No - it was one of those a bit too suspiciously cinematic moments: Pollock is crouching by his canvas and (unawares) lets paint drip from the brush. Then he looks at the little squiggle on the floorboards and 'bang!' an artistic breakthrough is born.
I haven't read the book Ed Harris derives his film from - maybe it really was such a revelatory moment.
Anyway, judging by the film version of Pollock he seems to have been a right bastard to live with. Lee Krasner put up with a lot.
I'm a big fan of Schnabel's 'Basquiat' whereas 'Pollock' left me cold. It's a bit to do with the story but also the very film-making. Schnabel seems to understand images and how you can use a camera.
re. Atkins - I really like this book. And it suggests all sorts of ways of transforming what is (usually) a rather dry scholarly exercise. Not sure about the smugness. According to the Chicago Review article, he began the series at a particularly miserable period in his life. The poems had to be fun & improvistory to cheer himself up. (I used to find lot of the Parataxis-CCCP-Cambridge-Prynne school poets & poems decidedly smug. It is a danger!). But I think for me, Atkins seems more London-Poet's Forum-Miles Champion-looking to New York. However, I may be wrong. What does your friend say?
Halt in Blog posting largely due to weather & school report writing. Should resume soon.
We'll let Mr Atkins off then, I think. I thought that poem was great, but just felt uncomfortable about the pay-off about Prynne and the SoQ . . . and beards. Nothing wrong with a beard. Artaud once attacked "bearded critics" -- we must decide who has the beard -- the critic or the poet? The poet, I think.
My friend thinks Atkins is a fine tutor -- has opened his mind to experimental poetry, uses B. Mayer's jumpstart lists, etc.
I liked Basquiat too -- but that Pollock film sounds awful... Whatever next? Beckett experiencing a moment of revelation on a pier (as in Krapp’s Last Tape), when we all know it actually happened in his mother’s room?
3 comments:
I'm not sure what you mean... Do you mean, 'Did he walk all over his canvasses?'
Yrs in ignorance,
W.
PS Liked the Atkins -- tho wondered if it might, in the end, be a little smug about not being School of Quietude?
No - it was one of those a bit too suspiciously cinematic moments: Pollock is crouching by his canvas and (unawares) lets paint drip from the brush. Then he looks at the little squiggle on the floorboards and 'bang!' an artistic breakthrough is born.
I haven't read the book Ed Harris derives his film from - maybe it really was such a revelatory moment.
Anyway, judging by the film version of Pollock he seems to have been a right bastard to live with. Lee Krasner put up with a lot.
I'm a big fan of Schnabel's 'Basquiat' whereas 'Pollock' left me cold. It's a bit to do with the story but also the very film-making. Schnabel seems to understand images and how you can use a camera.
re. Atkins - I really like this book. And it suggests all sorts of ways of transforming what is (usually) a rather dry scholarly exercise. Not sure about the smugness. According to the Chicago Review article, he began the series at a particularly miserable period in his life. The poems had to be fun & improvistory to cheer himself up. (I used to find lot of the Parataxis-CCCP-Cambridge-Prynne school poets & poems decidedly smug. It is a danger!). But I think for me, Atkins seems more London-Poet's Forum-Miles Champion-looking to New York. However, I may be wrong. What does your friend say?
Halt in Blog posting largely due to weather & school report writing. Should resume soon.
Cheers
The C.
We'll let Mr Atkins off then, I think. I thought that poem was great, but just felt uncomfortable about the pay-off about Prynne and the SoQ . . . and beards. Nothing wrong with a beard. Artaud once attacked "bearded critics" -- we must decide who has the beard -- the critic or the poet? The poet, I think.
My friend thinks Atkins is a fine tutor -- has opened his mind to experimental poetry, uses B. Mayer's jumpstart lists, etc.
I liked Basquiat too -- but that Pollock film sounds awful... Whatever next? Beckett experiencing a moment of revelation on a pier (as in Krapp’s Last Tape), when we all know it actually happened in his mother’s room?
Walrus
Post a Comment