cwilleford.theburntorangeheresy-第8章

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etter　woman　and　a　better　wife　to　me　than　you　are；　right　now！'
　　〃What　a　terrible　thing　to　say！〃
　　〃Isn't　it？　I　sometimes　wonder　what　she　said　to　him　to　provoke　it。　But　the　marriage　didn't　last　long。　Following　a　weekend　skiing　trip　to　New　Hampshire；　Claire　developed　lumbar　pneumonia　and　died。　To　save　Hank　money；　I　advised　him　to　put　Claire's　ashes　in　the　same　expensive　urn　with　his　first　wife。〃
　　〃But　why　。　。　。　？〃
　　〃There　was　ample　room　in　the　urn；　and　why　not？　Did　it　make　any　sense　to　buy　a　second　expensive　urn？　And　if　he　bought　a　cheaper　one；　that　would've　indicated　to　his　friends　that　he　thought　less　of　Claire　than　he　did　of　his　first　wife。　But　my　practical　suggestion　backfired。　Hank　got　so　he　was　staring　at　the　urn　all　the　time　brooding　over　and　about　the　mixed　ashes　of　these　two　women；　and　eventually　he　cracked　up。　And　because　it　was　my　fault；　I　felt　bad　about　it　for　weeks。〃
　　〃That　isn't　a　true　story；　is　it？　Is　it；　James？
　　〃No；　it　isn't　a　true　story。　I　made　it　up　to　please　you；　because；　it　seems；　you're　a　little　old　lady　who　likes　stories。〃
　　〃No；　I'm　not…and　I　don't　like　stories　like　that！〃
　　〃I'm　leading　up　to　Debierue；　and　I　promise　you　that　it's　much　more　interesting　than　the　story　of　Dr。　Goldhagen's　two　wives。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry　I　interrupted；　James。　May　I　pour　you　another　cup　of　coffee？〃
　　〃Please。　Let　me　tell　you　first　about　the　Scatologieschul　that　was　formed　by　Willy　Büttner　in　Berlin；　during　the　post…war　years　of　German　political　art。　The　Scatologieschul　probably　holds　the　European　record　for　short…livedness。　It　opened　and　closed　in　eight　minutes　flat。　Herr　Büttner　and　his　three　defiant　fellow　exhibitors；　together　with　their　cretin　model…　who　denied　her　obvious　presence　in　every　painting…were　carted　off　to　jail。　The　paintings　were　confiscated；　never　to　be　seen　by　the　public　again。　According　to　rumor；　these　ostensibly　pornographic　paintings　wound　up　in　General　Goering's　private　collection。　They're　now　believed　to　be　in　Russia；　but　no　one　really　knows。　I　couldn't　find　a　single　eyewitness　who　had　seen　the　pictures；　although　a　lot　of　people　knew　about　the　exhibit。　This　was　another　frustrating　experience　for　me　in　Europe。
　　〃By　the　early　sixties　the　trail　was　too　cold　for　valid；　documentary　evidence。　I　was　too　late。　The　European　Depression　and　World　War　Two　had　destroyed　the　evidence。　I　still　feel　that　the　critical　neglect　of　these　so…called　minor　movements　may　prove　to　be　an　incalculable　loss　to　art　history。　Then；　as　now；　critics　only　choose　a　very　small　number　of　painters　to　be　the　representatives　of　their　times。　And　we　only　remember　the　names　of　those　who　e　in　first。　Any　sports　writer　can　recall　that　Jesse　Owens　was　the　fastest　runner　in　the　1936　Olympics；　but　he　won't　remember　the　names　of　the　second　and　third　place　runners　who　were　only　split　seconds　behind　him。
　　〃Therefore；　it's　almost　miraculous　that　Jacques　Debierue　was　noticed　at　all。　When　you　think　about　the　peculiar　mixture　of　hope　and　disillusionment　of　the　twenties；　he　seems　to　be　the　most　unlikely　candidate　of　all　the　artists　of　the　time　to　be　singled　out　for　fame。　And　he　was　studiedly　indifferent　to　the　press。
　　〃One　painter；　a　true　archetype；　can　hardly　be　said　to　constitute　a　movement；　but　Debierue　rose　above　the　Parisian　art　world　like　an　extended　middle　finger。　Paris　critics　found　it　embarrassing　to　admit　that　none　of　them　knew　the　exact　date　his　one…man　show　opened。　The　known　details　of　the　discovery　of　Debierue；　and　the　impact　of　his　influence　on　other　painters；　has　been　examined　at　some　length　by　August　Hauptmann　in　his　monograph　entitled　Debienue。　This　isn't　a　long　book；　not　for　the　work　of　a　German　scholar；　but　it's　a　well…documented　study　of　Debierue's　original　achievement。
