Regular visitors to Chubby Chatterbox know that I was once a professional illustrator before shifting my attention to writing. I have a drawer full of peculiar pictures that have never been published, such as this one.
Over the years this illustration has prompted a lot of smiles, but to my knowledge it’s never been published. It was born in a corner of my brain that I don’t always have access to, which is another way of saying it seemed like a good idea when I was painting it but now I don’t have a clue what it means.
Can anyone out there offer an explanation for what’s going on in this picture?
To check out one of my illustrations that actually sold, click (here).
He's obsessed with his hat? I don't know. I'm terrible at trying to figure out what art means.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day. :)
Modern art in Lilliput would be my guess.
ReplyDeleteThe man is in love with his hat and had one constructed for the whole world to see. Now he's just trying to maneuver it into position using the rolled map in his hand.
ReplyDeleteI'll take a stab at it. The man with the map comes from the countryside, where he is a big deal. He's been sent to seek his fortune and return to help his community. A funny thing happened on the way to the city. He discovered that he's not that special. He's insignificant. Once a big fish in a little pond, now a minnow in a great lake.
ReplyDeleteGulliver left in a hurry and forgot his hat.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about Robin Hood being larger than life in a capitalist society that is fearful of this last remnant of him and is having it air-lifted away ...
ReplyDeleteSticking the feather in Yankee Doodles hat to call it macaroni?
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have taken the expression "put a feather in your hat" to the extreme.
ReplyDeleteThis fellow was not satisfied with just his friends seeing his "accomplishments"; he wants the world (New York City Central Park-ish) to know what he has done.
Come to think of it...most of us start blogging for the same reason...when I say us I meant me...the WORLD needs to hear MY stories - or am I the only one that thought that way when I started my blog? :)
Say if you were going to throw this out...give me a shout ;)
The guy is saying, "That's interesting. I have a hat just like that!"
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with Kipp there. This really seems to speak to self-aggrandizement (whether justified or not I've no idea). The man seems to be taking one aspect of his self-image and projecting it, larger than life, for all the world to see. I also notice that the hat is placed in such a way as to block the path and force people to acknowledge it, and perhaps something could be done with the idea of a crossroads as well.
ReplyDeleteHe put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.
ReplyDeleteOh, I meant to say that you were feeling very American, a real Yankee Doodle Dandy!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love it. Publish some more! I wish I could do this kind of picture.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw it I thought of some twisted version of William Tell... don't ask me exactly why please. It needs an apple, though ! perhaps on the end of that feather/arrow
surely this is a liliputian policeman come to charge Lemuel Gulliver with littering - ie leaving a big hat in the park?
ReplyDeleteNice picture, made me smile
I keep getting flashes of Julie Andrews and The sound of music.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea began when you wanted to illustrate something absurd and decided (unconsciously) on a heavy feather; a feather that was so heavy that it had to be lifted with heavy machinery.
ReplyDeleteAfter that you decided on a place to put the feather. You added the man in the hat for symmetry and resonance.
New Yorker cover
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