Steve Sherrell

Squid (self portrait)
Mixed on Unstretched Canvas
29" X 30"

This is a quote from Mr. Sherrell. He says he would love to be able to tell you,
in high resolution art terminology what his self portrait Squid is about, but he says he is not 'in the mood'.
Personally, this reader thinks he is just troublesome.
So I will just read his words verbatim. Remember , I am only the messenger.
In a past life I was a water creature. I'm pretty sure of it.
I get this feeling when I'm in the water like I belong there.
Not that I'm a compulsive swimmer.
My humanness is really a pain in the butt, coming up for air and such.
Flowing through the water…that is it.
Diving down deep; getting a fish to eat; fast then slow.
Following the warmth, a simple life. Kelp green and blue flash.
Being a human is complicated. I want to just flow where I want to go.
Get out of the haystack in the morning, eat some berries off of a tree
or gnaw on a bone from the day before. Just live, you know.
But unfortunately the bone will be in the refrigerator and
I have to have electricity to make the refrigerator run.
And to get the electricity I have to have money. And to have money I have to have a job or
figure out how to make money from flowing.
By flowing I mean freedom. And freedom I mean being an artist.
So I have to make money from flowing through the water and being free.
Fuck that. Think of those seals at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
They circle around and around that pool and people throw money at them (tax dollars etc.)
I'll bet that seal would trade that pool and your ooh's and ah's for a slab of ice and a herd of warm seals any day.
So with my art I try to be free. I like getting petted like any good squid,
and if you want to throw me a nice fish, it will make me happy.
But if you want to put me in a tank…..look out, I'll squirt you with my ink!!!

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