Association

Last night I was thinking of the heat and the summer and how I could make a piece of art that wraps up all of those things that come to mind when I think of summer - mischief, the river and the way the water flows slowly as if it is too hot and tired to move and the sun is setting over the tree-line just in front of Copperweld while the mayflies rise from the water, lightning bugs in a mason jar,the Skyway Drive-in and swinging on the swings on the playground before the movie starts, hide and go seek in my neighbor Lindsey's yard, swimming over at Tom and Joe's, bike rides, the county fair with its giant bunnies, display of bees, the freak show, the demolition derby and the familiar smell of manure, not to forget; poison ivy, jumbo jet stars and To Kill a Mockingbird. I have no idea how to interpret all of those things into a bizarre painting but those are the things I associate with summer. That and Porky.

Porky was a wild cat who was feral and quite possibly infected with rabies. Whenever Porky found his way into our area it was as if a ferocious beast from some fairytale had found its way into the village to feed on the livestock. We would run inside and close the doors trying not to wet our pants. The reason we feared this cat was due to his awful behavior, rude manners and his inability to die. My father, like Atticus Finch, had - on numerous occasions, attempted to kill Porky. I cannot tell you the methods employed by my father due to the likelihood he could be convicted of animal cruelty in some court presided by Chrissy Hynde as judge with Pamela Anderson acting as bailiff. So, until the statute of limitations is expired I will forgo such detail. Remember, this was the early 80's, Cujo had just come out on VHS and that's what people did back then. We also didn't have car seats, one of the car doors wouldn't shut properly and we never wore seat belts - welcome to Warren 1983. We don't know whatever happened to that cat, but I wouldn't doubt that it had indeed escaped from hell and that to this day it lurks in the bushes across the street and in the rusted fields of an abandoned steel mill.