Untitled

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    Photo: Stephen Pitkin/Pitkin Studio
1986
Paint on plastic cafeteria tray
12 x 16.5 inches
Collection of
Souls Grown Deep Foundation
Description

Light takes old hit songs from forty-fives and records his own lyrics over them. His revisions often seem straight-forward and gentle:

You are as pure as white on rice,
Sugar and, spice,
And everything nice.
So take my advice
And kiss me twice.

This song adorned a wall decoration made from a plastic cafeteria tray. Even then, it was more a warning to himself than a paean to a woman's love. The flowers, the flowing water, the imposing mountains, and other symbolic obstacles and barriers to salvation permeate the tray. Other lyrics are more revealing, as with a recording over a Dean Martin love song:

My father wasn't a good man,
But he did the best he amid.
I never understood my father,
But God understood.