The MIA is hosting author/illustrator Eric Hanson (that’s him in a self-portrait above and his artwork at left) as the Coffee House Press artist-in-residence inside the Minneapolis Institute of Art’ Research and Reference Library. And we couldn’t be more excited. Because, well, here’s his first blog entry from CHP In The Stacks (we’ll also be posting his weekly musings here at MIA Stories), which lays out his myriad inspirations. This is going to be interesting.But first, about Eric: His illustrations and writing have appeared in Vanity Fair, Harper’s, New York Times, Rolling Stone, McSweeney’s and The Atlantic. A Book of Ages, published in 2008, is his wittily curated collection of moments in the lives of the famous. He also creates children’s books. He will discuss his MIA residency and present new work inspired by it on Thursday, June 19th at 7pm in the MIA’s Friends Community Room, during the MIA’s Third Thursday: Get Local event. You’re invited. Until then, you have his words.
In advance of his residency, we asked Eric Hanson what he hoped he might find in the archives. His reply comprises his first post.
In The Stacks with Eric Hanson: The Wishful Browser
I like drawing from photographs of people shown in full, head-to-toe, standing or seated, in interesting or characteristic clothing. Casual groups of people, ditto. I’m especially interested in odd ceremonial costumes, mitteleuropean militaria, grand dukes, English luminaries who tend to stand self-importantly, criminals in mug shots, slaves in shackles, native tribal people in regalia. Especially interesting when I can layer or gang similar arrangements of contrasting types.
Architecture: Midcentury NY. Iconic buildings in NY or European capitals, India or China. Persian and other Asiatic towers such as those described in Road to Oxiana.
Photographed elements: ancient marble heads of persons or mythical beasts; Roman or Greek torsos or other partials in marble; pillar capitals and bases; large planters or urns, decorated.
Photographed interiors: enfilades—meaning doorways opening onto corridors or other doorways; staircases; molded ceilings; furniture, tables and chairs, that echo classical forms; interesting chairs; small round tables with turned legs or central supports; ornate chairs without seats; broken furniture or parts of furniture.
Photographed items: antique tools, machines, devices, totems (like Freud collected on his desk), tableware, ornate vases, transfer ware or other ceramic ware with scenes (pitchers, plates, shallow bowls with rural scenes on them or floral decoration), metalware cups with faces on them, ceramic figures, obsolete variations on familiar things like odd forks or strange kitchen utensils.
Motifs (prefer to draw photographed items rather than catalog renderings): toile patterns with foliage and idealized rural scenes, elaborate picture frames, rococo door knockers or other metalwork, furniture or architecture done in miniature, as in dime banks, tin toys, salesmen’s samples.