AN ESSAY ON POPULAR ART
by Bradley Hamlin

I think of the old cats, writers, artists, poets and painters hanging out, always some special sacred group of them. The bohemian Lost Generation, the artists of Termite Terrace, the Beat Generation, The Rat Pack, etcetera.
Hemingway.
Tex Avery.
Kerouac.
Sinatra.
They all had their tribes. But what now? You find most groups of artist-writer-singers gathering at coffee shops and clapping at each other’s lack of invention over whipped cream and espresso.
Whatever happened to good taste?
The previous groups seemed to have a sense of real style. They had art on their walls and it was important to have art on the walls. Sure, people have art on their walls now, but mostly prints of the previous generations or lame efforts of the new. I haven’t met one modern “artist” yet (from the coffee shop crowd) that produces something I’d like to hang for all to see. They scribble incomprehensible pretension and simply pretend it’s art. I would much rather hang the artist on the wall. Even then, he or she would remind me of the bad art in the first place and still piss me off.
Yet there are alternatives.
Let’s define that word: alternative. You can find just as much crap in the so-called alternative world as you can in the chosen popular expressions. Alternative should mean, finding a different venue that you can relate to separate from the one the mainstream control system offers. The coffee shop, once a backdrop for the literary outcast is now a painfully above ground venue, sporting weak underground mutations for all who will look or listen. As soon as it’s deemed cool or alternative to hang out reading bad poems or penciling elves with square-tipped ears—you’re in trouble.
Stay out of Starbucks.
Well, you can buy your espresso, but then get the hell out of there. Quickly. Because while you’re hanging out listening to the latest my daddy fucked me in the ass poem or looking at some balloon-headed pencil drawing from some kid you used to steal lunch money from—art is happening all around you outside.
You have to stay away from the coffee shop generation. They’re jittery, and worse than lost, they’re confused. They believe in made up expressions like “Generation X” that has no meaning or basis in an actual group expression at all. That term had been used plenty of times before it was slapped on the cover of a book in the early ‘90s to simply make money off of a generation out of sync. No tribe. No unity. No collective expression. Of course we have to understand that Generation Out Of Sync has always been around and is simply a symptom of being a blockhead or a square. Someone who refuses to open his or her mind. You may say, how dare anyone be so presumptuous to call someone else a blockhead! Who said you were cool? Well, yeah, that might be a step in the right direction. Don’t just question authority: question everything. But back to the point, the half-hearted artists will give you art with the least amount of effort and energy and ask for a thunder of applause in return.
Some of the greatest no-talents in the world expect the most noise at their arrival. Examples of overrated artists include but are definitely not limited to:
The music of mumbling Dave Mathews.
The smug acting of Julia Roberts.
The sleepy-safe writing presented in The New Yorker magazine.
Or anything produced by Michael Jackson—after his Jackson 5 days. Now there’s an applause junky for ya.
Meanwhile …
There are many artists hard at work in all sorts of popular and unpopular venues that usually fall into a category that isn’t considered Art with a capital “A.” One of the great original American art forms is of course the comic strip, book, or graphic novel. The art form that gave us Dick Tracy, Superman, Flash Gordon, and Batman. If you want the greatest example of modern or popular art, simply read any comic penciled by the great Jack Kirby. Or look at the animation of comic heroes produced by Bruce Timm. Or how about the nameless artists that put together the kooky three-dimensional representations of pop culture, such as lunch boxes, action figures, or cereal box prizes? I would much rather have a vintage Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea lunch box on my shelf than a clay sculpture of someone’s abusive mother from Europe.
The Ramones understood.
And they should have had their own TV show, but that’s a different article.
You don’t need to follow the rules of the past to get in touch with art, but you should examine the past and take along with you the necessary tools to move forward. In other words, beg, borrow, and steal. Beg yourself to get off your ass and find the missing treasure of history that they forgot to teach you in class, then go find those rare garage bands that you’ll never see on MTV. Borrow inspiration from art that gives your heart an erection. Steal bits and pieces of everything you love and build a new monster out of the arms and legs of those who have gone boldly before you. The art that surrounds you should not just express what the artist feels; the art inside your house should illustrate the pieces of your own soul as well.