　　〃There　isn't　any　mass　of　published　work　on　Debierue；　as　there　is　on　Pablo　Picasso；　but　Debierue's　name　crops　up　all　the　time　in　the　biographies　and　autobiographies　of　other　famous　modern　painters…usually　in　strange　circumstances。　The　frequent　mention　of　his　name　isn't　surprising。　Before　Debierue　was　in　the　art　world；　he　was　of　it。　Because　he　framed　their　paintings；　he　knew　personally；　and　well；　most　of　the　other　firsts　of　the　war　and　postwar　years。〃
　　〃He　was　a　picture　framer？〃
　　〃At　first；　yes。　Miró；　De　Chiico；　Man　Ray；　Pierre　Roy；　and　many　other　painters　found　it　expedient　to　visit　him　in　his　tiny　framing　shop。　He　gave　them　credit；　and　until　they　started　to　make　money　with　their　work；　they　sorely　needed　credit。　Debierue's　name　is　brought　up　in　the　studies　published　on　every　important　postwar　development　because　he　was　there…and　because　he　knew　all　the　artists　involved。　But　his　only　monality　with　other　innovators　is　the　fact　that　he　was　a　first　in　his　own　right　as　the　acknowledged　father　of　Nihilistic　Surrealism。　Debierue；　by　the　way；　didn't　coin　this　term　for　his　work。
　　〃The　Swiss　essayist　and　art　critic；　Franz　Moricand；　was　the　first　writer　to　use　this　term　with　reference　to　Debierue's　art。　And　the　label；　once　attached；　stuck。　The　term　appeared　originally　in　Moricand's　essay；　〃Stellt　er　nur？〃　in　Mercure　de　France。　The　article　wasn't　penetrating；　but　other　critics　were　quick　to　snatch　the　term　'Nihilistic　Surrealism'　from　the　essay。　An　apt　and　descriptive　bridge　was　needed；　you　see；　to　provide　a　clear　dividing　line　between　Dada　and　Surrealism。　Both　groups　have　attempted　at　various　times　to　claim　Debierue；　but　he　was　never　in　either　camp。　Dada　and　Surrealism　both　have　strong　philosophical　underpinnings；　but　no　one　knows　what　Debierue's　leanings　are。
　　〃Chance　is　an　important　factor　in　the　discovery　and　recognition　of　every　artist；　but　what　many　modern　critics　fail　to　accept　is　that　Debierue's　many　artist…friends　paid　off　by　sending　people　to　see　Debierue's　one…man　show。　In　his　Montmartre　hole…in…the…wall　framing　workshop　he　had　mounted　many　paintings　at　cost；　and　others　absolutely　free；　for　poor　young　painters　whose　work　sold　a　few　months　later　for　high　prices。　Those　'crazy　boatloads'　of　Americans；　as　Fitzgerald　called　them；　ing　to　France　during　the　boom　period；　always　carried　more　than　fifty　dollars　in　cash　on　their　person。　They　bought　a　lot　of　paintings；　and　the　selling　painters　didn't　forget　their　obligations　to　Debierue。
　　〃Despite　Hauptmann's　book；　an　aura　of　mystery　about　Debierue's　first　and　only　one…man　show　remains。　No　invitations　were　issued；　and　there　were　no　posters　or　newspaper　ads。　He　didn't　even　mention　the　show　to　his　friends。　One　day；　and　the　exact　date　is　still　unknown；　a　small；　handlettered　card　appeared　in　the　display　case　behind　the　street　window　of　his　framing　shop。　'Jacques　Debierue。　No。　One。　Shown　by　request　only：　It　was　spelled　Capital　N…o…period。　Capital　O…n…e。〃
　　〃Why　didn't　he　use　the　French　Nombre　une？〃
　　〃That's　a　good　point；　Berenice。　But　no　one　really　knows。　The　fact　that　he　used　the　English　No。　One　instead　of　Nombre　une　may　or　may　not've　influenced　Samuel　Beckett　to　write　in　French　instead　of　English；　as　the　literary　critic　Leon　Mindlin　has　claimed。　But　everyone　concerned　agrees　that　it　was　an　astute　move　on　Debierue's　part　when　American　tourists；　with　their　limited　French；　began　to　arrive　on　the　Paris　scene。　Using　a　number　as　a　title　for　his　picture；　incidentally；　was　another　first　in　art　that　has　been　indisputably　credited　to　Debierue。　Rothko；　who　uses　numbers　exclusively　for　his　paintings；　has　admitted　privately；　if　not　in　writing；　his　indebtedness　to　Debierue。　The　point's　important　because　several　art　historians　falsely　attribute　the　numbering　of　paintings　as　a　first　for　Rothko。　Debierue　hasn't　said　anything；　one　way　or　another；　about　the　matter。　He's　never　mented　on　his　picture；　either。
