Creating Forward // June 2023

The Muscleman

Norman Rockwell is one of my favorite artists for many reasons. The ties between his art and some of my sweetest memories cannot be separated. My grandparent’s house was full of his work, and my own childhood home had several pieces as well. I spent countless mornings eating an Ego waffle bathed in Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup while studying all the collector’s plates on the wall of my grandma’s kitchen. I’d fall asleep looking at the figurines in her curio cabinet. I’d walk past them on my way to sit on the porch swing. As if Rockwell’s work was not already nostalgic enough, my own nostalgia only deepens its influence on my art and creative practice.

The Muscleman (1941, Rockwell).

In Muscleman, we see many icons of Rockwell’s work. First is expression. He wonderfully captures the innocent confidence this young boy has in his own strength. His posture makes me think that like my own son, he was moving quickly, caught his reflection, and decided he should stop to admire his strength.

Second, we learn so much about the setting in Rockwell’s details. Last year I read this piece by Russ Ramsey and its helped me pay better attention to the details. I just love the striped socks that aren’t on quite right. The boy’s shorts are worn in the seat, wrinkled, and the pocket liner is sticking out. These details that might have made an adult see their reflection and albeit “imperfections”, but for our confident muscleman, they do nothing to take away from how the boy sees himself - strong.

As a mother, I used to take so much pride in having my children well dressed. It’s embarrassing to admit this but everytime I had someone stop to tell me how cute and stylish they were, I took that into my identity. Friends, things have changed. After having four kids in four years and finally rounding the corner to where everyone can dress themself (and some of them are particular about their clothes), I sometimes give them a quick look over, shrug my shoulders, and pile everyone into the car. Dean wearing socks and sandals? Oh well. Amelia wearing a floral blouse with athletic tie dye shorts? At least she is dressed! Someone forgot to wear underwear, again? My inner critic still comes for me - do people think I’m not taking good care of them? Shouldn’t they look more put together? Should I have it all together?

Similarly, I look at the room the boy is standing in. With the painting done in the 40s, the blue wallpaper, carpet, and cushion were par for the course in home design. How often do I go to take a picture in my home and second guess whether or not my home is a good enough back drop for the memories the images will hold. I never once looked at a photo from my own childhood with a critical eye for the decor or clutter, but social media and the world of perfectly curated images have stopped me from taking a photo of a moment I otherwise loved. I think this is a reminder of the importance of viewing art from years past, and continuing to create and capture our moment of history.

Dean is certainly my own little muscleman. He exudes confidence that I admire and that also leads him into mischief. I hope when Dean sees this image over the years, he remembers the home that safely held him while he ran around with all the confidence in the world, wearing whatever he wanted.