I grew up with punk rock, cartoons, comic books, and science fiction-fantasy television shows. So, hanging a picture of Tina Louise as Ginger in my living room would be perhaps just as pleasing to the eye as say, a Monet depicting a particular scenery important to someone else. For me, Monet’s sceneries don’t say anything. I can appreciate his intense use of color combinations, okay, but the pictures themselves do not speak my language.
Art should make you feel like dancing with yourself.
Why?
Well, what is art?
Art is a creative representation that you can relate to, something that lowers your stress level when you look at the thing. At least that’s what good art does. Bad art does just the opposite. Bad art raises my blood pressure. Looking at a Six Million Dollar Man action figure in the red jumpsuit with bionic eye lowers my blood pressure. A poster of the latest remake movie raises the pressure.
Someone timeless and exempt from generational viewpoint would be Picasso. He painted the actual soul in action, but how often are we given such human treasure? These goofy kids today can’t seem to speak past their peers. Everyone wants to mumble like Dave Mathews during this cycle but last time around everyone wanted to mumble like Kurt Cobain—and look what that did for his mental health. I mean, what the fuck happened to that little whore called the muse? Did she get tired of being used and leave town forever?
I believe we have to find our own gods and goddesses and let them speak inside our own ears until they reach the heart and make it pump. It’s the same thing with food. People are told that “gourmet” food is better food. But more often than not, gourmet food is over-complicated and poisoned with strong cheeses and sour sauces and just as overproduced as a modern Quincy Jones album. A good cheeseburger & fries is just as good as any other meal, and perhaps better. A taco is the perfect creation, high art food for sure.
So, when you come to my house you need no longer ask why a grown man has a collection of comic books, action figures instead of Van Gogh prints, vintage TV show videos instead of Federico Fellini, or lunch boxes on my shelf instead of a bust of Beethoven.
It is my art.
G.I. Joe is my magic totem.
Gumby my light-bearer, reminding me of pure creativity.
The Monkeemobile my time machine taking me back to a safe state of mind, allowing the imagination to flow—unhindered by modern stress.

Laughing tikis.
Magic belly dancers.
Flying saucers.
Low-tech robots.
All high art.
And now the preaching is done. It is Saturday. There are cartoons to watch and later I will play Justice League vs. the Legion Of Doom with my son. Perhaps I will find a mint condition Fat Albert lunch box on ebay today. Iggy Pop has a new album out and Stephen King’s latest paperback has just hit the shelf. There’s plenty of it, too much of it. Art all around. So go, get your coffee, and don’t walk: run. There are monsters and rockets and mystery people with dark masks waiting to pull you around the corner—into the cave of the unknown full of hieroglyphics and graffiti that only you can read. You may need x-ray vision or 3-D glasses to interpret them, but all the better. All the better for you.
Keep em’ flying,
Bradley Mason Hamlin
Bradley Mason Hamlin is a writer and publisher, born in Los Angeles and currently living in “Capitol City” Sacramento, California with his beautiful wife Nicky and their many amazing children. His poetry and short stories have appeared in several small press magazines in print and on line and
he is the creator of the metaphysical crime series: Monster Zipper, featuring the Intoxicated Detective, available at: www.mysteryisland.net
Article and images copyright Bradley Hamlin
Brother Bradley,
Shoot me a line. Your teachings have created a monster. I have lots of pieces written now, and with nothing but thanks to you!
Posted by: Robyn Fullum | April 15, 2006 at 05:21 PM
Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!
Posted by: how to write a good dissertation | January 19, 2009 at 05:41 AM
Took me time to read all the comments, but I enjoyed the article.
Posted by: essay writing | December 23, 2009 at 04:32 AM
a greater loss but has had the rock, lyrics miss his talent and infected us with a rage of others, wish you were his art and his talent here with us the man was alone on their own ..
Posted by: sildenafil | April 26, 2010 at 03:37 PM
Thanks for taking the time out to share this with the world. I really appreciate this. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Posted by: Band Promotion | August 27, 2010 at 06:52 AM
On our site the exhaustive information on the themes connected with is presented your attention. More details in those pictures:
On our site you can find information how to work with , and also . Here we have few themed pictures:
“First aid” in questions of working with on our portal! It becomes more clearly on the pictures:
Some fresh information about will help to find new ways for self-realization. Here we have few themed pictures:
We have exclusive offer for you - only here and only now! Click here (link) and find all information about and of course about .
