On my way home from the studio I’d arranged to meet the Doc for an hour upstairs in the Three Quarks, it was warm and quiet. We got stuck in straightaway, as is our wont and with musical asides thrown in for good measure.
Dr Franklyn: ‘...What you were saying yesterday …I think that particular function is an unknown...but ...’ Pouring tea.
‘....The eye after all only has intelligence because of the brain…’ he laughs. ‘A bit prosaic and oddly put I know laddy – but people don’t get it at all in relation to the arts…there is a symbiosis of information of sorts I believe regarding the wider neural system – but what makes sense of it all?, it’s not just the brain as an abstract thing – but the very personal self, as held there. Everything about that particular person…projected and protected by that august organ…you can only learn what you want to know as they say and a typed card in a museum ‘explaining’ is only someone else’s imagination at work – and I’m not talking about history either…’
Me: ‘No I know – I’m as interested to know the real name of Rembrandts’ Night Watch as anyone else – or something of Vermeer’s techniques. It’s a different thing to the infantalisation of culture…it’s not the artists job to explain, to anyone: – often we are suckered into it – you deny the right of peoples imagination by doing so…I can only make things as clear as possible - in the work itself - the scope of my intention, the err…wider reverberation of ideas – as it were - held there. It's not Science.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Kurt Schwitters calls Time. part 1
After all I have no idea who can and who can’t pick up on this or that, who reads what, who will or wont say 'yes' to the adventure, so... I have to hold my ground solidly, do the work as completely as I can, and I've done my job…all this goes for the musician too I think relating to the ear, like Bebop; deemed unlistenable at first, look what’s happened since – Fusion, Free Jazz, World Jazz, Arts Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra, etc, etc, and look at it now! jazz tried like hell, but bebop and a helping of funk are still the main fodder of Jazz – blues has always been in there of course. Having said that though Doc, and I like all the wild stuff a lot - Louis Armstrong in his prime is still hard to beat…’
Doc Franklyn: Yes, that’s true, long recognised too by musicians, Armstrong was as musically wild, as avant garde as anyone in his day…before he became an ambassador and all that sort of thing - and there’s still plenty to learn from him, perhaps this long splintering is the long slow birth of something new again? I hope so.’
Me: Laughing – ‘As long as it swings Doc.’
Doc Franklyn: ‘Amen … but the point was that it takes the eye and the ear time to assimilate new things – meaning of course – the Brain - which will at first reject the seemingly ungainly thing, the thing that at first lacks those common visual or aural harmonies, or has a different kind of symmetry. People will say ‘it’s ugly, it has no beauty’
Doc Franklyn: Yes, that’s true, long recognised too by musicians, Armstrong was as musically wild, as avant garde as anyone in his day…before he became an ambassador and all that sort of thing - and there’s still plenty to learn from him, perhaps this long splintering is the long slow birth of something new again? I hope so.’
Me: Laughing – ‘As long as it swings Doc.’
Doc Franklyn: ‘Amen … but the point was that it takes the eye and the ear time to assimilate new things – meaning of course – the Brain - which will at first reject the seemingly ungainly thing, the thing that at first lacks those common visual or aural harmonies, or has a different kind of symmetry. People will say ‘it’s ugly, it has no beauty’
Kurt Schwitters calls Time. part 2
Me: ‘Yes and who makes those ungainly things ?... the Artist.
In the case of Bebop of course they didn’t do primitive as one of the routes into the ‘ungainly’…like Picasso did for instance… even though the music was mocked as primitive, it was highly precise, clever and often very fast, to confuse white imitators of course, but the music could go there anyway, it needed to - to become a true Black American artform - not an adendum to something else.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘Correct, there aren’t many areas of society where it is useful or even wise to do that, to make the seemingly unfathomable thing.' Laughs ' But governments seem to manage it regularly !..couldn't help that one. The ungainly, as you intimate, is the thing outside the norm, society is about the norm. It requires a lot of investment of self, time and energy – it requires a vision – beyond the continuous cosmetic workover of things.
Look at it this way; many people all over the world have a guitar, or one of those electronic keyboard thing at home, or whatever musical instruments are in their culture – and so on. They all enjoy a musical dabble in all sorts of ways and styles, they love it ..so it is with painters and artists of all sorts. All the arts are a natural expression of human form and feeling – it’s a birthright – like dancing and singing – all people are creative – innately - but not all - are Artists - the creative that most people know and understand is within the happy ‘Norm’. Would you castigate me when I have a dabble on my piano for not being a Mozart?’
In the case of Bebop of course they didn’t do primitive as one of the routes into the ‘ungainly’…like Picasso did for instance… even though the music was mocked as primitive, it was highly precise, clever and often very fast, to confuse white imitators of course, but the music could go there anyway, it needed to - to become a true Black American artform - not an adendum to something else.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘Correct, there aren’t many areas of society where it is useful or even wise to do that, to make the seemingly unfathomable thing.' Laughs ' But governments seem to manage it regularly !..couldn't help that one. The ungainly, as you intimate, is the thing outside the norm, society is about the norm. It requires a lot of investment of self, time and energy – it requires a vision – beyond the continuous cosmetic workover of things.
