Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Quentin Crisp... How to Have a Life-Style...

a few scans and excerpt from a favourite book and treasured memories...



° Quentin Crisp °
(25 December 1908 – 21 November 1999), born Denis Charles Pratt, was an English writer and raconteur


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... I am not hiding in the shadow of Mr Socrates and merely reiterating that the purpose of education is self-knowledge. This is but 'O' level stuff; at 'A' level, the stylist's level, we must learn self-projection.

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What we need is not massive grants for the visual arts but encouragement to learn singing, dancing and a whole syllabus of self-glorifying techniques. Painting is only a rebus of self-expression. Why not learn expression itself?

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We do not need the perfectly designed chair; we want a capacity for relaxing even on a bed of nails. We ought not to waste time constructing a 'with-it' telephone kiosk; we should rather cultivate such perfect diction that we can communicate against all odds. We shall find we already have a golden city when we have all become divine beings.

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All we need to do is to esteem the freedom to reject as highly as the licence to accept; to reform ourselves instead of other people; to be aware of the quality of our experience instead of its quantity; to live for living's sake - with style...



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" I have always lived my life in the profession of being."


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Austin Osman Spare... Self Portrait....



¥ Austin Osman Spare ¥

'Self as Hitler'









In 1936 an official at the German Embassy in London bought a self-portrait by Spare because it bore a striking resemblance to Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer saw it and agreed and proceeded to invite Spare to Berlin to paint his portrait. Spare refused, replying
"Only from negations can I wholesomely conceive you. For I know of no courage sufficient to stomach your aspirations and ultimates. If you are superman, let me be for ever animal".



















Luis Falero (1851-1896)...Twin Stars, oil on canvas, 1881







Twin Stars 1881