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From: Madame De Pompadour
Date: 29 Aug 2001
Time: 10:01:08
Remote Name: 152.163.204.184
Admiral -
I must commend and congratulate you on the auspicious launch of FogWatch! The site is an extremely informative tribute to all things FOG. However, I must take issue with the "Lost Brew" photograph which was attributed to the venerable Rusty O'Dowd in his prime. While the photograph was reportedly taken in 1970, the piece most certainly was crafted post-1986 and may in fact be one of the lost later and lesser known works of the artist. As many of your beer and art patrons may know, Lost Coast Brewery was not established until 1986 by Wendy Pound, a family and marriage counselor, and Barbara Groom, a pharmacist, in Eureka. As such, given the use of the Lost Coast beer which was first brewed in 1986, I suspect that the photograph was actually composed by O'Dowd sometime in 1987 when he finally emerged from his self-imposed exile of the early 80s during a disastrous period of personal and photographic experimentation with single-malt scotches, cocktails and even Absinthe. While the truly early works such as Tall Dome illustrate O'Dowd's inherent artistry and talent, the immaturity of this period cannot be ignored. The odd juxtaposition of a Bud tall boy with Half Dome as the backdrop gives the photograph little deeper meaning than the aesthetic beauty of the piece itself. However, as O'Dowd's work matured into the 80s, we begin to witness an increasing understanding of both form and content as illustrated by Lost Brew. Indeed, the use of the Lost Coast beer situated among the beauty of the actual Lost Coast of Marin imbibes the piece with a deeper message than some of O'Dowd's earlier works. In all of O'Dowd's works, we witness an intensely dramatic artist, playing with light and shade with dazzling skill. But as the artist matures, into compositions such as Lost Brew, we are moved not only by the sheer visual beauty of his work, but also by its deeper meaning. As a long-time patron of the arts, I look forward to more of these splendid pieces on your site.
Humbly Yours, Madame De Pompadour