Look at it this way; many people all over the world have a guitar, or one of those electronic keyboard thing at home, or whatever musical instruments are in their culture – and so on. They all enjoy a musical dabble in all sorts of ways and styles, they love it ..so it is with painters and artists of all sorts. All the arts are a natural expression of human form and feeling – it’s a birthright – like dancing and singing – all people are creative – innately - but not all - are Artists - the creative that most people know and understand is within the happy ‘Norm’. Would you castigate me when I have a dabble on my piano for not being a Mozart?’
Kurt Schwitters calls Time. part 3
Me: Laughing ‘And I’m no Coltrane either...but back to the other thing ….you’ve got me going on it now – and this story illustrates it perfectly....ready?....
Jake, the son of a friend, a very talented lad went to art school…great things were expected of him. He did his four years at Art College and went out into the world.
A year or two later, after he’d been working at all sorts of jobs, we met up and had a few drinks, talked about everything, including the arts in general and I asked him did paint anymore, or do any kind of ‘Art’ stuff?.
He said – no, he’d given it all up because he discovered he didn’t really have anything to say. Now I’d say that was a fantastic bit of self discovery – don’t you Doc? and I told him so, adding that I hoped he’d have a great life...’ Laughs.
Doc Franklyn: ‘No doubt about it, and very wise of him, the examined life and all that….What happened to him?’
Me: I haven’t seen him for about fifteen years, but - he moved to Amsterdam - was living with a great girl and they started designing and making simple costume jewellery.
Stuff that cost pence to make up with a pair of pliers, some wire and coloured glass beads. Within a year they were selling on the internet, and making contacts, they invested in some fancy wire bending jigs and machines and before they knew it they were selling in bulk to costume jewellery outlets… made a fortune… still are I guess.
Jake, the son of a friend, a very talented lad went to art school…great things were expected of him. He did his four years at Art College and went out into the world.
A year or two later, after he’d been working at all sorts of jobs, we met up and had a few drinks, talked about everything, including the arts in general and I asked him did paint anymore, or do any kind of ‘Art’ stuff?.
He said – no, he’d given it all up because he discovered he didn’t really have anything to say. Now I’d say that was a fantastic bit of self discovery – don’t you Doc? and I told him so, adding that I hoped he’d have a great life...’ Laughs.
Doc Franklyn: ‘No doubt about it, and very wise of him, the examined life and all that….What happened to him?’
Me: I haven’t seen him for about fifteen years, but - he moved to Amsterdam - was living with a great girl and they started designing and making simple costume jewellery.
Stuff that cost pence to make up with a pair of pliers, some wire and coloured glass beads. Within a year they were selling on the internet, and making contacts, they invested in some fancy wire bending jigs and machines and before they knew it they were selling in bulk to costume jewellery outlets… made a fortune… still are I guess.
Kurt Schwitters calls Time. part 4
Doc Franklyn: ‘ Excellent story .... so all in all, it wasn’t in him, as it were, to be the Artist, it didn't ring his bell - but he certainly had something to do, and we all need something to do; to be getting on with, to work for…for most it's the family, but often things are simply distractions from a complex of undefined unhappyness - did you know that one of the definitions of happiness is to be distracted by being absorbed in something?.
Me: ‘Yes, distraction to hide dissatisfaction is a different thing altogether, I understand your meaning as coming from Buddhist philosophy …about perceiving what you are paying attention to differently.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes indeed, that’s the kind of thing, but there are a few different sources of the idea, Plato for instance has it that the virtue of happiness is the by product of a life well-lived, and so on…’
Me: Looking at my watch ‘Doc, I’m sorry …short time today because if I don’t get home in thirty minutes, my life isn’t going to be well lived, Glo’ has arranged something…. Look, can we meet up in a few days, I wanted to talk about Damian Hirst’s latest Scull thing as well – and I know you did too – I’ll ring you.
Doc raised his hands – ‘No problem, time always runs away with us, and now that you mention the time… I aught to be getting over to the Europa – I said I’d read there tonight, I hope they’re ready for some full on Schwitters.
Me: ‘Yes, distraction to hide dissatisfaction is a different thing altogether, I understand your meaning as coming from Buddhist philosophy …about perceiving what you are paying attention to differently.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes indeed, that’s the kind of thing, but there are a few different sources of the idea, Plato for instance has it that the virtue of happiness is the by product of a life well-lived, and so on…’
Me: Looking at my watch ‘Doc, I’m sorry …short time today because if I don’t get home in thirty minutes, my life isn’t going to be well lived, Glo’ has arranged something…. Look, can we meet up in a few days, I wanted to talk about Damian Hirst’s latest Scull thing as well – and I know you did too – I’ll ring you.
