Space Junkers by James Sasso: Art as the Aesthetic Ideal - (part 3) by John Catso

Black dog helping repair crashed rocket using pieces of space junk.

"All that has dark sound has duende", that mysterious power that everyone feels but no philosopher can explain." --  poet Garcia Lorca on Art.

        No environmental story about Space Junk would be complete without a dog as an inspirational  mascot. The information is only a bridge to the artworks, using art as a healing practice.
        Remember that it is not so much the words but artwork designed to draw you into a new higher consciousness as you read. The message is ultimately about nothing.

Character:  A Black dog – a black dog is associated with good luck & sometimes depression.
Name:  Nameless except it is based on a small black dog named Skillet.
Description: Small terrier sized dog. Wears chef hat with an antenna from implanted micro chip, has heart shaped white spot on chest .The antenna in micro chip  was a hack added much later for other reasons.
Dog Symbolism: Dogs are symbols of strength, courage, tenacity and symbolically associated with loyalty and vigilance, often acting as guardian and protector. Dogs were also associated with Anubis, the jackal headed god of the underworld.
Black Dog : Why is the nameless dog black?
        A black dog is sometimes used as a symbol for depression. First coined by the Roman poet Horace and later adopted by Winston Churchill to describe his own depression, the metaphor of the "black dog" has been used for centuries. The image of the Black Dog has been used from classical mythology through medieval folklore to modern times as a universal metaphor for depression and other mental illnesses.
         As well, the Black Dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklore of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with The Devil. Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death.
Personality: The Black Dog in the Space Junk stories has a mysterious air mixed with a deep feeling of Duende.
Duende (Spanish) means "a deep quality of passion and inspiration,"- tener duende ("to have duende") is a Spanish term for a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity, often connected with flamenco dance & artworks.
In his brilliant lecture, "The Theory and Function of Duende", Spanish poet Federico García Lorca attempts to shed some light on the eerie and inexplicable sadness that lives in the heart of certain works of art. "that mysterious power that everyone feels but no philosopher can explain. The duende, then, is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought. "

Cartoon sketch of Black Dog doing a Happy Dance in Space Junk.

Color symbolism:  The color Black has always played an important role in the development of art and literature. As the first pigment used by artists in prehistory and the first ink used by book printers for text.
  Black is an easy color to read in art. In early cartoon animations from over 100 years ago, (Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat etc) black ink was painted unto clear sheets for filming.
      In color psychology, black's color meaning is symbolic of mystery, power, elegance, wealth and sophistication. In contrast, the color meaning can also evoke emotions such as sadness and anger. People wear all black to funerals as well as for purposes of a cause or movement.
       Man in Black is a protest song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, originally released on his 1971 album of the same name. Cash wrote the signature song to explain the social conscience behind his wardrobe choices.
Man in Black opening lyrics:
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on

The black dog giving a speech.

And what do Dogs and Space have to do with each other?
In the early history (as we know it), of space travel from earth, our canine friends, dogs, were some of the first
mammals shot into space and land back down safely.
Dogs are man's best friend.

Next up: Space Junks: Art as a Social Function in Cultures. (part 4)

Black dog escaping into city