Second Nature is a curiously acquainted solo exhibition of brand-new work on paper and canvas by artist Vonn Cummings Sumner. Acquainted, that’s, in case you’re a follower of George Herriman’s influential sketch character Krazy Kat and her unrequited love for brick-throwing Ignatz the Mouse.
Born of COVID-19, Sumner turned his pandemic loneliness to the type of Arizona’s most famous “wandering avatar.” The seasons modified, the times was nights and nights into mornings, as Sumner imagined a Twenty first-century Krazy in verdant dales, wide-open areas and artwork historic–seeded landscapes, evoking eager for a reference to nature with out Ignatz, brick or jail in sight. Sumner’s sixth solo exhibition with the Morton gallery, Second Nature can be on view by April 8 at 52 O St. NW, #302, in Washington DC.
Launched to Krazy Kat by his longtime mentor Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021), reviving the character enabled Sumner to deal with existential issues and painterly notions of colour, composition, gesture and mark-making. “Lightened by the exhibition’s … moments of enigma, colour and pleasure, Second Nature finds Krazy Kat (and Sumner) on a heavy, if much-needed retreat.” The work’s make use of of a well-recognized, beloved character can have that impact on all.
I very a lot loved the next dialog with Sumner, if solely to deal with one thing aside from the strife attributable to actual (and faux) post-COVID ‘Merica. Second Nature is neither actual nor pretend, nevertheless it certain is refreshing.
I’m assuming you’re a comics fan. Or is it simply Krazy Kat that captures your fascination?
Sure, after all. I’m a lifelong comics fan. My favourite, as a child within the ’80s, was the X-Males. I additionally liked the Marvel Universe comedian books that simply had a web page for every character. After I was a child, I used to be making my very own comics (which weren’t superb). My mates in elementary college have been into it too. We’d sit round and draw from comics collectively. We had subscriptions on the native comedian guide retailer, the place we’d go as soon as a month when the brand new points got here out. I liked lots of the bizarre stuff, although. From Mad Journal’s comics to Groo the Wanderer. And there was one referred to as Plop! Then I received older and found R. Crumb, after which Darkish Horse Comics and different issues. I used to be obsessive about Daniel Clowes for some time; he was very influential on me. Artwork Spiegelman, after all.
You take away Krazy’s cohorts out of your work, substituting different inventive options like panorama and sample. What’s your motive for devoting your energies to transformation?
It’s very applicable that you simply use the phrase “transformation”— that feels proper. That is exhausting to articulate, however I’ve this intestine feeling that if I included Ignatz or Offisa Pup, then it will be a completely totally different type of factor. I’m not involved in reenacting the sketch actually; it’s extra I really feel related to Krazy Kat, like Krazy is an previous good friend, a timeless soul. It’s like Krazy Kat comes from one other time, however can also be timeless in some way. As a painter, I’m on this planet as it’s now; how we make magnificence and which means and life now. So I’m making an attempt to summon the spirit of Krazy Kat, to accompany me on this time and to see what occurs on this context, right here and now. Personally the quick few years have been a time of fairly intense transformation. And globally, after all, the previous few years have been transformational (for higher or worse). Krazy Kat comes from that world (of the strip) the place issues are reworking on a regular basis, so this pairing feels applicable in some way. Generally I believe: What if Krazy Kat have been the final being on earth? Or, what if Krazy Kat was the primary of a brand new species, after a mass extinction? Generally I consider Krazy Kat virtually like a baby, mimicking what we do. None of it’s that literal, after all, since it’s a visible medium and I’m working largely by following instincts, impulses, intuitions—making an attempt to remain forward of my rational thoughts in order that the work stay a bit of little bit of a thriller even to me. You might be proper, although, I’m trying to find some type of transformation by way of Krazy Kat.
Your reinterpretation of Krazy Kat is an inspiring tackle a basic character who is especially related by artwork historians with the early marriage of cartoon and trendy artwork. The place did your ardour for Krazy come from?
I believe that’s a part of why Krazy Kat feels proper to me, to color this character that’s intertwined with the event of contemporary artwork normally, and particularly within the U.S., the hyperlink to the Armory present of 1913. It’s all related, artistically. My ardour for Krazy comes from my time at UD Davis: I used to be an 18-year-old freshman, sitting behind Prof. Wayne Thiebaud’s ART 148/Concept & Criticism class. He began class in the future with a picture of one of many Krazy Kat comedian strips projected up on the display, and spoke with apparent affection for this odd, dense, unorthodox cartoon that had been beloved by painters: Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Picasso. That had a huge effect on me, being launched to it that manner, in that setting, at that impressionable stage.
You’ve captured the spirit of Krazy with out copying the tropes. In your work, she is her personal character in a brand new however not completely alien panorama. Why did you adapt her on this manner? What impressed you to take Krazy out of her pure surroundings?
Lengthy story quick: I had been portray figures for a number of years, fairly realistically, and more often than not I used to be portray myself—or no less than utilizing my very own physique/face as a “determine” that I might costume in numerous methods. Ultimately I received actually sick of portray myself and wanted a change. I painted a collection of trashcans and dumpsters—typically on fireplace—on sidewalks and alleys. In a number of of these work, I included an ‘alley-cat’—once more, realistically. One in all my painter mates, Randall Cabe, was doing a studio go to with me. We have been speaking about these work and he mentioned he actually appreciated how the cats functioned like a “determine” to assist carry the viewer into the house. He knew my love of Krazy Kat, and the connection to Thiebaud, and he mentioned, “why not make that cat into Krazy Kat?” So I did it a few occasions, simply to make my good friend chortle. I painted Krazy Kat within the alley and on the sidewalk. Then I confirmed these first two work to Thiebaud and he mentioned such fascinating, encouraging issues that I felt prefer it was value exploring some extra. Then the pandemic hit and it was throughout that first week or two of lockdown that it simply appeared apparent/inevitable: a Krazy Kat for a loopy time.
