Jack Balas: COMPANY-- a series of paintings

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COMPANY: WISH YOU WERE HERE (A SERIES OF PAINTINGS)

In spring of 2020, right as the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic was shutting down the world, I began work on what became this series of paintings. The more I worked, the more I thought I was painting "company" -- visitors we were not allowed in lockdown in many states, but with social distancing neither required nor desired. Here are studio groups as the work goes along, some getting "finished" before others, while I try and figure out what they are all about. They are all brush-drawn India ink and watercolor on 30x22" Arches paper. What appear to be borders around each piece are the backing boards I work on. Farther down a grid of the full series is being posted, with continual updates.

(September 20, 2020)

Click here for FULL SERIES GRID -- 125 images (and counting).
or scroll down to bottom of page

xxxxx

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:
(Full Series farther below)

Jack Balas, 2020; BOX OF BOOKS (#1932); India ink on paper, 30x22 inches

Text:
Louis came by the other day to help me carry a box of books over to his house, children's books I had growing up and now his wife was maybe going to put some into her paintings. His backyard is waist-high in purple wildflowers, and as we crossed it he said something about the seeds that I missed. We left the books by Zoa's studio, but when I got home I realized I have the same wildflowers on the kitchen table, and I ran my hand over it and felt all the seeds, tiny gritty grains of sand. I pulled a book off a shelf nearby, opened it, sprinkled seeds between some pages, and put it back to wait.

x

Jack Balas, 2020; FLYING THE FLAG (#1937); India ink on paper, 30x22 inches

text:
Flying the flag was important to me growing up. I had a pole in the yard, and on holidays I would walk the neighborhood keeping track of who was flying it too, tallying results in what I called "surveys" (the day's weather too). I came across one the other day, and will say that all these years later I still notice when I see someone with a flag, but really in a very different way.

Jack Balas, 2020; THE PRUDENTIAL BUILDING (#1953); India ink and acrylic on paper, 30x22 inches.

The Prudential Building was the tallest building in Chicago the year my 4th grade class took a field trip to downtown. I'd never been in a plane before, and it would be years until, but there from the 42nd floor I could see all over the city and even all the way across Lake Michigan, the shoreline, everything. I was smitten. These days when I visit there are buildings way taller, but the Prudential Building, with the Rock of Gibralter on its face- I go in and try to see across to 1964 and me.

COMPANY SERIES GRID
Presented in order (numbered) as they were begun. All pieces are dated 2020, India ink and acrylic on Arches paper, 30x22 inches or 22x30 inches. Click on each image for an enlargement.
(A few works are yet to be finished.)

