Untitled Gabe Skiing 04

These works done February 2012, 24″ x 36″

Untitled Gabe Skiing 07

Untitled Gabe Skiing 01

The Representative

Why Lincoln? Why is Lincoln posed in such situations? What does “Posse” mean? 
He is seen practically every day by people when they have a five dollar bill or a penny in their hand. Who is this person with which we have such regular relationship? With the Lincoln Memorial and other architecture the aesthetic, most of the imagery is generally taken from the Republican Roman era.
The artist is taking this Roman association a little further and putting Mr. Lincoln in a very similar role to Julius Caesar* would have had during the arc of his own political career (which was effectively since he was a teenager). That position is as Pontifex Maximus, or essentially the head priest of the religion of Rome.

Lincoln is pictured here as though a kind of spiritual and political saint, found in the classical symbolic context.  Below is a one of the works illustrating His authority to the kids on Main Street. He is indicating that he is indeed Representing, and in this case he is Representing Jupiter, lord of the Skies. That is what these “UR Moms Have Posse” works refer to.

Today kids on Main Street USA are increasingly drawn to the “thug”, “gangsta” aesthetic with all of its baggy clothes. One explanation is that this culture of “Gangsta” indicates a sense of authority and order, in that these people do it “for life” and “Keep it Real”.

Jupiter is Everywhere

Mr. Lincoln is cast in a dual way here. One, as spiritual authority as though on the shoulders of Julius Caesar*, and then the second role is in actually demonstrating that dress and affect of authority to a people who are sincere in “keeping it real” , or a longing for truth.

UR MOMS HAVE POSSE

The  image above of UR MOMS HAVE POSSE is delivered In the “street” parlance, laden with sarcasm. The kids describe it where one person is “all in the grill” of the other person, letting one know authoritatively.

Regarding “POSSE” a little knowledge of Latin is helpful here. “Posse” is a verb describing “being able, to be able”. In the days of the American “Wild West”, a Posse was a group of able-bodied men who where on hand to get any tasks done. When rap exploded in the USA, the same term “Posse” was used here and there, and with the same meaning as in the “Wild West”. A Posse is your “crew”. They “got your back”. Taking a look at Main Street USA, one notices that many kids are emulating what they see in the “street”, as well as media.

Real authority, real order seems to be found for much of American youth, in the street.

A translation for “UR Moms Have Posse”: no matter who you are, regardless of any influence you may have, including the ability to call dependable people to come and help, when the time comes and the skylord says so, there is no discussion, one’s time is done. “UR Moms Have Posse”. Lincoln, as His representative, is here to inform.

Totes an Oak sprig in His left hand

*Julius Caesar is a figure from history who has been well written about. I will state briefly here that Julius Caesar was living within his own set of symbolic associations, in the same way that today Lincoln found himself within the Roman one.

The Roman of those days lived in a symbolic world which was directly related to a lost kingdom on the shores of present day Turkey, an area called many names including Pergamum and Troy. So Caesar lived in a world that was symbolically oriented to a cast and situations which are very little known or spoken of today.

It was the Trojan war which was fought over Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. The abduction of Helen was actually sanctioned by one of the gods, in this case it was Venus. Its a sort of long story, read about the Judgement of Paris. There were many princes from Pergamum and one of them was named Aeneas, and according to the story, his mother was Venus.

It was Aeneas whom the Romans, via massive propaganda, were encouraged to look upon as founder. According to Virgil, Aeneas only fled the city when it was clear that it was doomed. Fire and wreckage everywhere. He had to flee for his life. He carried his ailing father (and the household gods) and ran with his wife and child behind him. The story goes on from there. Where the Greeks had Odysseys, the Roman had Aeneas. It happens that the Aeneid, written by Virgil, was published during the lifetime of the first Emperor of Rome.The Emperor was named many things, including Augustus. It is easy to be “snarky” about things and say what gullible hicks, but these were a complex people who lived very devout religious lives. Augustus was a religious as well as military and political title and it meant “anointed”.