Doc raised his hands – ‘No problem, time always runs away with us, and now that you mention the time… I aught to be getting over to the Europa – I said I’d read there tonight, I hope they’re ready for some full on Schwitters.
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 1
It was about 2 in the morning. I was half asleep in the studio, feet up on an old stool half regretting that I hadn't walked home earlier. The window was wide open and the sounds and smells from Caroline St drifted up along with a completely anonymous bass line pumping through the building from Tantra, the lap dancing club 3 floors down.
I was drifting in and out - I jumped as someone tapped the door - It was Dr Franklyn; a bottle of wine and a bag of pastries. He’d just walked up 5 floors, past the pulsating madness of Club Tantra and wasn’t even out of breath.
I just stood there trying to wake up - all he said was ...
'Saw your light on laddy.' and proceeded to clean two coffee stained cups while looking around. He poured, handed one to me and sat slowly in the swivel chair.
'Quiet night on the painting front?... have a Danish!'
I was sleepily grinning - 'Hmmmmm yes, sort of - I've come to a stop on that thing there.' Pointing to a canvas.
'And there's another five of 'em stacked over there - driving me crazy - been here since two this afternoon and not done a stroke.'
'Ahhhhh...' he said like a slow rattle, peering at the canvas, then again, but longer. and slower 'Ahhhhhhhhhh...' and topped his glass up. I hadn’t touched mine yet, I moved to the window to get a blast of night air and he talked over his shoulder while continuing to peer at the canvas.
‘This stuff belongs with those drawings there doesn't it?’
'Yep' slurp.
' Hmmmm, haven’t been up here for weeks. What do you call them?'
'We Enter As Animals.'
I was drifting in and out - I jumped as someone tapped the door - It was Dr Franklyn; a bottle of wine and a bag of pastries. He’d just walked up 5 floors, past the pulsating madness of Club Tantra and wasn’t even out of breath.
I just stood there trying to wake up - all he said was ...
'Saw your light on laddy.' and proceeded to clean two coffee stained cups while looking around. He poured, handed one to me and sat slowly in the swivel chair.
'Quiet night on the painting front?... have a Danish!'
I was sleepily grinning - 'Hmmmmm yes, sort of - I've come to a stop on that thing there.' Pointing to a canvas.
'And there's another five of 'em stacked over there - driving me crazy - been here since two this afternoon and not done a stroke.'
'Ahhhhh...' he said like a slow rattle, peering at the canvas, then again, but longer. and slower 'Ahhhhhhhhhh...' and topped his glass up. I hadn’t touched mine yet, I moved to the window to get a blast of night air and he talked over his shoulder while continuing to peer at the canvas.
‘This stuff belongs with those drawings there doesn't it?’
'Yep' slurp.
' Hmmmm, haven’t been up here for weeks. What do you call them?'
'We Enter As Animals.'
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 2
'And very nice too...if I may say so...but you've drawn yourself out haven't you? and left nothing for the paint to explore...it's a swine when that happens. The drawings are good...a bit too over stated here and there perhaps...but I see from the title you've got something...errr... going on...as they say.'
I laughed - ' I'm going to have t'give 'em up aren't I – I think I’ll have that pastry now?'
He lifted his glass and swivelled around.
'That's about the long and the short of it, just...put them away for now and get stuck into the canvases with the same energy you put onto the paper - discover your idea again, otherwise you’ll loose it and your idea will disappear with the wind - you know it - because all you'll be doing is illustrating the drawings onto the canvas like the sweet precious nonsense we can see anywhere.' And he let out a low laugh.
'Yes - I figured that as well' I groaned.
'I was just prevaricating…you ok Doc? ...I heard the Gnossienne last night and got Hanumans note … thank you … I pinned it up on the wall behind you.’ I ate my Danish.
He closed his eyes. ‘ Yes I’m ok, thank you for asking.’
I laughed - ' I'm going to have t'give 'em up aren't I – I think I’ll have that pastry now?'
He lifted his glass and swivelled around.
'That's about the long and the short of it, just...put them away for now and get stuck into the canvases with the same energy you put onto the paper - discover your idea again, otherwise you’ll loose it and your idea will disappear with the wind - you know it - because all you'll be doing is illustrating the drawings onto the canvas like the sweet precious nonsense we can see anywhere.' And he let out a low laugh.
'Yes - I figured that as well' I groaned.
'I was just prevaricating…you ok Doc? ...I heard the Gnossienne last night and got Hanumans note … thank you … I pinned it up on the wall behind you.’ I ate my Danish.
He closed his eyes. ‘ Yes I’m ok, thank you for asking.’
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 3
Then slowly as if he were talking to himself. . .
‘ It’s good to be sitting here in your studio, and all this work…all this good good stuff.’
Then he opened his eyes and looked at me. He smiled and nodded his head slowly a few times. He carefully placed his elbows on the hexagonal table where I keep my painting kit and lent forward wagging a bony finger as he spoke.