1882   Swirl

1884   a Head

1891   the Talk

1893   Lester Street

1894   Black Yard



1895   Guy'd

x

1897 Hunter (Thinking of Winslow and those Adirondacks

1898   Poetry (O Try)

1899   Lieutenant

        1900's

1900 Minotaur
Private Collection



1902 The Met (MUSE-MUSEUM series)



1903 Backwater



1904 Frame Fame



1905 The Net



1906 Cairn



1907 Guard

1908 And to All a Good Night (Friday)



1909
When It's Time to Write Your Story,
This Will Be the Cover
        1910's


1910 First Mate



1911 Growl

1912 Woman with Stars and Fireflies



1913   The Count



1914 Harbinger (Igloo)



1915 Fin



1916 Company

1917 Cat



1918 Black Sun



1919 Game's Up

        1920's

1920 Graduation

1922 Wish You Were Here (wrestler)

1923 The Late Hour



1924 Home Land: The Javier



1925   Hoops



1926 Home Land: The Ernesto

1927 Backyard

1929 Rain Down On Me
     1930's



1930 Siren



1931   No Words Work



1932 Box of Books

1933   Dog (The Vastness...)

1934   Flag Dayze

1935   We The People

1936   Permission

1937 Flying the Flag

1938 Roil

1939   First Day of Summer
        1940's


1940 To Be Continued?

1941  Discover America
1942
This Road Does Not End

1943   Out

1944 (Not Yet Titled): Tiger

1945 That Youth Hostel in Canada



1946 Preface

1947 Ship to Shore

1948 The Pedestal

1949    Home Land-- The Tom

     1950's

1950   Home Land: The Shane

1951  Home Land: The Dave



1952 Home Land: The Kenny

1953  The Prudential Building



1954   Roll



1955   Promises, Promises

1956 Swath

1957 As The Clock Ticks

1958 Gumball Chute



1959 Blackout 1
     1960's

1960 Blackout 2

1961 Campout

1963 Eminent Domain

1964 The Long View



1965 Summit

1966 Ladscape



1967 The Wave

1968 This Rich Narrative

1969 Poets Will Be Named
Private Collection

     1970's
1970 Bull's Eye

1971 Roofline

1972 Merit Badge

1973 Birthday Boy

1974 Study, Eakins Swimming Hole

1975 Floor of Sky



1976 Refill



1977 Portage

1978 Now Open



1979 Some Other Time
     1980's

1980 Mario

1981 Treasury
(War Memorial, Honolulu)

1982 Homecoming

1983 September Morn

1984 Moby Dick

1985 Young Man in an Old Story

1986 Able Baker

1987 At the Center of All Beauty
1988 Theme Song

1989 Message
     1990's


1990 All Day, All Dave

xx

1992 Letters From Honolulu

1993 Hints of Defiance

1994 Bricklayer

1995 Percolate

1996 LittleLeague



1998 Same Boat, Same Guys

1999 Open Book
         2000's

2000 Great Wave Off Waikiki
Private Collection



   2001 My Book



   2002 Election Day 2020

2003
(In progress)

   2004 Every Word, Every Letter (2)

   2005 Siempre

2006 Looking Back

2007 We Play With Abstraction Every Day

   2008 Pilot

   2009 Holy Land

        2010's

2010 I'm Possible



2011 Antarctica

2012 Let's Drop In
Private Collection

2018 Cat (Dog)

2019 Dog (Cat)

        2020's

2020 Twenty-Twenty (Sprue)

2021 Twenty-Twenty-One (Next Year)



2022 The Uncertainty of the Poet



2024 I Still Love Horses

2025 Catch
(But the story is the one that got away...)

2026 Some Happy Arms

2027 In Progress

2028 The Silver Lining

2029 Next Year In Jerusalem         2030's


2030 Summer Count (Study 1)

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Jack Balas, 2020; BOX OF BOOKS (#1932); India ink on paper, 30x22 inches Text: Louis came by the other day to help me carry a box of books over to his house, children's books I had growing up and now his wife was maybe going to put some into her paintings. His backyard is waist-high in purple wildflowers, and as we crossed it he said something about the seeds that I missed. We left the books by Zoa's studio, but when I got home I realized I have the same wildflowers on the kitchen table, and I ran my hand over it and felt all the seeds, tiny gritty grains of sand. I pulled a book off a shelf nearby, opened it, sprinkled seeds between some pages, and put it back to wait.		x Jack Balas, 2020; FLYING THE FLAG (#1937); India ink on paper, 30x22 inches text: Flying the flag was important to me growing up. I had a pole in the yard, and on holidays I would walk the neighborhood keeping track of who was flying it too, tallying results in what I called "surveys" (the day's weather too). I came across one the other day, and will say that all these years later I still notice when I see someone with a flag, but really in a very different way.









Jack Balas, 2020; THE PRUDENTIAL BUILDING (#1953); India ink and acrylic on paper, 30x22 inches. The Prudential Building was the tallest building in Chicago the year my 4th grade class took a field trip to downtown. I'd never been in a plane before, and it would be years until, but there from the 42nd floor I could see all over the city and even all the way across Lake Michigan, the shoreline, everything. I was smitten. These days when I visit there are buildings way taller, but the Prudential Building, with the Rock of Gibralter on its face- I go in and try to see across to 1964 and me.