But previously, for a couple or few generations, there probably was a Republic of  a variety of enlightened state, what ever that is. The brahmanic hindu born man would have lived in a very similar community, in terms of the symbolic vocabularies as well as cultural practices used to worship gods. The Republican Roman, at least for a couple of generations may have been very much like an enlightened Adwaita or Sadhu or Vaishnavite or other Hindu culture of worship.

The Roman from the Republican era went out of his way to participate in the mysteries of the gods. They took religious observances very seriously as to them it was direct connection to the gods.  This was the world of the  Republic at least for a little while. Then the Republic dissolved and the Empire took its place.

Symbolically, Rome was understood to be a sacred area. Rome in its entirety (as a city state and as Empire) was effectively a Temple, or that was how they thought about it in those days.

UR MOMS HAVE POSSE

People are curious, with some questions like, “ok, who is that guy?”, or if they know who he is they they may say, “whats the deal with Gabe Kaplan?” and similar.

Speaking as artist,  and as typical with much great and sincere art these works are quite personal.

In many of my earlier photo collage works I made extensive use of Mr. Lincoln’s face — in a kind of personal mythology of Great men who lived already dead and in the past. I think that seeing Gabe Kaplan’s character of Mr. Kotter on the 70s tv show had a similar or related cultural dimension.

Good-natured Mr. Kotter and his education of the “slow” class at PS “infinity”, the Sweat-hogs – it all happened within the historical and cultural context of Mssrs Lincoln and company.

In some of the esoteric traditions, there is discussion about environments and atmospheres. In a sense the precsense, life and death of Mr. Lincoln enabled an environment which made the Sweat-Hog classroom even possible.

Mr. Kotter, as played by Gabe Kaplan, was a character as though charged with the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, at least the spirit of Lincoln as he was known in those days.

(image is 24″ x 36″ digital photo collage. 600dpi)

closeup on "Long Distance from Niagra, Its Gabe!"

Long Distance from Niagra, Its Gabe!

Gabe Called

Gabe Kotter meant a lot to me, as a young child of divorce. He was just enough “fuddy” to show that he could keep authority as with the “Sweathogs” and just enough “duddy” that he could be a kind of papa,  a kosher kris kringle, a friendly figure who, in the modern language of the street, “got my back”. In effect, and in retrospect, as the impressionable youngster, I understood that with Mr. Kotter came Posse.

All works 24″ x 36″, digital photo collage

These are some works which were generated during a trip to Rome, Italy last summer. These works are about gods and ancestors, here symbolized in physical form, in statues and images, and found in particular settings.

Long ago, the city of Rome was actually understood as a sacred precinct. For Romans it was “The” holy place. From the point of view of the Roman, it may have been analogous to Varanasi for his Hindu cousin.

All landscape and architecture photos also taken by Will. “Space” photos taken by NASA.

Image including the Dalai Lama is from photo taken by Will at the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium, un-retouched. The Dalai Lama wore that hat for the duration of his talk. From a photo of the guru broadcast on the stadium’s “jumbotron” tv system.

The artist is taking this Roman association a little further and putting Mr. Lincoln in a very similar role to Julius Caesar* would have had during the arc of his own political career (which was effectively since he was a teenager). That position is as Pontifex Maximus, or essentially the head priest of the religion of Rome.

Lincoln is pictured here as though a kind of spiritual and political saint, found in the classical symbolic context.  Below is a one of the works illustrating His authority to the kids on Main Street. He is indicating that he is indeed Representing, and in this case he is Representing Jupiter, lord of the Skies. That is what these “UR Moms Have Posse” works refer to.

Today kids on Main Street USA are increasingly drawn to the “thug”, “gangsta” aesthetic with all of its baggy clothes. One explanation is that this culture of “Gangsta” indicates a sense of authority and order, in that these people do it “for life” and “Keep it Real”.

Before Abraham Was

Mr. Lincoln is cast in a dual way here. One, as spiritual authority as though on the shoulders of Julius Caesar, and then the second role is in actually demonstrating that dress and affect of authority to a people who are sincere in “keeping it real” , or a longing for truth.

