GIVING UP ART TO SIT BEFORE A COMPUTER
after Varnishes (#161 ) by Anna Couani
Forehead
smudged Sienna
nails
underlined Sap Green Crimson Lake
jeans smeared
Veridian Alizarin
the pace of
the floor
easel to
wall wall to easel
over and
over
the arc and swing
of bristle brush
Cobalt planes
work in
white
draw
the Prussian tube
linseed
scent
Scrolling
scumbling
on plate
glass palette
the
dribbling consistency of
that Cadmium
Orange and Yellow
no one else
seemed to want
(cheap)
Redolent
recollections
idling at
the desk
plucking at
keys
deciphering
Artline black
crossing my T’s
crossing my eyes
(and broadening
my arse)
Or standing
in a gallery
before old varnished
masters
French Ultramarine
Crimson Lake
Naples
Yellow
They knew
white is not white
they
knew the weight
(one lighter
than the other)
they knew colour
With thanks
to Anna Couani for permission to use the line:
giving up art to sit before a computer from
Varnishes
Though I only dabble in graphic art and don't do big things on easels any more, I enjoyed how you took me with you through all this. And I particularly liked being in the gallery with you, and the final, sastisfying realisations about what those artists knew and displayed.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Rosemary. It's a long time since I've done big things on easels too. I miss the physicality of it.
ReplyDelete