What:
I have published one book, focused on art philosophy for children, titled “Thinking About Art – 7 Tutorials for Children: Based on the Surrealist Philosophy of Automatic Drawing” with a free PDF version here. I have also created many pet portraits, comics, films, animations, poetry, prose, and academic writings that have not been compiled yet.
Why:
My hope is to help communicate the stories of our time. My preferred method for this at the moment is sequential art.
I subscribe to the idea that the twenty-first century will be defined by the formation of a planetary society.
This has been described by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev as a Type I civilization, referring primarily to the amount of energy we are able to produce. This has been expanded upon by contemporary scientists such as Michio Kaku.
I believe that a shared story with common art and narrative is one of the necessary developments needed for this world vision to unfold. I attempt to combine Eastern and Western influences in my work for this reason. Sequential art is what first grasped my attention as a child. Combining literature with art is powerful, and only just beginning to take on a mature form in the stylings of “graphic novels”, “picture books”, and “comics”. I first realized the potential use of this form in “Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson.
The strong characters and short narratives helped me as a child understand the grand philosophical concepts being introduced. The combination of Calvin’s fantastical imagination with his sleepy small town life opened my eyes to the complex worlds inside all of our heads. As I continued to explore this form, I became entranced with the strange and exotic world of “Dragon Ball”, a Japanese comic book or “manga” series that began in 1984 and was created by Akira Toriyama. It is based on “Monkey: Journey to the West”, one of the four great Chinese classic novels written and published in 1592 by Wu Cheng’en.
What stuck out to me most was that the main character Goku’s super power was simply hard work and dedication. Through this practice Goku gathers many friends who he relies upon. Together they save the Earth from a myriad of powerful foes, and in the process come to understand the humanity inside of even the most heinous super villains.
This way of telling stories is at once simple and profound. The combination of imagery with words allows complicated concepts to be communicated easily across cultures. This unique form of sequential art has punctured public consciousness inside all countries in a gradual and sustained manner over the course of one hundred odd years. It forms the base with which many of our mainstream media properties are compiled upon, such as “Peanuts”, “Marvel”, and “Pokemon.” Many people now see themselves as being part of this tradition.
I find it likely that this development will continue, and be looked at as one of the pioneering forces for a worldwide artistic and storytelling culture.
How:
I have tried to piece together a vision through the study and application of many interests. Subjects that I’ve gravitated to include philosophy, science, music, literature, art, history, and athletics. I have tried to merge these serious subjects with my natural frivolity as a romantic. I create my work with nature, family, and community at the forefront of my mind.
Bio:
I was born and raised in Allen Park, Michigan. I Graduated from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan with a B.F.A. in Entertainment Arts, Class of 2012. Some of my favorite hobbies include walking long distances at night, listening to science podcasts, and playing sports.
Links:
Anthony J Powers’ website
Instagram
Amazon
Free PDF file Thinking About Art for Children
Thank you for visiting Linda’s blog.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security