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There was a Danish painter and sculptor named Kurt Trampedach (1943 - 2013). He had a dark style and used his art to explore his psyche and battle depression and mania. His paintings would have layers upon layers of paint, so they almost were rising or growing out of the canvas. They would often be too heavy to hang on walls without reinforcement and be expensive, not just because he was a brilliant artist, but the cost of materials would be huge. That is what Salman Rushdie’s writing reminds me of. Not so much the darkness, though that is there, too, but the layers.
I know I have used the newsletter to gush over Rushdie before, but it seems I am not yet done. As a part of METHOD WRITING, I am taking a swirl at stories within stories or mise-en-abyme as the art concept is called, and Rushdie is a master of that. None of the many characters in his books are sparsely defined, they all have full lives and definitions and voices, and it is such a treat to get to know these four-dimensional people. That is the first layer. The next one is the seamless blend of the physical and spiritual world. There are demons, ghosts and angels, genies, and talking animals, which is my favorite. Then there is the deep dive into politics, philosophy, history, and religion. It keeps me on my toes, and I am sure I am still missing references. And on top of that is the humor and the wordcraft. He is tongue-in-cheek and wink of the eye. I can’t and won’t ask for more.
This week I have let dear Mr. Rushdie seep through my MICRO FICTION, and that has yielded a lot of new pieces. And in the WHAT I AM section, you can see representations of Kurt Trampedach’s paintings, although the internet does not do them justice. Enjoy!
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