‘I ahhh - I ah had to make a call to Switzerland last night, it was aaaaaall a surprise – I received a letter from a solicitor there a couple of days ago and I have to pop over to Geneva this weekend.’
‘Bad news … or what?’ I asked.
He smiles and spread his hands – mea culpa.
‘ Who can say – it’s what you make it – maybe the bad news came 20 years ago - let me give you three names – all ladies – see what you make of them – eh!’
I lifted my glass and finished the wine, I look at him with his raised eyebrows, his bushy questioning eyebrows.
‘ Go ahead – I’m intrigued now.’ I say and he laughs.
‘ I love it here, ok here we go....’
His eyes twinkle as he counts them off .
‘One, Adele Hoffentaller, two Lydia Delectorskya, three Iseult Gonne.’ He lifts his hands in the air like a magician and looks expectantly at me – he expects that I would know two of the three – and I play along, he knows I will .... hey it’s 3am and there are only 2 glasses of wine left and some crumbs – and this is our relationship. I also hold my hands up – we look like two hostages.
‘ It’s good to be sitting here in your studio, and all this work…all this good good stuff.’
Then he opened his eyes and looked at me. He smiled and nodded his head slowly a few times. He carefully placed his elbows on the hexagonal table where I keep my painting kit and lent forward wagging a bony finger as he spoke.
‘I ahhh - I ah had to make a call to Switzerland last night, it was aaaaaall a surprise – I received a letter from a solicitor there a couple of days ago and I have to pop over to Geneva this weekend.’
‘Bad news … or what?’ I asked.
He smiles and spread his hands – mea culpa.
‘ Who can say – it’s what you make it – maybe the bad news came 20 years ago - let me give you three names – all ladies – see what you make of them – eh!’
I lifted my glass and finished the wine, I look at him with his raised eyebrows, his bushy questioning eyebrows.
‘ Go ahead – I’m intrigued now.’ I say and he laughs.
‘ I love it here, ok here we go....’
His eyes twinkle as he counts them off .
‘One, Adele Hoffentaller, two Lydia Delectorskya, three Iseult Gonne.’ He lifts his hands in the air like a magician and looks expectantly at me – he expects that I would know two of the three – and I play along, he knows I will .... hey it’s 3am and there are only 2 glasses of wine left and some crumbs – and this is our relationship. I also hold my hands up – we look like two hostages.
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 4
‘ I know two.’ I say, and pointing at him I reel off what I remember.
‘Delectorskya – Russian emigre - raving beauty - one of maestro Matisse’s main helpers – I have a photograph of her…’
He claps as he laughs.
‘So do I – so do I – many in fact.’
I point again grinning. ‘ Iseult Gonne – daughter of Maude – strange half child of the Irish haze - both Yeat’s muses - an orchid in the London smog…’ I burst out laughing at this and so does Dr Franklyn - he knows what I mean.
‘ Excellent, most excellent boyo – and so she was - go on go on’
I’m still laughing. ‘ I can’t – but I have a photograph of Iseult too.’
He responds. ‘ Yes, so do I – but not many unfortunately – very very unfortunately, there is only one of her as a young woman in general existance, and that photograph can break your heart laddy - her young life was difficult y’know and she married in 1920, poor Iseult – and poor Francis Stuart too for that matter – so what about our third contender?’
‘Ok – ummm – but wait a minute - do you mean Francis Stuart the poet?’
‘Yes - the very same - the Third Reich lover himself.’
‘Ok…let's not talk about him - you have me on Adele Hoffentaller, she doesn’t ring a bell – Is this all about your Geneva trip?’
‘Delectorskya – Russian emigre - raving beauty - one of maestro Matisse’s main helpers – I have a photograph of her…’
He claps as he laughs.
‘So do I – so do I – many in fact.’
I point again grinning. ‘ Iseult Gonne – daughter of Maude – strange half child of the Irish haze - both Yeat’s muses - an orchid in the London smog…’ I burst out laughing at this and so does Dr Franklyn - he knows what I mean.
‘ Excellent, most excellent boyo – and so she was - go on go on’
I’m still laughing. ‘ I can’t – but I have a photograph of Iseult too.’
He responds. ‘ Yes, so do I – but not many unfortunately – very very unfortunately, there is only one of her as a young woman in general existance, and that photograph can break your heart laddy - her young life was difficult y’know and she married in 1920, poor Iseult – and poor Francis Stuart too for that matter – so what about our third contender?’
‘Ok – ummm – but wait a minute - do you mean Francis Stuart the poet?’
‘Yes - the very same - the Third Reich lover himself.’
‘Ok…let's not talk about him - you have me on Adele Hoffentaller, she doesn’t ring a bell – Is this all about your Geneva trip?’
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 5
‘Yes it is – I knew you wouldn't have heard of her but I mention her in the same breath as the other two ladies because – and you will know what I mean when I say each of them was filled with light – a different kind of light, but light still: and after all my friend, light is the absence of darkness. I knew each of them intimately – I shall say no more of that, but it is true.’ He sighs and I look at him lost in thought.
