We die and everything I make is just decorating that fact.
“Dear Arnold,
I have only one worry in the world! It is that my paintings will show downtown and fail there. They will fail because they are non-agressive - they are not even outgoing - in a competitive environment, with big displays of aggressive art work.
With the dark paintings it was not bad because they do have some “force”. I did not get one compliment on that show however!
The competitive environment is made by the huge audience of mostly young (ambitious) painters that are “making” the “scene”.
The “art scene” is really a lot or words put out by journalists. With its changing trends it bears very little relation to ART defined as part of the structure of social human life. I particularly do not want to be on the “art scene”. If you come on with the scene you go off with the scene. I want to stay away from it. It is downtown with these young artists. They are not like the students who do not yet think of “the market”. They are really wild.
I am deeply concerned about this. What I want is so far from the downtown scene. Just a little room, just a few paintings contemplated quietly. Unaggressive paintings* unagressive showing - just the opposite. It worked well in the past.
Hoping you agree with me,
Agnes
ps. *for unaggressive collectors
”
Mac DeMarco // “Ode to Viceroy"
“‘Charlie Rose’ by Samuel Beckett"
advice to the artist's assistant that no one asked for pt. II
Never trust an artist. I worked for one who seemed so full of love. One who seemed really interested in what I was doing and how I was coming along.
They eventually asked me to be a part of a project. I was to be the subject of it, this is when the red flag should have gone up. It was to be a biography of someone finishing up grad school with hopes of having a go of it after school.
Interviews were conducted with what seemed like genuine interest, the book was published. As I finally got to read and go over the published edition, I noticed a printed letter from the artist to her publisher on the back. It was a letter stating that the artist had found her next subject for the series of biographies and here is a part of that letter:
“I met Mitchell last summer when he walked into my studio in New York, looking for a summer job. He was the shyest of my assistants, I couldn’t figure him out in the beginning and I thought this boy to be the most likely to pull out a machine gun and shoot us all.”
Phases and Stages
Side one of this album tells the woman’s side of the story. Beginning with Washing the Dishes, she’s tired of caring for someone who don’t care anymore, and Walkin’ is better than running away and crawling ain’t no good at all. Finally saying to him: Pretend I Never Happened- erase me from your mind; you will not want to remember any love as cold as mine. And then: Sister’s Coming Home, Mama’s gonna let her sleep the whole day long. Then back to the Corner Beer Joint, wearing jeans that fit a little tighter than they did before. The cycle is completed with I’m Falling In Love Again, and if I lose or win, how will I know?
Side Two, the man’s side of the picture, begins with Bloody Mary Morning. It’s been a long night in California and he’s flying home to find there ain’t No Love Around. His story continues with I Still Can’t Believe You’re Gone and It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way. With Heaven and Hell he starts his comeback, regains his sense of humor, and the man’s side of Phases and Stages is completed with Pick Up the Tempo just a little and take it on home, the singer ain’t singin’ and the drummer’s been draggin’ too long. Phases and Stages circles and cycles scenes that we’ve all seen before-listen I’ll tell you some more.
-Conceptual artist Willie Nelson
from the back cover of the album Phases and Stages
Happy New Year everyone. Photo by Samantha Farmer.
“This is very important. Don’t spook the Horse. That is very essential to the success of any ride. The Horse will head for the barn if it is spooked, and the music will continue but not have that magic that the Horse possesses. Any ride on the Horse must not have a destination. History has shown that the best way to spook the Horse is to tell it what to do or where to go or, even worse, how to get there. You must not speak directly to the Horse or ever look the Horse in the eyes until the ride is over and the Horse is secured in the barn. It is okay to talk to the Horse directly, but care must be taken to have respect for the muse when discussing anything with the Horse. The Horse and the muse are very good friends. Disrespect for the muse will piss off the Horse, and possibly vice versa, although there undoubtedly is an equal to the Horse out there somewhere. The Horse knows this well and will not tolerate anyone who is overly complimentary to the point of excluding other friends of the muse in a misguided attempt to gain the Horse’s favor. That is absolutely not the thing to do, as it makes the Horse think, and that has a bad effect generally. The Horse has a voracious appetite. The songs the Horse likes to consume are always heartfelt and do not need to have anything fancy associated with them. The Horse is very suspicious of tricks. Keeping these simple guidelines in place is always a good idea when approaching the Horse for any reason.”
Beacon, New York. August 14th, 2010.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn. August 21, 2010.
Plano, Texas. December 26th, 2010.
coney island - July 24th, 2010.
A facelift disguised as creativity.
If the only interesting thing about your work is the craftsmanship and you didn’t make it yourself…._____________________
geez, I don’t even know, but it sucks. It really effing sucks.
(I’m totally NOT talking about Jeff Koons or other real artists with assistants)
There is an angel who whispers “parasite” over you while you sleep.
Last day of work before Christmas break, Happy Holidays everyone.
Lindsey Buckingham - Holiday Road (1983)