What Does MorgenBerrien Mean To Me

by
Carl Berrien Smith
2018-10-13 1600 hours

I think the "Pizza with Everything" was the first time I thought about a one artist out of two people. I am drawn towards the idea of two artists creating as one.

I removed the space between our two middle names for a symbiotic merge. I believe now that we are so synched as artists that each new or current work already is collaborated upon regardless who has touched it. This also pertains to theory of narrative. Our platonic relationship affords us limitless possibilities without any complications or hang-ups. I count on this structure, our working relations, and perfect chemistry. Because of it all, I feel totally free to express any idea or thought I ever had, or have.

After the "Pizza with Everything" (or before or during), it just feels right to not just collaborate and work extensively and exclusively together but also to mutate into the others perspective, to meld into just one remaining artist collective.... The clownfish and the supportive anemone illustrate the initial chemistry of MorgenBerrien in that we feed off each other and support one another in our symbiotic relationship.

To delve deeper into the fish metaphor, I choose the Angler fish: The female slowly consumes the male and then they become one. The male seeks out the female, bites her butt and releases an enzyme which fuses the two together. Then the male fills up from her nutrients as his guts breakdown as he slowly gets absorbed into her. All that remains of him are his testicles. HIs heart and mind fuse with hers. He courses through her veins. Their souls dance together.

When we auto draw, it feels like a total surrender, laying down all notions of art training and sense of control. We seek to see and feel what is in between: What does outer space and inner space feel like? Where do they join eachother? The musician Miles Davis sought the sound between musical notes. What is between moments? Between thoughts and feelings? Time and no time? Love and indifference? We seek to express the moment while withholding nothing. The MorgenBerrien is the instrument of expression.

I allow myself to be completely vulnerable to her. I crave her newest ideas and work to feed upon. And her, I trust likewise. The joint artworks then build up like layer upon layer of a collective spittle of efforts, narrative, paint, and angst.

Due to the symbiotic friendship we share, Kelly and I support eachother creatively, with joy, through sadness and also anger. Our latest work entitled "The Annals of an Exploding Pizza with Cranky Corners" illustrates our chemistry and a tongue and cheek metaphor of how when one of us gets cranky during a long art cell work session, the person goes to a cranky corner.