Robert Flinkman

Robert Flinkman
Subway Scene
lino cut on paper
18" X 24"
2006
copyright 2006 Robert Flinkman

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January 15, 2006       Sunday

The graphite drawing I did of the subway scene has since evolved, grown to an 18" X 24" linosheet, which I'm carving out now. Saturday I drew out in charcoal the scene, and have since started carving it out. As I was drawing my features on the lino sheet in the lower left, I recalled my mental experience I had on Dec.23rd, and a lot of the lines there represent that, I started carving there and expanded out. I think this piece is going to be truly powerful. After I'm done here, I'll go back to the large oil.

I finished The Possessed last night. I certainly enjoyed the work. The relationship between Peter Verhovensky and Nikolai Stavrogin reminded me of Iago and Othello by Shakespeare. Peter Verhovensky could also be Mephistopheles. Dostoyevsky's work is a type of warning, what happens to people and a society, torn apart by having no moral code, manipulation of people and intentions by cynicism, greed, self-delusion, amorality, and especially for Dostoyevsky, no God. Also shown here the chaos resulting from unguided freedom, all restraints gone. ....Small groups of misguided and deluded fanatics, bent on the destruction of society, totally without any moral adherence to compassion, care, humanity, love, understanding. Reason and rationale twisted beyond recognition....Stavrogin's Confession was especially intense, I read it straight through. I could see Ingmar Bergman filming it.