Ansel Goodman
Abstract Paintings for Working Folks
Paintings tell me stories. The working title of this painting is Guardian No. 6 and now also known as Ansel Goodman. Ansel is a cryptic story about holiness, innocence and the material used to pave the road away from those estimable values. No. I don’t know exactly what it means…but I like the story.
There was an eight-year-old boy who would be King His name is written in the book of souls His name is known beyond his geographic travels His name is known beyond his mother’s voice His smile brought joy to all those who knew him But he said not a word His gentle touch on the shoulder of a stranger or upon the hand of an injured classmate settled, calmed But he kept his space and rarely sought physical or emotional contact He is known but nobody really knew him His detachment serene, devoid of severity or selfishness his eyes knew no fear his eyes knew no hurt They knew not anger or hatred or accusation or malice He saw past it all, his eyes knew only souls He was a passenger to the unseen world He seemed to move with the wind without will He seemed to be sturdy to the ground without weight He neither willed nor needed He accepted, a comforting blue gaze His teachers worried that he would not speak His mother worried that people would take advantage His father wished he liked sports His barber thought he was retarded His preacher was concerned that he had some devilish malady The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong, but ran some tests to pacify the others There was a man down the street from his home he kept to himself observed the little prince closely He knew what he saw and was delighted But he worried too He worried about good intentions. He was certain the boy would be ruined by the heartfelt and loving concern of the people made uncomfortable by the boy’s nonconformity he worried that the discomforted could be stimulated by a skilled tactician to act, to attempt, to ignorantly corrupt the boy into enacting new habits habits more familiar and therefore: comprehensible and safe There was another man down the street He intended exactly what the wise man feared He was loved by the community. He moved his tactics by invisible hands, smiling "pleased to meet you"to everyone he met the boy was not his objective the boy was untouchable Ansel Goodman did not fear or wish or will or admonish The third man accused without a word pleased to meet you! he would lead all that were concerned all who were developing themselves to various degrees of worldliness to unknowingly grow violently against the habits of the prince boy They would interpret his silence as arrogance They would admonish his kind eyes as stupidity they would measure him and avoid the truth of their own reflections they would feel the glow of their faces in the mirror Ansel's knowing calm loving stare of detachment growing more uneasy, their pride would tumble with a slight push PLEASED TO MEET YOU perspectives riled and sandpapered acerbic comments of derision, of accusation a repeated telephone game played by gossip A mob, a fury, a ruckus, a hullabaloo would manifest In office kitchens and PTA meetings, at the Elks and VFW Church meetings would be called, School Boards, Inquiries! The Sanhedrin would convene and A scapegoat would be made "Who will relieve us from this pressure?" One day the boy walked slowly alone down the street He seemed to be following a path prescribed to him As if suddenly, there were no cars on the street And no people walking their dogs And no children playing basketball or riding bikes It was only he And the wise man sitting on his porch he approached errant leaf would fall upon a still day The birds in the trees and bushes ceased several cardinals sat near upon a fence The boy opened the fence gate, closed it without looking at the man, he climbed the stairs and sat taking a chair directly next to the man He spoke his first words: "You cannot save them. You cannot avoid the suffering you will feel. Look to the birds. The calls of the cardinals are the trumpets of heaven Heed them, and live forever." The boy walked out the gate toward the awaiting mob, a flock of red birds flanking him, trumpeting the song of an advancing army, no longer a Prince and no longer mute. "pleased to meet you..."
Guardian No. 6 (aka Ansel Goodman), 2025, 32x48, $999.00
About Jason Keusch, Million Dollar Garage, 999 and more…
My goal is to sell 1000 paintings for 999.00 in five years. I want to turn Million Dollar Garage into $1,000,000.
to do so, I have reduced my big city prices to 999.00 for most of my large paintings. I want to sell to regular folks just like me. Is 999.00 cheap? nope. It’s still a commitment for the buyer. I get it.
To accomplish this goal, I am also making a story. A story made of a bunch of stories. The paintings are characters. The buyers are the good guys. The ‘artist’ is just putting it all together. The stories accumulate, fiction and nonfiction, on peoples walls, here at MDG, Bento Wiz and my website.
I have one year to prove to myself that I can make way toward the five year goal. If not, I am going to quit and go quietly to some job. Like a responsible normal person.
…but i’m not there yet!! Will you help me make this story?
Any way you can participate is encouraged and appreciated.