　　〃This　much　is　certain。　No。　One　postdated　Dada　and　predated　Surrealism；　thereby　providing　a　one…man　bridge　between　the　two　major　art　movements　of　this　century。　And　Debierue's　Nihilistic　Surrealism　may；　in　time；　turn　out　to　be　the　most　important　movement　of　the　three。　In　retrospect；　it's　easy　enough　for　us　to　see　how　Debierue　captured　the　hearts　and　minds　of　the　remaining　Dadaists　who　were　gradually；　one　by　one；　dropping　out　of　Dada　and　losing　their　hard…earned　recognition　to　the　burgeoning　Surrealists。　And　you　can　also　realize；　now；　why　the　Surrealists　were　so　anxious　to　claim　Debierue。　But　Debierue　stood　alone。　He　neither　admitted　nor　denied　membership　in　either　movement。　His　work　spoke　for　him；　as　a　work　of　art　is　supposed　to　do。
　　〃No。　One　was　exhibited　in　a　small　and　otherwise　empty　room…once　a　maid's　bedroom…one　short　flight　of　stairs　above　Debierue's　downstairs　workshop。　An　environment　had　been　created　deliberately　for　the　picture。　The　visitor　who　requested　to　see　it…no　fee　was　asked…was　escorted　upstairs　by　the　artist　himself　and　left　alone　with　the　picture。
　　〃At　first；　as　the　viewer's　eyes　became　adjusted　to　the　murky　natural　light　ing　into　the　room　from　a　single　dirty　window　high　on　the　opposite　wall；　all　he　could　see　was　what　appeared　to　be　an　ornate　frame；　without　a　picture　in　it；　hanging　on　the　wall。　A　closer　inspection；　with　the　aid　of　a　match　or　cigarette　lighter；　revealed　that　the　gilded　frame　with　baroque　scrollwork　enclosed　a　fissure　or　crack　in　the　gray　plaster　wall。　The　exposed　wire；　and　the　nail　which　had　been　driven　into　the　wall　to　hold　both　the　wire　and　the　frame；　were　also　visible。　Within　the　frame；　the　wire；　peaking　to　about　twenty　degrees　at　the　apex…at　the　nail…　resembled；　if　the　viewer　stood　well　back　from　the　picture；　a　distant　mountain　range。〃
　　Berenice　sighed。　〃I　don't　understand　it。　The　whole　thing　doesn't　make　any　sense　to　me。〃
　　〃Exactly！　No　sense；　but　not　nonsense。　This　was　an　irrational　work　in　a　rational　setting。　Debierue's　Nihilistic　Surrealism；　like　Dada　and　Surrealism；　is　irrational。　That's　the　entire　point　of　Dada；　and　of　most　of　the　other　postwar　art　movements。　Distortion；　irrationality；　and　the　unlikely　juxtaposition　of　objects。〃
　　〃What　did　the　reviewers　say　about　it？〃
　　〃What　the　reviewers　said　in　the　newspapers　isn't　important；　Berenice。　There's　a　distinction　between　a　reviewer　and　a　critic；　as　you　should　know。　The　reviewer　deals　with　art　as　a　modity。　He's　got　three　or　four　shows　a　week　to　cover；　and　his　treatment　of　them　is　superficial；　at　best。　But　the　critic　is　interested　in　aesthetics；　and　in　placing　the　work　of　art　in　the　scheme　of　things…or　even　as　a　pattern　of　behavior。〃
　　〃All　right；　then。　What　did　the　critics　say　about　No。　One？〃
　　〃A　great　many　things。　But　criticism　begins　with　the　structure；　and　often　ends　there；　especially　for　those　critics　who　believe　that　every　work　of　art　is　autotelic。　Autotelic。　That　means…〃
　　〃I　know　what　autotelic　means。　I　studied　literary　criticism　in　college；　and　l've　got　a　degree　in　English。〃
　　〃Okay。　What　does　it　mean？〃
　　〃It　means　that　a　work　of　art　is　plete　in　itself。〃
　　〃Right！　And　what　else　does　it　mean；　or　imply？〃
　　〃Just　that。　That　the　poem；　or　whatever；　should　be　considered　by　itself；　without　reference　to　anything　else。〃
　　〃That's　right；　but　there's　more。　It　means　that　the　artist　himself　should　not　be　brought　into　the　criticism　of　the　work　being　considered。　And　although　I'm　a　structuralist；　I　don't　think　that　any　work…poem；　painting；　novel…is　autotelic。　The　personality　of　the　artist　is　present　in　every　work　of　art；　and　the　critic　has　to　dig　it　out　as　well　as　explicating