This commission was requested via etsy by Helene V. of France, who asked me to draw something inspired by the phrase, “Enough to melt all the tigers in the world to butter,” from the H. Murakami novel, Norwegian Wood. I’ve never read the book, so I don’t know what it means, but I think the bewildering fog of “no context” is nice.
And in a classic “parading-laziness-as-resourcefulness” move, a Giclée print of this watercolor will be part of the “Year of the Tiger” show at GR2 in LA next month.
P.S.: pssssst hey rich people! Playful Extremities, the GRNY show I’m in, closes on Wednesday, and if yer at all inclined to own a “Hellen Jo” (it’s almost as prestigious as owning a black velvet clown painting), all of these watercolor drawings are available for sale here. TOSS YOUR MONEY MY WAY!
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I also have never read the Murakami book, but I think it is referencing a book called Little Black Sambo:
“And the Tigers were very, very angry, but still they would not let go of each others’ tails. And they were so angry that they ran round the tree, trying to eat each other up, and they ran faster and faster till they were whirling round so fast that you couldn’t see their legs at all.
And they still ran faster and faster and faster, till they all just
melted away, and then there was nothing left but a great big pool of melted butter (or “ghi” as it is called in India) round the foot of the tree.”
It was one of my favorite books as a kid. My mom rescued it from the library; it was banned for being rascist.
from what I remember it`s a declaration of love in the book. something like I love you “enough to melt all the tigers in the world to butter”. are you gonna print a few Giclée prints or just one? I want one!
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