We are confident that on our portal you will find all information about
The Ussr has broken but and still exist. Those images will help you to understand:
You can understand the process of working with when you will acquaintance with materials of our site. See it in details:
Hundreds of correspondents from every corner of the globe search for fresh, actual information about next themes and then place that news at our site; don’t forget to add extra news about . Those images will help you to understand:
The specialized portal is ready to teach you how to earn quite good money. Search for us on the Internet by following words . See it on the following pictures:
get instant cheap car insurance quotes
auto site
auto site
memorial day car sales
auto site
ford explorer seat lumbar parts
discount honda auto parts
auto site
auto site
national auto finance company
korenetorpi981
Are you often tormented by questions about and ? Learn more from our site. After all, we have evident pictures:
Glance at our portal and learn more about . See it on the following pictures:
We are glad that you have used our portal in searching . Pay attention to pictures on this theme:
- these keywords, will help you to find our site. See it in details:
Do you have ‘lost the way’ in the Internet? You already have found that searched - , and even on this site! Besides that, only at our web-site you can find such detailed pictures:
Actual, exact and excellent materials of our site will solve all problems connect with themes. See it on the following pictures:
On our site you can learn everything about More details in those pictures:
The various information and materials devoted to , placed on our portal. See it in details:
Want to visit prestigious places and make expensive gifts? It can become a reality if you learn more about . See it on the following pictures:
Our site will tell to you how better to use , and also we will be glad to answer on your questions. It becomes more clearly on the pictures:
Posted by: Bpmhalrqxz | December 12, 2011 at 03:12 AM
Знакомства для секс в одессеЗнакомства для сексa барнаулеЗнакомства секс ставрополь
— Думаешь, надо вернуть им отчет?Собравшиеся на подиуме тотчас замолчали, словно наблюдая за солнечным затмением или извержением вулкана — событиями, над которыми у них не было ни малейшей власти. Время, казалось, замедлило свой бег.Сидя в одиночестве и собираясь с мыслями, Беккер посмотрел на кольцо на своем пальце. Зрение его несколько прояснилось, и ему удалось разобрать буквы. Как он и подозревал, надпись была сделана не по-английски. Беккер долго вглядывался в текст и хмурил брови. И ради этого стоило убивать?
Хейл внезапно почувствовал беспокойство — скорее всего из-за необычного поведения Сьюзан. Он быстро пересек комнату и преградил ей дорогу, скрестив на груди руки.
Но это невозможно! У нее перехватило дыхание. Единственным кандидатом в подозреваемые был Грег Хейл, но Сьюзан могла поклясться, что никогда не давала ему свой персональный код. Следуя классической криптографической процедуре, она выбрала пароль произвольно и не стала его записывать. То, что Хейл мог его угадать, было исключено: число комбинаций составляло тридцать шесть в пятой степени, или свыше шестидесяти миллионов. Интим знакомства полтава
Знакомства для секса по телефонуИнтим знакомства зеленоград
Знакомства для подростков для сексОдесса интим знакомства
Интим знакомства курскаПермь интим знакомства
Оказываю интим услугиЗнакомства для секса в севастополе
Интим знакомства норильск
Знакомства для брака
Знакомства г саратовПорно сайты секс с животнымиЗнакомства для секса геи
— А вы не думали о том, чтобы позвонить президенту?— Акулы! Знакомства для сексa барнаулеЗнакомства наро фоминск секс
Хейл в ужасе тотчас понял свою ошибку. «Стратмор находится на верхней площадке, у меня за спиной!» Отчаянным движением он развернул Сьюзан так, чтобы она оказалась выше его, и начал спускаться.— О… понимаю. Прошу прощения. Кто-то записал его, и я подумал, что это гостиница. Я здесь проездом, из Бургоса. Прошу прощения за беспокойство, доброй вам но… Интим знакомства в санкт петербургеЗнакомства для секса с семейной парой
Posted by: UtigneeChesse | January 07, 2012 at 03:55 AM