Street Gallery, Sunday 17th december 2006
I have thought a lot, about which kind of things concerning my life on this earth may interest you. I came to the conclusion that I should mainly tell you about my life as a painter, which of course has become so important to me.
If you become addicted to Goodaboom -.and naturally, we expect it! -, you will see that I exhibit every Sunday on a pedestrian street in Albir. Of course only if „el tiempo no lo impide“, if the weather doesn´t impede it, as it´s been written for generations on the famous posters announcing the bullfights.
Many interesting things happen there, when I am “working the street“.
Last Sunday for example... I had a prominent visitor! Well, I had no idea that he was such a celebrity, but a man who accompanied him told me that he was a famous painter. The famous guy in fact handed me a publicity postcard of his website
As the 3 men in coats arrived, I was not present. I had to escape to my niece´s flat to satisfy a call of nature, as my usual street toilet was on that day out of commission: the door had disappeared, and it is was full of caca and the remnants of technicolor yawns! This, by the way, is one of the inconveniences of this avant garde gallery: the toilet is on the beach and principally used at night by the local heavy drinkers... Please take a moment to pity me!
Anyway,... I had left Kevin by the exhibition with instructions to sell as many paintings as possible. As I came back I found him in deep conversation with a man. From a distance I saw that the man was holding something in his hands, and looking at it with great interest. I thought it was one of my small paintings and Kevin had indeed achieved a sale. But as I came nearer I saw that he was looking at one of our „Brush with Poetry „ CDs“(by the way, have a look into this page...!).
„Hello!“
I said, without paying more attention to them. I am not really a social type, and I prefer to let Kevin entertain our visitors, he masters that task fantastically, and anyway, he is my agent now!
But soon the guy lost his interest in the CD and came to me.
„Are you the painter?“
„Yes...“
„You painted all these paintings?“
I am used to this question, so I have a ready made answer which normally invokes great admiration. I said:
„Yes!!!!“
But this time nothing of the kind happened. The man looked at me intensely, insistently, as if he wanted to tell me something vital without using words. I held his stare, trying to look comprehending, but in fact without any idea as to what the silence meant.
„But there are almost 50 paintings?“
He framed this as a question. I thought, what a strange thing to say, when I am supposed to have been a painter for many years....
„Well, much more I guess! But it is normal, isn´t it? I am a painter!“
He said nothing, just continued to stare at me.
In the meantime the two other men had joined us. The guy told me, that one of them was the scupltor who made the big steel anchor on the promenade, and the other one... well, sorry, I don´t remember what he was, but yes, I remember he was a funny guy with crazy hair and a gypsy look... he could have been one of the Gipsy Kings!
We all began some small talk, in which he asked me where I was coming from. He told me that he was himself living in Paris
„And what is your profession?“
he suddenly asked. I started to feel a little bit upset and to think. this man was trying to convince me, that I was not a painter.
„I am a painter, as you can see....!“
„But you live from it?“
He was still staring at me, this time as though he wanted to convince me I was not living at all!
„Yes...“
He looked quite surprised, but without any hesitation he offered his hand.
„Congratulations, I know how hard it is! I am a painter“
„Well, the truth is, that the portraits help a lot!“
Yes, it is hard to live from painting, and above all in such a place as Albir, where 80% of the population are pensioniers and 50% of them are painters, providing the whole family and friends with decoration for their new walls. Luckily not many of them are making portraits... of course they try, and I even spent a lot of time giving them portrait classes, but they rapidly give up: portraiting is very frustrating, and there is no way to hide a mistake in them...
„So, you are a painter too?“
Instead of answering he searched for a while in his bag. It was at that moment that the Gipsy King told me:
„Oh yes... he is a very famous painter!“
I didn´t really pay much attention to it. I had somehow the feeling that these two guys were kidding me. Then he handled me the postcard. I had a quick look at the painting „Paz en rojo“, and thought that the red-bearded green Jesus within it was also asking me: „Are you a painter?“
Just before they went away, the famous painter stared intently at me again and said:
„Miki, please....“
„Yes?“
„Please... in painting... make series! Don´t be dispersed!“
There were some seconds of silence. I was not prepared for this attack. Then I laughed and just answered:
„That´s me...“
I know that one might think „I am dispersed“.
Perhaps i am. But the fact is, I cannot always paint the same stuff, in the same colours and in the same style. I get bored very rapidly, I need perpetual change. I have no pretention to be called an artist if this demands one to stay blocked in a certain working style. I just want to paint, whatever and however I LOVE.
Before they left they admired the tiger-striped wooden drain cover that Kevin had made to prevent the bad smell coming as a result of the torrential rain two weeks ago. The painter said.
„THIS is really a work of Art!“
I thought: what an indirect compliment to MY work!
Anyway: it´s clear now what he meant before with the 50 paintings... a delicate way to tell me:
„There are 50 ways to leave your lover!“
Epilogue:
I just had a look on his site. Our visitor really IS a famous painter.
I will send him a christmas mail, so that we all may celebrate the birthday of the red-bearded green Jesus!
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