr.

But in the village of Blyny
That day peace did not reign,
For the Great Army of Blyny
Was off to war again.

Likewise over in Karton
Which was just down the road,
The Bright Blue Army was ready;
All their gear was stowed.

They marched towards each other
Their faces solemn and grim,
And each one had a saucepan
On his head to armour him.

Then General Tommy of Blyny
Gathered his soldiers ’round
“Keep your swords in hand,” he said,
“We’re now in enemy ground.”

The brave warriors met in a meadow
They fought with sword and fist.
Pebbles flew from slingshots too
And not one marksman missed.

At noon they called a truce for lunch
They unwrapped bread and meat
And after they had finished,
They made their armour neat.

They fought again in the afternoon
For the honour of their town;
For the victors of this contest
Would earn the world’s renown.

‘Twas the Great Army of Blyny
With Tommy in the lead
Who beat the Bright Blue Army back;
A brave and dangerous deed.

Both sides went home at sunset
The warriors tired and worn,
All their hearts were heavy
As they stumbled through the corn.

Arriving at their houses
They were proved right in their dread.
When their mothers saw the state they were in,
They got sent straight to bed!