My Red Lion Bookshop Basement BookArt Exhibition 2014.

In order to bring someting new to this 2^nd show after completing the Masters i Am re-working my prose-poem into ‘six mystics’ songs’, making the complex words & ideas more rhythmic & singalong with sense & meaningfulness. I never writ no song before altho I have extemporised words and sung ‘em in my head. I’ve listened to thousands of songs thousands of times, mostly pop, Philip Glass is my favourite classical then maybe Tavener and Colin Lloyd Tucker is my favourite songster. These words are not like many songs, they’re impossible to sing and some even rhyme, Really weird for me!

I am using the same work, in a new setting with new bits like the hooks that hang the banners, which are someting to behold.

look at the hook!

Like so many of my shows the best part is never seen by most of the visitors who go round the standing exhibitions, in my case that’s usually only what is left after the (more important) launch. In this case a recitation at 3pm on Feb 8^th. The ‘appearance’ (of the artist and friends) at my shows in Exeter, Burnley, Brentwood, Colchester Millennium and Masters and in Great Totham is usually a vital part of the whole kerbang. For this show I may do several appearances wherein I shall at least ‘recite’ the ‘songs’ and sign the books each Saturday if P. & S. allow me to. I think it’ll be fun to read the songs. Altho am still werking on the werds am ver pleased so far. I have taken the original prose-poem, which face it is very difficult for the reader mostly cos I condensed massive tracts down into a few words. The process to alter those werds has bin fascinating and shows what can be done by someone trying like watti am.

I often have werds images and movement in my shows, sometimes I use famous tunes and other times I’ve commissioned real musicians to create noises telling stories setting scenes and to dance to. Whilst wondering whether to use song in this show I went to the ‘Beyond El Dorado’ show at British Museum. I adore the catalogue as I feel such affinity to the pre-Columbian works. I saw faces with mouths wide open apparently in song. Singing & music was a vital to un-Europised (eyesed)  peoples, compare to Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Asia Minor. Gurdjeff recorded much music & dance fast becoming lost in his day. Zumba is popular right now (believe me) but it doesn’t hold a candle to Gurdjeff’s dances. I have been able to re-approach my prosepoem words after a period of gestation, now I just jest with them and without changing (much) the meaning of the words, in fact adding to in some cases, I have made them so much more accessible and funny in some cases.

I recall my revered art teacher from the 60’s, David Wild, a BIG man with a big beard reminiscent of Walt Whitman, a wonderful artist who used to sing quite elaborate song which, being into Led Zep, stones Doors string bands velvet undergrounds and bad mothers of inventions, I ignored.

Now 55 yearns after I realise what he were doing. A natural creative (you can see his drawings in Alan Aldridge’s beautiful compilation work of the Beatles Illustrated lyrics) spirit with a very big heart and he probably couldn’t stop himself, singing came naturally as it did with Blake & Whitman.

Whitman as Apulhedman

I never saw Whitman singing in the river nor Blake in the streets and parks of London but I can see Whitman in Wild now. Everyting we do is recorded (somewhere) in Time. Why worry if some jerk is watching you from a hidden camera. I hope they see me sing my song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cuWU_QGcV8

I finished setting out the exhibition on Saturday and it looks good.

pot wid 2 scrolls,

you will have to visit the show to see the rest

A woman happened by on Friday, said she had felt a call to come and see. She told me her name and I said hey you are in one of my poems and we engaged conversation. She was fascinating and fascinated by the work, so much so she even bought someting. Told me her daughter had refused an internship offered by Banian Burst. Told me about a female mystic, Tess of Avila-ville,  who wrote ‘The Interior Castle’ pre-figuring Carl Gustav Jung.

I never sold a work prior to a show before, not often during nor even afterwards. So, a good start. And if it’s all that sells, so what? It’s a small triumph. And shop assistant Becki overheard our conversation mention Gurdjeff and she brought over an image of a painting her partner did of G., it is wonderful. Synchronicity Sings a Song fer me!.

and this is wonderful send off for an old man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjzLxJLC5DM