His mood changes and he laughs again, he bangs my kit table and tubes of paint jump.
‘Adele was a German Jew, veeeery rich family who used to have big soiree’s in Geneva every summer with the Herman Hesse crowd – ahhhhhhhhhh rich bohemia, what a beauty you were. Adele was allowed to follow her gift for art, She was a student at the Bauhaus and became a great favourite of Paul Klee – in all senses.
The descriptions of him painting while holding the baby and watching the frying pan are all true by the way…’
He stops – suddenly aware that he has launched off on a tale.
I looked at my watch. ' t’s too late to stop now' I say - and I grin’
‘ Ok – so Klee finishes with Adele before Frau Klee finds out - and Adele, a woman scorned as it were, stole not only his frying pan, as a joke - but two small watercolours – and left town for rich Swiss bohemia.’
His eyebrows lifted high as he looked at me while saying this, but I said nothing, both of us knowing that those two watercolours would now be worth a small fortune if signed – but stolen? – hmmm – I didn’t want to interrupt his flow, but he just kept staring.
His mood changes and he laughs again, he bangs my kit table and tubes of paint jump.
‘Adele was a German Jew, veeeery rich family who used to have big soiree’s in Geneva every summer with the Herman Hesse crowd – ahhhhhhhhhh rich bohemia, what a beauty you were. Adele was allowed to follow her gift for art, She was a student at the Bauhaus and became a great favourite of Paul Klee – in all senses.
The descriptions of him painting while holding the baby and watching the frying pan are all true by the way…’
He stops – suddenly aware that he has launched off on a tale.
I looked at my watch. ' t’s too late to stop now' I say - and I grin’
‘ Ok – so Klee finishes with Adele before Frau Klee finds out - and Adele, a woman scorned as it were, stole not only his frying pan, as a joke - but two small watercolours – and left town for rich Swiss bohemia.’
His eyebrows lifted high as he looked at me while saying this, but I said nothing, both of us knowing that those two watercolours would now be worth a small fortune if signed – but stolen? – hmmm – I didn’t want to interrupt his flow, but he just kept staring.
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 6
‘How do you know this’ I said, and he came out of his revere.
‘ Adele and I lived together for two magical years.’ He said.
‘ But - we had a bad falling out at one of those odd masked balls her titled crowd threw....hmmmmmmm...my fault looking back - you can, by jealousy block someones light - it's always a disaster.
It took two weeks for us to unravel, but we broke up – rather badly actually, then I was lost ,castaway for those 15 years – Jeez the whole world thought I was dead – she married some Russian Count I heard years later, It‘s only now my friend that the slow clockwork machinations of Swiss solicitors have found me ...’
I said quietly. ‘ So did she die recently Doc?’
‘ No no – gosh she died a good ten years ago I believe. According to the conversation I had on the phone - in halting high Swiss German and French last night – they’ve been holding a package for me all this time in one of their confounded little safes.’
It went quiet, we both laughed saying together, ‘Paul Klee’s frying pan!!’
‘ Adele and I lived together for two magical years.’ He said.
‘ But - we had a bad falling out at one of those odd masked balls her titled crowd threw....hmmmmmmm...my fault looking back - you can, by jealousy block someones light - it's always a disaster.
It took two weeks for us to unravel, but we broke up – rather badly actually, then I was lost ,castaway for those 15 years – Jeez the whole world thought I was dead – she married some Russian Count I heard years later, It‘s only now my friend that the slow clockwork machinations of Swiss solicitors have found me ...’
I said quietly. ‘ So did she die recently Doc?’
‘ No no – gosh she died a good ten years ago I believe. According to the conversation I had on the phone - in halting high Swiss German and French last night – they’ve been holding a package for me all this time in one of their confounded little safes.’
It went quiet, we both laughed saying together, ‘Paul Klee’s frying pan!!’
Paul Klee's Frying Pan - Part 7
He shook a finger at me. ‘You never know!..laddy.. You never know!
With Adele - anything was possible. I was playing the Satie last night for her - but it's a long time ago and I'm over the shock. Look at the fingers on my left hand.’
He held it up.
‘ I know they’re bony and old, but look at the last two fingers.’
Sure enough they were quite crooked, I hadn’t noticed before.
He smiled and said.
‘ During that stormy last fortnight of our relationship, and both of us spurred on by too much Calvados, Adele hit me a real belter with that frying pan, she used to hang it up like a painting - and it caught me hard as I put my hand up to ward it off – the fingers were broken and never set properly – so yes, I wouldn’t mind Paul Klee’s frying pan.....
It suddenly felt as late as it should be - we had drifted into bemused silence. I saw the Doc down the stairs, and took him to his door and we said our farewells.
As I walked home I passed a group of homeless people having a cider party by an ATM machine - it looked like some deformed golden calf.
As I rounded the museum I was trying to make the Docs dates fit – you never know with the Doc.
