The Art and Musings of Tamara Natalie Madden

Stop. Take a moment, take a breath...a deep one. Now begin counting your blessings. We don't often do that. I am, by nature, a grateful person. I appreciate the little things...the smallest gifts, like the dirt, and the first flowers springing to life. I'm grateful that I grew up the way that I did because it molded me into the woman that I am today. I'm grateful for my grandmother who taught me that a little goes a long way and that life is not about 'having'.

So I find less reason to complain. When I look in my pantry and wonder where all of the food has gone; I'm thankful because I have the money to replenish it. When I get in my car and drive down the street; I'm undeniably grateful for the fact that I have that luxury, and that I don't have to walk everywhere because there are no buses in my city.

Everyday is a new one that abounds with life, light and spirit. When I was growing up in Jamaica, we always awoke to the sounds of the rooster crowing and the beautiful sunrise. We were surrounded by the sounds of nature's music, and boy did it sound good. We found reason to smile in the midst of struggle, and our spirits were resolute. I will never become lost in this world. I will never be driven by greed and power, and I will always find a way to uplift the poor and forgotten.

Let's attempt to find less reason to complain and more reasons to be thankful. Remember that our people are suffering all over the world because of greed and carelessness...and always remember to give, however you can.

-Selah "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear."

Recently, a good friend of mine made a suggestion to me about my work. She told me to delve more into myself to see what I can find. Most of my inner most thoughts and feeling are generally expressed through writings that I refuse to share. I find them to be too personal.

When she suggested that I paint my deepest thoughts and feelings, the first artist that I thought of was Frida Kahlo. I figured that my work would look somewhat like hers--if I were to interpret it literally--although her work wasn't necessarily literal. I'm sure that my work would involve some gore and possibly some sordid symbols and madness.

Needless to say, I really enjoy Frida's work because it tells the truth. It tells her truth in a way that I've yet to find in my visual art, only in my writings. It's a deep truth. I speak the truth in my work, but not my personal truths. I haven't reached that point yet, but I'm getting there...

...but there's another artist. One whose work speaks just as clearly as Frida's, but is more masterfully rendered. It speaks to the darkness that lie within many of us, the darkness that we sometimes won't allow others to see. It is the painters' truth--his vision. It is ODD and he is ODD Nerdrum.

I was introduced to his work some years ago and thought that he was a classic artist that I had never heard of, but I soon found out that he is of our time, although his paintings are classically inspired. His subject matters--well, let's just say they are ODD, but I can appreciate him as I do Frida because they speak their truth in their work--always.

So I decided, that I will make an attempt to delve, and we will see where it takes me. In the meantime, I'm inspired by his work--thoroughly.



The Singers, Odd Nerdrum (above)

Nerdrum calls himself a Kitsch painter saying, ‘the kitsch painter is committed to the eternal: love, death and the sunrise’ and ‘because modernism has conquered art, kitsch is the savior of talent and devotion.’

I suppose he doesn't want to get lost in this idea of modernism where painters have put money and fame before true purpose. That's my interpretation, but I do understand how easy it is to get lost as an artist.

I feel like my work has a purpose, but I know that there is so much more room to grow and I plan on doing that. In the meantime, I need to practice painting because I'm nowhere close to being as good as him, but I suppose that's ok. There's only one ODD and only one me. :)

Kitsch is the opposite of the public space, of the public conversation, of the demand for objectivity and functionality. Kitsch is the intimate space, our selves, our love and our congeniality, our yearnings and our hopes, and our tears, joys and passion. Kitsch comes from the creative person’s private space, and speaks to other private spaces. Kitsch deals therefore with giving intimacy dignity - Odd Nerdrum, ArtNews, April 2000.