Mark Hummel And The Blues Survivors

Mark Hummel And The Blues Survivors

The harmonica in the upper left-hand corner is a Seydel 1847, one type of harmonica that Mark Hummel plays. The inspiration for the tumbling “M’s” was from an old noir film poster. The slipping letter “o” in the word “Survivors” is a visual joke, since blues is a particularly difficult genre for musicians to survive in. I greatly admire those who keep on keeping on. The lanterns on the back of the train are from lines in Robert Johnson’s song, “Love in Vain,” emphasizing the loneliness of the scene. When the train left the station, there were two lights on behind; Well, the blue light was my blues and the red light was my mind.

 

Original painting: Gouache, pen and ink. 11” x 17”
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