The  image above of UR MOMS HAVE POSSE is delivered In the “street” parlance, laden with sarcasm. The kids describe it where one person is “all in the grill” of the other person, letting one know authoritatively.

Regarding “POSSE” a little knowledge of Latin is helpful here. “Posse” is a verb describing “being able, to be able”. In the days of the American “Wild West”, a Posse was a group of able-bodied men who where on hand to get any tasks done. When rap exploded in the USA, the same term “Posse” was used here and there, and with the same meaning as in the “Wild West”. A Posse is your “crew”. They “got your back”. Taking a look at Main Street USA, one notices that many kids are emulating what they see in the “street”, as well as media.

Real authority, real order seems to be found for much of American youth, in the street.

A translation for “UR Moms Have Posse”: no matter who you are, regardless of any influence you may have, including the ability to call dependable people to come and help, when the time comes and the skylord says so, there is no discussion, one’s time is done. “UR Moms Have Posse”. Lincoln, as His representative, is here to inform.

*Julius Caesar is a figure from history who has been well written about. I will state briefly here that Julius Caesar was living within his own set of symbolic associations, in the same way that today Lincoln found himself within the Roman one.

The Roman of those days lived in a symbolic world which was directly related to a lost kingdom on the shores of present day Turkey, an area called many names including Pergamum and Troy. So Caesar lived in a world that was symbolically oriented to a cast and situations which are very little known or spoken of today.

It was the Trojan war which was fought over Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. The abduction of Helen was actually sanctioned by one of the gods, in this case it was Venus. Its a sort of long story, read about the Judgement of Paris. There were many princes from Pergamum and one of them was named Aeneas, and according to the story, his mother was Venus.

It was Aeneas whom the Romans, via massive propaganda, were encouraged to look upon as founder. According to Virgil, Aeneas only fled the city when it was clear that it was doomed. Fire and wreckage everywhere. He had to flee for his life. He carried his ailing father (and the household gods) and ran with his wife and child behind him. The story goes on from there. Where the Greeks had Odysseys, the Roman had Aeneas. It happens that the Aeneid, written by Virgil, was published during the lifetime of the first Emperor of Rome.The Emperor was named many things, including Augustus. It is easy to be “snarky” about things and say what gullible hicks, but these were a complex people who lived very devout religious lives. Augustus was a religious as well as military and political title and it meant “anointed”.

But previously, for a couple or few generations, there probably was a Republic of  a variety of enlightened state, what ever that is. The brahmanic hindu born man would have lived in a very similar community, in terms of the symbolic vocabularies as well as cultural practices used to worship gods. The Republican Roman, at least for a couple of generations may have been very much like an enlightened Adwaita or Sadhu or Vaishnavite or other Hindu culture of worship.

The Roman from the Republican era went out of his way to participate in the mysteries of the gods. They took religious observances very seriously as to them it was direct connection to the gods.  This was the world of the  Republic at least for a little while. Then the Republic dissolved and the Empire took its place.

Symbolically, Rome was understood to be a sacred area. Rome in its entirety (as a city state and as Empire) was effectively a Temple, or that was how they thought about it in those days.

• Fabian

This image is called “Fabian”. There is a very important Roman general from antiquity and his name is Fabian. Additionally, Fabian is also the name of the pop- star from the 50′s vocal ballad music.

The river featured here is the Tiber River in Rome as seen from one of its many bridges, looking towards another one.

For the ancient Roman man and woman, the Tiber river had symbolic functions  similarly to the Ganges and the Hindu.

In those days, a horse was symbolic of many things, including but not limited to, the foundation of the world. Powerful symbolic stature was achieved when the individual demonstrated he could keep and ride one (the Romans didn’t have stirrups).

A collection of odd works assembled here for convenient presentation.
All works by William McDougal. Items seen here done between summer 2007
and the present.

Most works are 24″ x 36″. Everything is digital photo collage.

Lincoln Iterations

Papa (papa smurf) in Mithras

It's A Gabe Kaplan World!

