Exaggerated Self Portrait

Wow. I'm behind on these things. Anyway, I'm just going to be boring and comment on what I read.
I liked a lot of the images in here--especially Enrique Chagoya's "Uprising of the Spirit." Toba Khedoori's "Rooms" was absolutely fascinating to me. It's so empty and creepy, a perfect example of negative space. It brings forth memories of Mesa Verde. Jim Nutt's "Not So Fast" was interesting to look at. I really like drawing warped, "freaky" people with giant noses, and though this is much cartoonier than my style usually is, it sort of reminds me of the odd little doodles that seem to end up all over my notes. I have no idea what Frank Kline's "Untitled" was supposed to be of, but I like the stark contrast and again, the use of space. I really wish I could just draw my weird little doodles again and not sit around trying to draw so technically. (Sorry, I'm really rambling here.) I prefer ideas over details. Maybe that's why I decided that I liked all of these pieces best.
I liked the idea behind Oscar Dominguez's piece (I enjoy all the weird little ideas floating around in this book), but when I turned the page to see what the article was talking about, I was less than impressed. On second glance, it was a bit more interesting--a lot of texture and a weird, cartoonish style were definitely present, and made for a slightly more intriguing viewing. I would like it better if it weren't so simplified, though.
Negative space is a nice enough concept, but I don't really have a lot to say about it. I thought it was incredibly odd that Martin Ramirez drew with his paper rolled up, and also that he glued together everything he could find to get his papers the right sizes. Did no one at the institution care about his creative endeavors, or what?
Hmmm.... Upon reading pages 84 and 85, I've realized that my painting's spatial use is less than stellar. I want to kill that painting, really. Could I make it a mixed media and attack with it duct tape and sand and stuff or something? That wouldn't help with the space, but it would make me feel better.
I have no idea how to fix that thing, honestly. Spacing is not really my strong point, it seems.