Hot Ponderings 1982

Richard Basil Mock created this print, Hot Ponderings, between 1978 and 1982. The stark black and white contrast tells a story of a scene captured in a moment. I'm thinking, what was Mock pondering while making this image? The repetition of the cuts must have been meditative, almost like keeping a visual diary. I'm drawn to the collection of objects arranged in the scene: the sombrero, bottle, gloves, and what seems to be a little piggy in the background! There’s a sense of narrative, of storytelling, which is funny to me. It's as if he's inviting us into a personal world, a sort of visual poem that reflects the strangeness and beauty of everyday life. And that cloud or smoke above the bottle reminds me of other artists, like Philip Guston, who used simple forms to convey complex emotions.