The city slept, and all the ATM machines had the homeless huddled by them. The other day I heard someone say - ' Sorrrrry, they don't give change.' and I was trying to figure if that was clever or stupid.
With Adele - anything was possible. I was playing the Satie last night for her - but it's a long time ago and I'm over the shock. Look at the fingers on my left hand.’
He held it up.
‘ I know they’re bony and old, but look at the last two fingers.’
Sure enough they were quite crooked, I hadn’t noticed before.
He smiled and said.
‘ During that stormy last fortnight of our relationship, and both of us spurred on by too much Calvados, Adele hit me a real belter with that frying pan, she used to hang it up like a painting - and it caught me hard as I put my hand up to ward it off – the fingers were broken and never set properly – so yes, I wouldn’t mind Paul Klee’s frying pan.....
It suddenly felt as late as it should be - we had drifted into bemused silence. I saw the Doc down the stairs, and took him to his door and we said our farewells.
As I walked home I passed a group of homeless people having a cider party by an ATM machine - it looked like some deformed golden calf.
As I rounded the museum I was trying to make the Docs dates fit – you never know with the Doc.
The city slept, and all the ATM machines had the homeless huddled by them. The other day I heard someone say - ' Sorrrrry, they don't give change.' and I was trying to figure if that was clever or stupid.
The Great Beyond
Me: Dr Franklyn’s place was closed this evening,
And he wasn't answering the phone, I know he's in
I can see the light on from my studio and when
I went over to Caroline St and put my ear to his door
I could hear strains of Eric Satie.
Gnossienne number 3 - you can't mistake that insistant
tah tah tah tah, ta ta ta - riff. Satie was one of the things
that brought us into contact. I was just turning to go
when Hanuman, a waiter from the Thai restaurant across
the street, pressed an envelope into my hand saying . . .
‘He’s feeling a little sad, it's an anniversary of
something, but he said to give you this.'
I opened it over a pint of Brains at the Wellington
and read . . .
There is no impossibility of gone.
I once thought otherwise - like you perhaps;
But we know now, as the sun rises,
and still, no word, no trace,
no word anywhere.
The day rises and it falls again,
no word, no trace, no wonder,
but I still laugh looking at Orion.
I turned to speak to a shadow,
and i just can’t get out from under.
All are good intensions.
There is no impossibility of numbers,
we think we can compute them all.
If numbers never end, reality never ends,
sad alas for this universe,
and all the beings from the great beyond.
Me: hmmmm, I hope the old goat is ok
And he wasn't answering the phone, I know he's in
I can see the light on from my studio and when
I went over to Caroline St and put my ear to his door
I could hear strains of Eric Satie.
Gnossienne number 3 - you can't mistake that insistant
tah tah tah tah, ta ta ta - riff. Satie was one of the things
that brought us into contact. I was just turning to go
when Hanuman, a waiter from the Thai restaurant across
the street, pressed an envelope into my hand saying . . .
‘He’s feeling a little sad, it's an anniversary of
something, but he said to give you this.'
I opened it over a pint of Brains at the Wellington
and read . . .
There is no impossibility of gone.
I once thought otherwise - like you perhaps;
But we know now, as the sun rises,
and still, no word, no trace,
no word anywhere.
The day rises and it falls again,
no word, no trace, no wonder,
but I still laugh looking at Orion.
I turned to speak to a shadow,
and i just can’t get out from under.
All are good intensions.
There is no impossibility of numbers,
we think we can compute them all.
If numbers never end, reality never ends,
sad alas for this universe,
and all the beings from the great beyond.
Me: hmmmm, I hope the old goat is ok
Filberts Part 1
Me: I know that you collect brushes you showed them to me - but not just any brushes - they have to be Filberts don't they?
Dr Franklyn: (Laughing) They do indeed - I have about 500 filberts from all over the world - I always order two of a Filbert - one to use and one to keep pristine.
Me: What kind of variation do they have and why did you start collecting them?
Dr Franklyn: Well- all the usual examples of hair and bristle of course, and some very unusual ones, there's an absolute zoo of animals represented, a wonderful range of ferrule shapes and metals, I’ll pick a few cheap seamed ferrules if they have other attractions - and handles of every kind: wood, bone, stone, quill and plastic, all the shapes too, oval, round, triangular, hexagonal, travelling versions, short and long, and some very long handled versions.
I don't collect every size in every series, I usually buy mid to large. I have some of the thinner Cats Tongues and some exquisite Teardrops, the very small Cats Tongues - and a good selection of Egberts too, they are usually longer and thinner - there's quite a complex of variation actually but all could come under the genus 'dome head' - if such a genus existed. The shape is actually named after the shape of the Filbert Nut did you know ?
Me: Yes I remember reading that, but why the collection in the first place?
Dr Franklyn: One of the things that kept me sane during my castaway period - besides shelter building, was painting - or more accurately the making of the things I needed to paint with. I was lucky y'see, food of all sorts and fresh water were relatively plentiful- my hunting and gathering, fire keeping duties etc didn't fill my day.
