The Bell (John August Swanson) - a photo on Flickriver

"The Bell (John August Swanson)", graphite on drawing board, 12" x 7.5"

I don't know if this finished, but I like it in its current state.
I had drawn John Swanson previously, but a rather compelling photograph of him that I had taken a year or two before he died convinced me to do another drawing.

I first met John in the 1980s and at that initial meeting I recall him telling me the marvelous story of the bell maker’s son in Tarkovsky's film "Andrei Rublev". In that story people come to the bell maker's home to conscript him to make a new bell for the town. The bell maker's son informs them that his father has died, but, he says, he knows the secret of making a bell. So he goes with them and the next section of the film shows the making of this giant bell. When the bell is ultimately successfully rung the boy inexplicably leaves in despair. Andrei Rublev has been observing all this transpire and when he finds the boy (the scene of which is obliquely referenced in the artwork hanging on the wall in the back of this drawing) Rublev breaks his vow of silence and asks the boy why he is despairing. The boy confesses that there was no secret that his father had shared with him: he (the boy) had made the whole thing up. Rublev responds by inviting the boy to come with him and the boy will make bells and he (Rublev) will resume making icons.
My recollection of the story is probably not altogether accurate, but what was compelling to me (as it was to John) was the way the story affirmed this crazy leap into the make-it-up-as-you-go life of being an artist.

Check out John's art here: johnaugustswanson.com/

From my current Voice & Site drawing project.

Taken on: July 29, 2022

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Camera: Canon EOS 2000D, f/3.5, 1/50 sec, 21mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 2000D
Lens:	EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III
Aperture:	f/3.5
Exposure Time:	0.02 sec (1/50)
Focal Length:	21mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 22.0 (Macintosh)
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