You’ve additionally reconfigured Krazy, elongating her, seemingly taming her whereas sustaining the essence of the unique (particularly the ‘Z’ tail). She appears extra mature. What went into your resolution to create this bodily kind?
I believe it relates again to Herriman’s strip, really: When you take a look at Krazy Kat from the start, round 1913 to the top within the early Forties, there’s fairly a shift in how he attracts Krazy. So that’s constructed into the character, in a manner—the power to shift and alter and rework. Once more this all feels applicable on a intestine stage. So then I used to be portray Krazy Kat—and partly it’s simply my very own errors, or limitations, in making an attempt to depict them—however in some unspecified time in the future I’ll simply go along with it, and settle for the way in which that I’ve painted them. After which that results in the apparent query: Why not give Krazy a bit of extra anatomy/construction? All of the numerous hours that I put in drawing from the mannequin then comes into play. I type of can’t assist however make Krazy a bit of bit extra “human.” To do in any other case, to only be completely devoted to the cartoon, could be too “cute” for my part. I’m not going for cute. I’m within the human-animal hybrid custom of artwork, going again to the caves, the Lion-Man Hohlenstein-Stadel sculpture, during the nice Egyptian variations, the Hindu and Buddhist variations. I’m very involved in Krazy Kat as a type of trendy extension of that custom—the human/animal hybrid is without doubt one of the oldest and hottest themes within the historical past of artwork, and that’s undoubtedly a part of the purpose of the entire undertaking for me.
I really like the nuanced and overt parodies (particularly the Bugs Bunny reference). When Herriman drew Krazy there was wit and humor however not parody per se. What are you saying about artwork, life, comics and existence by your Krazy Kat?
Thanks. I hadn’t considered it like that but. That may be a actually fascinating query. I believe that has to do with the occasions—the distinction between Trendy and Postmodern, maybe? But additionally it has to do with the medium: A cartoon strip has its historical past/language/conventions and a portray has its historical past/language/conventions. I maintain humor very excessive within the hierarchy of inventive values. And Thiebaud used to say that an paintings and not using a humorousness was most likely missing a way of perspective. So on a really primary stage, I take humor very severely, and I belief it: If a portray could make me chortle, that’s sufficient. I belief that. As for bigger messages or explanations, I believe that’s higher left as much as every viewer.
How lengthy will you proceed to make this otherworldly Krazy Kat?
So long as it feels proper. I don’t have a set timeline or something. Portray, artwork, and many others., doesn’t run on the clock. Generally I wish to assume that Krazy Kat is with me, visiting me, like a spirit or a muse. These are the issues that artists ought to by no means speak about, haha! We get very carried away.
I personal a latter-day each day authentic (four-panel) Krazy Kat, hanging on the wall in entrance of me. It looks like Herriman drew it on the fly. Actually, I believe he’d disavow it now. How do you assume Herriman would take to your interpretations?
Wow, that’s actually cool, I might like to see it. Wayne had some originals in his assortment, which he confirmed to me. Along with the amazingly skillful drawing, after all, I used to be struck by how massive they have been!
As in your very fascinating query, that may be very humorous to ponder! The best praise, after all, could be to get his optimistic stamp of approval. However he may take situation with the entire liberties that I’m taking! I perceive that Herriman himself did some plein-air portray within the Southwest, and was an incredible admirer of portray, after all. I believe he even did a portray or two of Krazy Kat? He was very exhausting on himself, very humble and self-depricating. My hope is that, no less than, Herriman would see that I’ve real respect and affection for Krazy. However as a painter, I additionally should be prepared to offend, make errors, do it ‘unsuitable.’ That’s the spirit of freedom that Herriman infused the Krazy Kat sketch with, so I hope he would perceive.
Moments after ending the interview, Vonn despatched in a bonus response. . .
I’m nonetheless eager about these questions and needed to cross alongside some ideas spurred by our dialog.
We’re wired, it appears, to need to consider the world as secure and knowable—however after all it’s not. All the pieces is altering on a regular basis, and we really appear to know little or no. Krazy Kat appears positive with that changability, that instability. I’m making an attempt to be taught from Krazy, in a manner, making an attempt to soak up that potential to simply accept and navigate the instability of life. People wish to persuade ourselves that we all know what we’re doing and we make every kind of legal guidelines and guidelines and programs to bolster that phantasm; which, after all, is the human-folly that Herriman was commenting on in a really refined manner, with humor and affection and virtually unparalleled inventiveness. That may be very interesting to me, that type of theater of the absurd. I liked Beckett and the entire extra modern issues influenced by his work, together with Bugs Bunny and Charlie Brown. The Nice Pumpkin is like Ready for Godot for youngsters! So I do assume that very critical and profound concepts will be approached by issues like cartoons and comics and work. It’s all in regards to the human-scale, the intention. I’m cautious of getting too pretentious, and it’s additionally most likely folly to ask an excessive amount of of work, however these are a number of the issues I take into consideration. Albert Camus mentioned one thing to the impact of “people are the one animal that doesn’t know what it’s”—Krazy Kat is like that, in some way. The stress is that people appear very uncomfortable with that uncertainty, whereas Krazy Kat appears completely positive with it.