Dr Franklyn: (Laughing) They do indeed - I have about 500 filberts from all over the world - I always order two of a Filbert - one to use and one to keep pristine.
Me: What kind of variation do they have and why did you start collecting them?
Dr Franklyn: Well- all the usual examples of hair and bristle of course, and some very unusual ones, there's an absolute zoo of animals represented, a wonderful range of ferrule shapes and metals, I’ll pick a few cheap seamed ferrules if they have other attractions - and handles of every kind: wood, bone, stone, quill and plastic, all the shapes too, oval, round, triangular, hexagonal, travelling versions, short and long, and some very long handled versions.
I don't collect every size in every series, I usually buy mid to large. I have some of the thinner Cats Tongues and some exquisite Teardrops, the very small Cats Tongues - and a good selection of Egberts too, they are usually longer and thinner - there's quite a complex of variation actually but all could come under the genus 'dome head' - if such a genus existed. The shape is actually named after the shape of the Filbert Nut did you know ?
Me: Yes I remember reading that, but why the collection in the first place?
Dr Franklyn: One of the things that kept me sane during my castaway period - besides shelter building, was painting - or more accurately the making of the things I needed to paint with. I was lucky y'see, food of all sorts and fresh water were relatively plentiful- my hunting and gathering, fire keeping duties etc didn't fill my day.
Filberts Part 2
I did a lot of experiments with coloured earths, barks and tree resins, turtle eggs and all that kind of stuff, experimental binders - and there seemed to be acres of rock faces that could keep me occupied on murals and suchlike for a long time - so I began making and inventing kit to do it with.
Me: Did you manage to get together a good selection of pigments.
Dr Franklyn: ( Pouring tea) It took a lot of work but I was very pleased- I had four basic colours not including a soot black - a close yellow ochre, a sienna-ish red, and two kinds of green - blue was a problem and I found it depended on how long i wanted to take powdering down certain shells. I wished I'd known more chemistry really - but anyway - I called them my primaries, and after a while I became very sensitised to subtle variations in those tones - like when you begin the art of mixing tertiary colours together - absolutely enthralling.
Me: ( Accepting the tea) Thank you - I call them the colours of Neptune - they can be really spooky when you put them together in the right way. What did you do for a white?
Dr Franklyn: Yes, the Neptunian depths, ( Laughs) I know what you mean - they can shudder quite differently to the big blips of prime or secondary juxtapositions. There is a kind of naturally occurring cement that builds at the foot of some rocky outcrops, a gypsum of some kind I think- and often in sandy areas, I'd seen it used on the Greek Islands as a natural building material for garden walls and a sort of lime washing. Well I found something like it and made a decent chalky white - and that increased my tonal and tinting range considerably.
Me: I presume this involved the making of brushes somewhere along the line.
Me: Did you manage to get together a good selection of pigments.
Dr Franklyn: ( Pouring tea) It took a lot of work but I was very pleased- I had four basic colours not including a soot black - a close yellow ochre, a sienna-ish red, and two kinds of green - blue was a problem and I found it depended on how long i wanted to take powdering down certain shells. I wished I'd known more chemistry really - but anyway - I called them my primaries, and after a while I became very sensitised to subtle variations in those tones - like when you begin the art of mixing tertiary colours together - absolutely enthralling.
Me: ( Accepting the tea) Thank you - I call them the colours of Neptune - they can be really spooky when you put them together in the right way. What did you do for a white?
Dr Franklyn: Yes, the Neptunian depths, ( Laughs) I know what you mean - they can shudder quite differently to the big blips of prime or secondary juxtapositions. There is a kind of naturally occurring cement that builds at the foot of some rocky outcrops, a gypsum of some kind I think- and often in sandy areas, I'd seen it used on the Greek Islands as a natural building material for garden walls and a sort of lime washing. Well I found something like it and made a decent chalky white - and that increased my tonal and tinting range considerably.
Me: I presume this involved the making of brushes somewhere along the line.
Filberts Part 3
Dr Franklyn: It was a journey to say the least - blowing paint through bamboo, and bone tubes, the pounding and chewing of twigs aboriginal style, good brushes - but I made myself ill a few times.
Part of my diet was snaring small squirrel like animals, a kind of rock hopping rat, I looked the species up years later. I began binding hairs and small strips of fur to handles - there always seemed to be plenty of binding wire or nylon rope flotsam to strip down to fibres, for binding brush hairs too - I tried it all - but here's the catch - I could never make a satisfactory flat dome headed brush - the Filbert.
Silly really - but It was what I wanted - isn't always the way. By this time I had been painting many rocks and cliff patches using all kinds of techniques, my kit got quite large - but I found I only needed three different size brushes and two kinds of blowing tube to do it all - and the shape of those brushes had to be Filbert.
Me: (Laughing) I use Filberts for everything just about, y'get great line using the edge and good cover using the flat.
