The Red Key, Poetry by Jennifer Weigel
Here’s a blast from the past… This poem was originally written in response to an artwork by Laura Labieniec Pintel for the first Interpretations book published through Columbia Art League in 2013. Here’s a little more background:
This poem was borne in response to a digital photograph entitled “The Red Key.” When I first saw the picture I was reminded of the Bluebeard fable in which the heroine is charged with not entering a specific room while her husband is away but does so anyway, causing the key to bleed profusely and reveal her as insubordinate. But the landscape bespoke something less far away, so I wanted to rework that story into American legend. Serial killer Belle Gunness, who is thought to have committed over 40 murders (including those of her own children), inspired the story of The Bad Seed and has been compared to the mythical Bluebeard of fable. George Anderson from Tarkio, MO was the only survivor of a series of suitors responding to a personal ad placed by widow Gunness after her husband’s death.
I saw the ad
and caught the next train
for La Porte County, Indiana.
Belle is all I’d ever wanted.
But that jealous hired-hand Ray
is up to no good I’m sure.
Over dinner,
I agreed to pay her mortgage
should we be married.
I turned in early but awoke
to her standing there,
eyes aglow with madness.
A mouse caught in the cat’s gaze.
Fight or flee, I chose the latter
and escaped with my life.
That hog farm stinks of more than swine.
The secret is buried out back,
a red key rooted to her history.
Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
So I happened upon this very cheesecake-heavy premiere issue of Extremes of Violet, complete with pinups by some of the comic book greats of the time, and decided to make some Peeping Toms collage art by incorporating the voluptuous vixen into various crystal pieces to create a sort of fishbowl effect centered largely on her bosom (which is unavoidable).
Each of the Peeping Toms is shown from three angles because of how much the pieces shift as the light plays off the crystal. I started with these star forms.
The second bowl was even a bit iridescent, and violet at that!
Next I did a series of really perky busty bowls, which really get the feeling across that you are looking through the tiny peephole in a door as well as exemplifying the content even more. Note: these are shown in two rows with side details as well, so there are a lot of pics here…
I experimented a little and tried a couple of other scenes, like the portrait, as well. She’s staring back at the Peeping Toms…
I also tried this more square bowl form.
And finally, I found this little heart, which is my personal favorite of the group.
These works are a continuation of my Creepy Comics collage series, shown on Haunted MTL here.
Creepy Comics 5
Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
So I probably should have taken a before picture, but I found a faux wood stained plaster Jesus statue and turned it into Zombie Christ. Because it’s the second second coming. Or something. It’s kind of an offshoot of my nail polish paintings reappropriating thrift store art…
Anyway without further ado, I present…
I was a little concerned that I made him too green at first, but I’m happy with the finished result. This statue just looked so anguished. It’s eyes had been closed but I like them better open and even painted them with blacklight reactive nail polish so they will stand out even more and be interactive in other ways to add creepy factor.
Sadly I don’t have a blacklight anymore or I’d share a picture that way too. Oh well. I’ll leave you with a fun detail shot instead.
Next time I may make him more gray than green though. We shall see…
Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.
So it’s been awhile since we’ve looked at some of the things I have gathered, so I thought I’d bring back my art collection for another round… Here are the first and second highlights in case you missed earlier explorations.
From left to right: M Pena Windstone Editions bat-winged flap cat, bone mask by Terry and Susan Wright, wood cat in skull by labcreature, real hair art by myself, pencil drawing of Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel
From left to right: Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel, Turn Me Royal portrait of my father and stepmother as Frankenstein’s monster and his bride, painted horse skull
Left to right: Overgrowth by Ellie Bradley, heart by TenderFlesh, praying devil girl by Torman’s Treasures
And a vintage plastic 2-foot Jack O Lantern I got at a yard sale and have kept on display on his very own stool in the living room since. So happy.
Anyway, there are some more highlights from my art collection, as it is always growing and evolving. I have lucked into several of these pieces at antique and thrift stores or acquired them from the artists or more. And yes, I still have Da Ting the taxidermy shih-tzu from the first of these posts.
