In 1965, I "ran away" from home. I had just turned 19, dropped out of college, and was living with my parents when something bad happened to me. I didn't know what to do, so I left home and went down to live with a girl friend in NYC. We shared an apartment, but we got robbed several times and lost our jobs. She went home, but I stayed in the city, living as a homeless person on the streets. Everything I had was stolen, including my shoes. I had no where to stay and one of things I did was sleep--not on top of, but UNDER the park benches--I was afraid--and with good reason. I was afraid to sleep, ready to run if I needed to. I chose benches away from the main paths, with protective bushes. My life as a homeless person lasted off and on for several years. They were probably the worst years of my life.
I pasted a photo of my own face in the painting.
I am making a 4 x 6 print of this digital collage/smudge painting for Willie's pocket. (I mailed Andrea's Mole to Mike yesterday).
And here is another for WIllie's pocket:
This is my husband, who is also my model--for both art and photography. He was modeling a homeless person during the holiday season.
You can click on both of these images to see them larger.