1882 Swirl	1884 a Head	1891 the Talk

1893 Lester Street	1894 Black Yard	1895 Guy'd
		x
1897 Hunter (Thinking of Winslow and those Adirondacks	1898 Poetry (O Try)	1899 Lieutenant

1900's	1900 Minotaur Private Collection	1902 The Met (MUSE-MUSEUM series)

1903 Backwater	1904 Frame Fame	1905 The Net

1906 Cairn	1907 Guard	1908 And to All a Good Night (Friday)

1909 When It's Time to Write Your Story, This Will Be the Cover	1910's	1910 First Mate

1911 Growl	1912 Woman with Stars and Fireflies	1913 The Count

1914 Harbinger (Igloo)	1915 Fin	1916 Company

1917 Cat	1918 Black Sun	1919 Game's Up
1920's
1920 Graduation	1922 Wish You Were Here (wrestler)	1923 The Late Hour

1924 Home Land: The Javier	1925 Hoops	1926 Home Land: The Ernesto

1927 Backyard	1929 Rain Down On Me	1930's

1930 Siren	1931 No Words Work	1932 Box of Books

1933 Dog (The Vastness...)	1934 Flag Dayze	1935 We The People

1936 Permission	1937 Flying the Flag	1938 Roil

1939 First Day of Summer	1940's	1940 To Be Continued?

1941 Discover America	1942 This Road Does Not End	1943 Out

1944 (Not Yet Titled): Tiger	1945 That Youth Hostel in Canada	1946 Preface

1947 Ship to Shore	1948 The Pedestal	1949 Home Land-- The Tom

1950's	1950 Home Land: The Shane	1951 Home Land: The Dave

1952 Home Land: The Kenny	1953 The Prudential Building	1954 Roll

1955 Promises, Promises	1956 Swath	1957 As The Clock Ticks

1958 Gumball Chute	1959 Blackout 1	1960's

1960 Blackout 2	1961 Campout	1963 Eminent Domain

1964 The Long View	1965 Summit	1966 Ladscape

1967 The Wave	1968 This Rich Narrative	1969 Poets Will Be Named Private Collection

1970's	1970 Bull's Eye	1971 Roofline

1972 Merit Badge	1973 Birthday Boy	1974 Study, Eakins Swimming Hole

1975 Floor of Sky	1976 Refill	1977 Portage

1978 Now Open	1979 Some Other Time	1980's

1980 Mario	1981 Treasury (War Memorial, Honolulu)	1982 Homecoming

1983 September Morn	1984 Moby Dick	1985 Young Man in an Old Story

1986 Able Baker	1987 At the Center of All Beauty	1988 Theme Song

1989 Message	1990's	1990 All Day, All Dave

xx 1992 Letters From Honolulu	1993 Hints of Defiance	1994 Bricklayer

1995 Percolate	1996 LittleLeague	1998 Same Boat, Same Guys

1999 Open Book	2000's	2000 Great Wave Off Waikiki Private Collection

2001 My Book	2002 Election Day 2020	2003 (In progress)

2004 Every Word, Every Letter (2)	2005 Siempre	2006 Looking Back

2007 We Play With Abstraction Every Day	2008 Pilot	2009 Holy Land

2010's	2010 I'm Possible	2011 Antarctica

2012 Let's Drop In Private Collection	2018 Cat (Dog)	2019 Dog (Cat)

2020's	2020 Twenty-Twenty (Sprue)	2021 Twenty-Twenty-One (Next Year)

2022 The Uncertainty of the Poet	2024 I Still Love Horses	2025 Catch (But the story is the one that got away...)

2026 Some Happy Arms	2027 In Progress	2028 The Silver Lining

2029 Next Year In Jerusalem	2030's	2030 Summer Count (Study 1)