Dr Franklyn: Exactly - and that was the tool I needed - a versatile tool in a couple of sizes - but I could never quite make them as I wanted. For trimming, an extremely sharp tool is difficult to make - I made some good blades from bits of Flotsam - but never anything to give the cleanest cut on a short curve. I put together naturally curving hairs, the proper way of manufacture - into tree resin, very delicate work - but all in all - by perseverance I made a few good specialised Filberts - so you might say I wildly became obsessed by this - to my mind - king of the brush shapes.
Part of my diet was snaring small squirrel like animals, a kind of rock hopping rat, I looked the species up years later. I began binding hairs and small strips of fur to handles - there always seemed to be plenty of binding wire or nylon rope flotsam to strip down to fibres, for binding brush hairs too - I tried it all - but here's the catch - I could never make a satisfactory flat dome headed brush - the Filbert.
Silly really - but It was what I wanted - isn't always the way. By this time I had been painting many rocks and cliff patches using all kinds of techniques, my kit got quite large - but I found I only needed three different size brushes and two kinds of blowing tube to do it all - and the shape of those brushes had to be Filbert.
Me: (Laughing) I use Filberts for everything just about, y'get great line using the edge and good cover using the flat.
Dr Franklyn: Exactly - and that was the tool I needed - a versatile tool in a couple of sizes - but I could never quite make them as I wanted. For trimming, an extremely sharp tool is difficult to make - I made some good blades from bits of Flotsam - but never anything to give the cleanest cut on a short curve. I put together naturally curving hairs, the proper way of manufacture - into tree resin, very delicate work - but all in all - by perseverance I made a few good specialised Filberts - so you might say I wildly became obsessed by this - to my mind - king of the brush shapes.
Filberts part 4
Me: You told me you weren’t interested in being 'saved' for years and made no effort to contact passing ships – so when you eventually made that effort - did you take your painting kit and those brushes with you?
Dr Franklyn: (Laughing) The answer is yes and no – it’s a long story – the boat eventualy took me to Tasmania and I was repatriated from there – but it’s a story I'm not sure I want to tell -hmmm - for some other time perhaps.
Me: Ok, Thanks for the tea and your time.
Dr Franklyn: (Laughing) The answer is yes and no – it’s a long story – the boat eventualy took me to Tasmania and I was repatriated from there – but it’s a story I'm not sure I want to tell -hmmm - for some other time perhaps.
Me: Ok, Thanks for the tea and your time.
Dr Franklyns Amenuensis - Intro
I'm Dai Harding, I live and work in Cardiff - these past few months I moved into a new studio in Mill Lane ( opposite the Marriot Hotel and above the Juboraj Restaurant entrance) - the 'Cafe Quarter' as the Cardiff city fathers would have it. My art website and other information is at www.daiharding.com
Dr Franklyn has an all night practice on Caroline St - just around the corner from me - and can often be found in discourse at the Hayes Island Snackbar. He spent 15 years shipwrecked on an undisclosed island in the Indian Ocean and is happy to drink tea in all weathers. ( I think the island was near the Andamans off the Mergui Archipelago - but he's not saying) I've been unable to find any record of photographs of the good Dr and he won't let me take one - but luckily through a friend at Limoges Bibliothèque Municipale we managed to unearth just this one.
Now he's even more of a mystery to me - the photograph isn't dated but the friend at the Bibliothèque says it was found in documents to do with the American poet E.E.Cummings. I know a fair bit about Alfred Jarry the 'Inventor' of Pataphysics - there's also plenty on the Web about him. Jarry died in 1907 and the college itself was 'inaugurated' in 1948. The main founders being - Marcel Duchamp, Eugene Ionesco, Max Ernst, Jean Dubuffet - and others. The continued existence of the original college is in doubt, but affiliated colleges spring up all over the world. I hope Dr Franklyn will be a little more forthcoming.
Dr Franklyn has an all night practice on Caroline St - just around the corner from me - and can often be found in discourse at the Hayes Island Snackbar. He spent 15 years shipwrecked on an undisclosed island in the Indian Ocean and is happy to drink tea in all weathers. ( I think the island was near the Andamans off the Mergui Archipelago - but he's not saying) I've been unable to find any record of photographs of the good Dr and he won't let me take one - but luckily through a friend at Limoges Bibliothèque Municipale we managed to unearth just this one.
Now he's even more of a mystery to me - the photograph isn't dated but the friend at the Bibliothèque says it was found in documents to do with the American poet E.E.Cummings. I know a fair bit about Alfred Jarry the 'Inventor' of Pataphysics - there's also plenty on the Web about him. Jarry died in 1907 and the college itself was 'inaugurated' in 1948. The main founders being - Marcel Duchamp, Eugene Ionesco, Max Ernst, Jean Dubuffet - and others. The continued existence of the original college is in doubt, but affiliated colleges spring up all over the world. I hope Dr Franklyn will be a little more forthcoming.
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