A LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ An Essay

Written and posted ~ 3rd. March, 1999 – Re-posted ~ 3rd. January, 2020 as part of an Edenebray retrospective

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A  LETTER  TO  THE  EDITOR

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Who was the guy who sat in front of

his canvas for three days and on

the third day, took a knife and

ripped the canvas saying,

‘I cannot paint’ …’ ?         

Of course today, we’re taught to

understand the other guy’s point of

view. It’s not cool to be reactionary

but did he not miss the point as he

sat waiting for inspiration with

his brush-in-hand?

Was not the point, that for three days

~ the effort, the wait was worthwhile.

So why, on the third day did he take

the knife?

Why not the fourth, or the fifth

or the seventy fifth?

~ He was not a professional.

A professional never gives up,

A professional never gives in

and they hung his poor, torn canvas

as an exhibit ~ a work of art ~

This was not art, it was destruction ~

this said life is meaningless,

there is no point ~ nihilism.

God is dead!

If he had waited beyond the third day

God would have come.

If he was earnest, a professional!

~ Maybe if he had considered that

it took Jesus 3 days to get to Lazarus

~ 3 days for the Son of God to resurrect!

~ he didn’t wait!

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writtenbyedenbray03.03.99

edited&re-posted13.01.2020

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Spatial Concept ~ ‘Waiting’ – 1960

…  By slashing the centre of his canvases, Fontana allowed three–dimensional space to intrude into an otherwise two–dimensional surface. Fontana first introduced perforations within his works in 1949 and referred to these as “spatial concepts.” He then began slashing his canvases in the early 1950s and added the term “Expectations” to the title. While these works immediately conjure acts of violence and iconoclasm, Fontana claimed “I have constructed, not destroyed.”

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Authors Comment – Conversely and perhaps a little surprisingly I have much more empathy with and sympathy for Lucio Fontana’s work than this ‘essay’ might suggest.

These ‘essays’ that I write are not really essays at all, much more like poetry or poetic pieces. My poems are not really poems, they are like essays. They reflect a view, hopefully they pose questions? The lines are blurred. All classifications are misleading anyway. Was Fontana an artist? Was Fontana a painter? Was he a nihilist? Was he a christian?

I have enormous respect for anyone who can find fame and fortune with their ‘art’ or even earn a living, crust of bread.

Fontana was born in Argentina in 1899 and died in 1968. He was my age when he died! These works have earned there own classification – ‘Spatialism’ – Bravo!

edenbraytoday

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#PROG-PROSE ~ Progressive Poetry – part of an #Edenbray retrospective – Re-posted today for a new generation!