Lotus Mind in Black and White, Starring RamaKrishna

In the evening

ubiquity of Poseidon, ubiquity of Lincoln

Why Lincoln? Why is Lincoln posed in such situations? What does “Posse” mean?
He is seen practically every day by people when they have a five dollar bill or a penny in their hand. Who is this person with which we have such regular relationship? With the Lincoln Memorial and other architecture the aesthetic, most of the imagery is generally taken from the Republican Roman era.

The artist is taking this Roman association a little further and putting Mr. Lincoln in a very similar role to Julius Caesar* would have had during the arc of his own political career (which was effectively since he was a teenager). That position is as Pontifex Maximus, or essentially the head priest of the religion of Rome. Lincoln is pictured here as though a kind of spiritual and political saint, found in the classical symbolic context.  Below is a one of the works illustrating His authority to the kids on Main Street. He is indicating that he is indeed Representing, and in this case he is Representing Jupiter, lord of the Skies. That is what these “UR Moms Have Posse” works refer to.

Today kids on Main Street USA are increasingly drawn to the “thug”, “gangsta” aesthetic with all of its baggy clothes. One explanation is that this culture of “Gangsta” indicates a sense of authority and order, in that these people do it “for life” and “Keep it Real”.

Mr. Lincoln is cast in a dual way here. One, as spiritual authority as though on the shoulders of Julius Caesar, and then the second role is in actually demonstrating that dress and affect of authority to a people who are sincere in “keeping it real” , or a longing for truth.

The  image above of UR MOMS HAVE POSSE is delivered In the “street” parlance, laden with sarcasm. The kids describe it where one person is “all in the grill” of the other person, letting him know authoritatively.

Regarding “POSSE” a little knowledge of Latin is helpful here. “Posse” is a verb describing “being able, to be able”. In the days of the American “Wild West”, a Posse was a group of able-bodied men who where on hand to get any tasks done. When rap exploded in the USA, the same term “Posse” was used here and there, and with the same meaning as in the “Wild West”. A Posse is your “crew”. They “got your back”. Taking a look at Main Street USA, one notices that many kids are emulating what they see in the “street”, as well as media.

Jupiter is Everywhere

Real authority, real order seems to be found for much of American youth, in the street.

The Representative

Jupiter is Everywhere from the Sky

A translation for “UR Moms Have Posse”: no matter who you are, regardless of any influence you may have, including the ability to call dependable people to come and help, when the time comes and the skylord says so, there is no discussion, one’s time is done. “UR Moms Have Posse”. Lincoln, as His representative, is here to inform.

*Julius Caesar is a figure from history who has been well written about. I will state briefly here that Julius Caesar was living within his own set of symbolic associations, in the same way that today Lincoln is found within the Roman one.

The Roman of those days lived in a symbolic world which was directly related to a lost kingdom on the shores of present day Turkey, an area called many names including Pergamum and Troy. So Caesar lived in a world that was symbolically oriented to a cast and situations which are very little known or spoken of today.

It was the Trojan war which was fought over Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. The abduction of Helen was actually sanctioned by one of the gods, in this case it was Venus. Its a sort of long story, read about the Judgement of Paris. Also, there was a son of Pergamum named Aeneas, and according to the story, his mother is Venus.

It was Aeneas whom the Romans, via massive propaganda, were encouraged to look upon as founder. Where the Greeks had Odysseys, the Roman had Aeneas. It happens that the Aeneid, written by Virgil, was published during the lifetime of the first Emperor of Rome. This person was named many things, including Augustus. It is easy to be “snarky” about things and say what gullible hicks, but these were a complex people who lived very devout lives. The Roman from the Republican era went out of his way to participate in the mysteries of the gods. They took religious observances very seriously as to them it was direct connection to the gods.  This was the world of the  Republic at least for a little while. Then the Republic dissolved and the Empire took its place.

Symbolically, Rome was understood to be a sacred area. Rome in its entirety (as a city state and as Empire) was effectively a Temple, or that was how they thought about it in those days.

UR MOMS HAVE POSSE