Tale of The Green Donkey

"The fingers must be educated, the thumb is born knowing." -Marc Chagall

Sep 7, 2023

There are four people and a donkey in Marc Chagall’s famous painting, “The Green Donkey.” The donkey’s facial expression conveys distress. It’s unnerving and part of what makes the painting interesting. We’re human and we like to wonder. Perhaps, one of her masters is particularly cruel. Do we ever know for sure what any artwork is trying to tell us?

I’m intrigued by The Tate’s description of the painting:

While living in Paris between 1910 and 1914 Chagall made many works based on nostalgic memories of his Russian homeland. The naïve style and curious subject of this painting reflect the artist’s preoccupation with folk traditions, particularly those of his Jewish heritage. At one time known as ‘Village Scene’, the colouring and strange arrangement of figures evoke a fantastical scene. While this may relate to a folk tale, no specific narrative for the green donkey has been identified.

No specific narrative for the green donkey has been identified.

Sounds to me like an invitation to invent one. Not because the painting needs a narrative, authoritative or otherwise. It’s just fun to make things up. That’s why I want the donkey* to have a name and I want her name to be Sasha.

Sasha is a gentle soul and she’s great with children. She works in the fields each day without complaint, even though her legs hurt and her neck is stiff. She is both a loyal friend and a key producer for the family.

Sasha is intelligent and she loves apples. Please don’t be stingy with the fruit. Also, Sasha can get to the fallen apples herself. She wants you to pick them for her fresh from the tree.

*Do you know the difference between a donkey and a mule? A donkey is its own unique species while a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, specifically a male donkey and a female horse (a mare).

Painting and the Power of Pure Expression

When I paint, I am not focused on outcomes. All the value is in the doing.

“Playing Jazz by the Lake,” acrylic and watercolor on paper by David Burn

Painting helps me:

Practice being present and sharpen my focus
Learn to make the best of my mistakes (there's no 'delete' button when painting)
Accept that it's not all about the outcomes—instead, it's about experiencing flow during the acts of creation
Reaffirm that I can learn to do new things

Lagniappe

Workers in unions earn about 27% more than their non-union counterparts. According to CauseIQ, there are currently 152 labor unions in the greater Austin metro area.
Emerging musical artists continue to be drawn to Austin. Meet Mae Mae.
In Texas, jobs and humidity make the place sticky. Did you know that 82% of people born here stay here?
We also have Texas-sized water problems…In Arizona, a law requires developers to secure a hundred-year water supply before they can build; no such law applies in Texas.
Maybe people say, “There are no new ideas,” because 83% of Hollywood revenues now come from franchise films featuring familiar characters from the past—and they drive the entire economic model for the industry.
My eBook Ad Brains: Conversations with Advertising's Icons, Rebels, and Rulers is currently on sale for $2.99.

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