Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, purportedly discovered the secret of harmony when he came across five blacksmiths hammering in a village. The five hammers were producing a wondrous collective sound. Yet, Pythagoras realized that only four of the five hammers were throwing off true harmony. That fifth hammer was a bit off. Pythagoras could not measure it; nor could he understand its discordant sound. Like many practitioners today, Pythagoras discarded that fifth, outlier hammer.

  
it is clear that the fifth hammer did not contribute beauty and magic by fitting in. Rather, it made a difference by standing out. It turns out that the fifth hammer was a misfit and the secret to the entire sound that piqued Pythagoras’ ear initially. The fifth hammer added grit and resonance to a system that would have been flaccid without it.

  
In being discordant and different, the fifth hammer actually created harmony.

  
\-

  
**_The Fifth Hammer_** is an archival Oil Monotype on Cold Press 300g paper.

  
Monotypes were made popular by such artists as Paul Klee and Edgar Degas. This monotype was created by applying oil stick to plastic and then manually pressing my image to paper. By using my hands, I can create varied tones, controlled and painterly gestures as well as many unpredictable textures. Because I use minimal tools and materials, the original plate (or drawing) is destroyed with the printing process, making each monotype a truly one of a kind piece.

Add

The Fifth Hammer