Replying to LO24719 --
4th June MM
>>Of all the planets and moons in our solar system, only one has
>>an ocean and tears. It is a "singularity in complexity" which I
>>wish even cosmologists would take notice of despite their
>>calculations of how many stars there are in the universe.
>I HAVE (italicized) named and credited the one author for fear
>of public censure from the publisher or author or my peers alike.
>>I will respond to this below.
>Remember? If you have little children please kiss them on the
>~~~~~forehead~~~~~~ for us who having none, have NOTHING
>>Last night I brought shame on my family. I began to drink brandy
>>until I was sick. I did not know how to respond to this diamond
>>"crying" while "resting". I did manage to carry our sleeping Jessica
>>to their flat.
>>The "kiss on the forehead" is something most precious, given by
>>one artist to another only when the miracle of art comes to light.
>>Please, let us never ever make it cheap in a world making everything
>>banal so as to sell it. I fear to kiss you on the forehead because
>>others may then think I am your peer. Artists never have peers
>>because of the "singularity in complexity".
>>I will have to write on this "singularity in complexity" before I take
>>heed to wisdom of the Damara concerning asses.
>>Dear Andrew, because authentic love is a one-to-many-mapping,
>>nothing remains NOTHING.
Dear At,
I was in the garden yesterday, there is a little bush like plant that is
formed like a dome, what, about half a meter in diameter, covered in tiny
pink flowers. I got down close to watch two bees sucking up the nectar,
then I noticed a tiny butterfly, with a wingspan precisely no larger than
the length of the discontinuous cursor as I type. I had never ever seen
these species before. Then more appeared from inside the bush until for a
while it seemed the bush was just giving birth to the tiny butterflies.
The as I watched the butterflies I saw tiny black insects, like flying
ants but less complex in shape/form. These too just went about the
business of gathering the fruits of the nectar. I watched until I almost
felt dizzy. Hmmm.
I have beside me Vincent van Gogh. Funny thing human authenticity isn't
it. If we brought him back to life, this life and we invited him to sit
and speak and listen with us for a day, like they do with Peter Senge, I
wonder how many would attend. I think that if we made the travelling easy
enough for the 'virtual delegates' most would not pass over the
opportunity to meet that man. Yet, if we reversed time so that we were
listening to him speak in some provincial wine bar we would very probably
walk right out the room and as far away as possible. Would we stay around
him long enough?
How many people for example on this list know that Vincent wrote a book
equal in length to Senge's 'The Fifth Discipline'. How many people know
that he was a prolific writer of letters to anyone who would reply and
those who did not? Hmmm. How many people who did not will write to me and
say, 'Hey Andrew, you really are some kind of 'plonker' on this LO list
and I don't believe a word you say, but I'd sure like to read van Gogh's
book, please forward me the details'. But they will not At. And we know
this. Though we will I'm sure happily be contradicted;-).
How beautiful your story of your meeting with the 'bottom' of the brandy
bottle. How beautiful will be the stories that emerge. Tell me At if you
care to, how did it feel in the 'after-glow' compared to acting as an
eternal if infrequent "butt post" for the seminal growth of our fellow
humans?
What follows is especially for you and Alicia. But we will want to map it
one to may mode, 'openly', so I will not bother to send or write twice but
will send both/and.
Those not inclined to learn from 'mad', 'schizoid', 'resting', 'artists',
'fumblers', 'long letter writers', 'rich picture makers', 'occasional
slippers', 'prophets newly returned painfully, shamefully, toothless from
the dentist', or 'pitiable lunatics with trembling nerves, hands, visions
and hearts' look away..¦..NOW..
For those still here..¦
Death's Head Moth on an Arum
1889 oil, 33 x 24 cms (13 x 9 inches)
National Museum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam.
[Host's Note: I tried to find this painting on the web, but no success.
Rick]
Van Gogh's closely observed drawings of insects reflects his devotion to
wildlife, as well as his familiarity with the teeming pages of Yoshimaro's
A New Book of Insects. In his painting these creature enhanced he enhanced
his imaginative colour compositions, like the swarm of big blue flies,
emerald rose beetles and cicadas' (letter 614a)
Encircling the olive orchards, which he saw as one blue haze continuous
with the flowering trees and sky. Butterflies likewise contributed
picturesque flashes of contrasting colour and his depiction of what was
probably an Emperor, not a Death's Head Hawk Moth, in unusually graphic in
detail. Catching sight of it in the asylum garden at Saint Remy, van Gogh
was clearly bewitched by its lavish markings, which he matched with the
vigorous drawing of the arum plants: " yesterday I drew a very big, rather
rare night moth, called the death's head, its colouring of amazing
distinction, black, grey, cloudy white tinged with carmine or vaguely
shading off into olive green; it is very big. I had to kill it to paint
it, and it was a pity, the beastie was so beautiful. I will send you the
drawing along with some of the other drawings of plants." (Letter 592,
25th May 1889)
One of these drawings,..¦
'Blossoming Branches'
1890, Pencil, reed pen and brown ink, (16 x 12 inches)
National Museum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam
- is probably from the same arum patch was done with reedpen, which
Vincent now handled deftly and inventively.
It is typical of his unpretentious rendering of plants and wild flowers
placed simply on a white page. It was one of the independent drawings done
in the north of France in Auvers, in the last months of his life,
June/July 1890.
" L'art c'est l'homme a joute la nature. (Italicized) - Nature, reality,
truth, but with a significance, a conception. A character, which the
artist brings out in it, and to which he gives expression, qu'il degage,
(Italicized) which he disentangles, sets free and interprets." Vincent van
Gogh.
At and many others here, you have been kissing my cheek and those of
others if not foreheads then like the morning sun, which is your uncommon
gift here so to speak; for a long time. Elsewise why stay and expend so
much relative time and energy? I furiously avoid my brushes, colours and
canvases that wait all around me because for the moment I share a feeling
with you and others even more;-) silent than you choose to be ;-) about
matters they too care of, and expressed by the mad Dutchman ;-) " I don't
know how it is with you, but as for myself, the more I work in it, the
more I get absorbed in - life.' (Letter 416, July 1885)
I find both you and the whole 'absorbing' in the best possible ways.
I like the synchronicity.
All around.
At, if we only ever go to the 'rich picture gallery' for a 'quick-fix' is
it really any wonder we get a 'headache'?
I will consult the bee and the butterfly.
Best,
Andrew
[Host's Note: Sorry to be slow in distributing this one. I had hoped to
find the paintings on the web. ..Rick]
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