When I first started working as the Arts and Literature editor at the Weekly Alibi , I wanted to send out requests for art. I figured the art section should more or less belong to the people. My first such call was for images of birds. I have developed a fairly all-consuming fixation on waterfowl and wondered what kind of response I would get. About a dozen people sent in photographs and artwork, both original and stuff they had collected. I just got a photo of Chilean cranes from the father of a friend out in Oklahoma, a state I love to hate on, yet can’t seem to get away from.The Alibi offices are packed full of velvet paintings—a Pink Panther, an Elvis and a poodle. There may be more. I don’t know. It’s cavernous and scary in here. I wanted to see how many velvet pictures people would send in.One.Gina Yates, who sent in a painting of owls during the first call for art, provided me with a Snoopy. She describes it as “Snoopy having a moment of humble acceptance and gratitude in his time of darkness.”Thanks, Gina.But then there was nothing. I wanted to follow up on the previous column, but no velvet art came in.I was complaining to my friend Malinda from Oklahoma, the daughter of the Chilean cranes photographer, about the dearth of velvet art. She then remembered that her “grandmother possibly had a painting of the Pink Panther sitting on the toilet smoking a cigarette.”My ears pricked up.“Did you say ‘a painting of the Pink Panther sitting on the toilet smoking a cigarette?’ ” I asked, slightly incredulous.“Why yes, yes I did,” she responded.It took a few days to locate, but here it is. Quite possibly the greatest painting of all time. It was painted by an unknown Mexican artist in a border town, possibly Reynosa or Matamoros. It’s about 40 years old.I think it’s safe to say I’m closing out the velvet art call. It wasn’t the most successful but it yielded a fabulous painting. I want to keep doing this and am open to ideas regarding what kind of art to feature. Send me your ideas at johnb@alibi.com.Until next time.
The Pink Panther: A Painting By El Hombre Sin Nombre
The Pink Panther In Repose
Alibi
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2 min read
