THEARTIST IN RESIDENCE 8

 IN THE FOUR SEASONS CAFE WITH ARKLE AND ARKLE'S JOCKEY

Lew, Jay Gatsby, Andy, Flash, Nog and Miffy,.

it is 1968 still..

all the gang are seated on either side of one of the long red banquettes,

Painty has his sketch pad and colour sticks..

he likes to carry these around..

just in case..

he has found a cigarette lighter..

in the street..

a nice Ronson gas Varaflame Comet..

he can press this and light peoples cigarettes..

yes people could smoke in cafes than..

he does not smoke himself..

he just has the lighter..

cool huh?

as an ice breaker..

it works a treat and soon he has many friends and..

an Identity..

he's the lighter guy..

you know the arty dude..

always carries a sketch pad..

PROPS DEPARTMENT

everyone needs a prop..

or a crutch as Dali says..

soon all will get noticed..

Andy says 15 minutes..

more like..

a New York minute..

anyway off with the trousers..

and on with the dress..

MEANWHILE BACK IN 1968

Mark Rothko has not denied this four seasons his murals..

he is still alive and smoking in his studio..

 in New York..

he stares at his great works and wishes..

the artist in residence..

could be there with him..

to light up his cigarettes..

no more dead matchsticks filling the ashtray..

littering the floor..

MEANWHILE

back at the local four..

Lew has brought along a poetry book..

with Lawrence Ferlinghetti..

and sometime during eternity..

some guys show up..

YOU NEVER KNOW YOUR LUCK

anything can happen..

anyone may come..

and hang out here..

guys come in from the local prison..

just out and needing caffein..

everyone is equal..

all are welcome..

careful who you go home with..

LATER DOWN AT THE BRIT

the club scene is really good here in palookaville..

you can see the Ronettes..

Clyde Mc Phatter..

Taste..

some guy is giving the evil eye..

at painty and Flash..

he wants to beat them up..

he is about to throw a punch when he sees Graham..

go over and have a laugh with them..

The big lug gives them both a smile later..

"I didn't know you were friends of Grahams"..

all is good and..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

is still in one piece..

he will live to draw again..

so we beat on..

boats against the current..

P.S.

Arkle was the nick name of a girl..

a face about town..

 Jocky was her friend..

 always in tow..

in palookaville..

everything's a scream.. 

innit..

THE LOST SUPPER

 yo!.. just sayin.. innit!

I was going to paint over this..

I thought..

what a f*ckin miserable image..

who wants ta create misery..

well..

sometimes misery just appears..

you don't set out to paint miserable paintings..

who would want them..

who would want to sit in a gallery and look upon them..

and it started me thinking..

a rare event in itself..

WHAT IF THAT CHAPEL IS NOT A CHAPEL BUT A TOMB

my pal mark..

is one of my greatest influences..

I listen to what he has said..

and I believe and respect him..

but anyway..

just sayin..

those seagram murals..

great art..

really great art..

but did he really think that people could..

dine in peace..

celebrate their good lives..

raise a glass and say cheers..

while looking at those paintings..

IT'S A GREAT STORY

how the great artist..

could not stomach..

having the rich and powerful and famous..

look upon his work whilst spending more than five dollars..

on lunch..

BUT WHAT IF 

and we need a little imagination here..

his guy paying the bill..

says to mark..

on the qt of course..

mark my old meat an tatey..

love the stuff man..

love it..

but it's going to give the diners indigestion..

so no..

do us all a favour..

and let us out of this deal..

just give back the dosh..

and we'll pretend that you thought they were too good for us..

and mark god bless him..

is cool with that..

because he has become attached to these profound works of art..

they are his best stuff..

his most potent images..

heavy innit..

f*ck em..

he may have thought..

I will give em away to..

the great museums..

so alla plebs can see em..

whilst sittin in the those rothko rooms..

eating they sammos fo lunch..

AN IMAGINARY SCENARIO

obviously..

but think on and look again at those paintings..

and ask yourself..

do they celebrate life..

are they life affirming..

 am I sitting in a chapel..

or am I sitting.. 

in a tomb..

figuresinasouk.com

STUDIO INTERNATIONAL

yo!.. painting is dead.. innit!

I read in 1969..

in a magazine called..

studio international..

that painting was dead..

it was a set back..

for sure..

I was 17..

and painting was what I was doing..

at the latest John Moores painting prize..

there had been a lot of blank canvases..

it was disappointing..

because I love to see paintings..

I like to look close up..

to see the marks..

the surface of the canvas..

I love the colours..

I really do enjoy looking at paintings..

In our local gallery of contemporary art..

there are very rarely any paintings shown..

the folks there prefer to show 'art'

international contemporary art..

it's a thing..

somewhere along the way..

all these clever folks..

have hijacked art for themselves..

and their friends..

and now they call all the shots..

so to go see paintings..

it's not so easy these days..

it's a good thing that  painting is dead..

because damian hirst said that..

death is the greatest idea in art..

death is the big idea..

and Damien thinks big..

the bigger the better..

me..

I'll just keep on painting..

It's what I do..

A lot of my favourite painters..

are dead also..

I still speak with them..

it's what we do when we paint..

painting is a dialogue..

If you see me talking with mark here..

you are here with us..

 in the souk..

www.figuresinasouk.com