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last year-December-
I was finishing up the great book Just Kids, by Patti Smith, recommending it to readers here and as the New Year of 2011 began suggested a series for looking at the gender question here
Later in the year Smith won the National Book Award for Just Kids. Her own power comes from one source-neither masculine nor feminine-this -a key to being a great artist. She mentions Picasso-another great artist that comes and goes here at little augury.
"One evening I sat Beauty on my knees
And I found her bitter
And I reviled her.” RIMBAUD
Patti Smith came to mind on a posting today-December 30th. Is it the ending of a year? the beginning? or today was it because today is her birthday,
PATTI SMITH
born December 30 1946.
“And again: No more gods! no more gods! Man is King, Man is God! - But the great Faith is Love!” RIMBAUD
Artists from the Patti Smith feeling the rhythm postings in 2011 here ,were all women. Perhaps-because WOMEN are often described as WOMEN PAINTERS, WOMEN WRITERS, WOMEN this that or the other. My Picks: Tilda Swinton, Nina Simone & Helen Frankenthaler. Your suggestions for 2012?
“I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; garlands from window to window; golden chains from star to star,
and I dance.”
RIMBAUD
Again, looking at Robert Mappelthorpe, photographer who has not yet been recognized as the truly extraordinary artist he was. Yes-he is recognized as a great one-he is that too.
(from Interview here)
We'll see more of these Artists in the new year. Their power remains undiminished.
“He would say, 'How funny it will all seem, all you've gone through, when I'm not here anymore, when you no longer feel my arms around your shoulders, nor my heart beneath you, nor this mouth on your eyes, because I will have to go away someday, far away...' And in that instant I could feel myself with him gone, dizzy with fear, sinking down into the most horrible blackness: into death.” RIMBAUD
all photographs in this post by Robert Mapplethorpe, at little augury here
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Love new design.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly gratifying to me that Patti has brilliantly created a second act for herself.
ReplyDeleteDid you happen to read her charming story in The New Yorker?
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/10/111010fa_fact_smith
Scott a great story thank you for sending it my way. PGT
ReplyDeleteLove this post!
ReplyDeleteLove your new frontispiece (I tried to post that but I think it was eaten by blogger)!
Penelope
I loved her book. She's a great talent. Two years ago in Capri I met her and she sang happy birthday to me start to finish, a total stranger who thanked her for a song she had sung in the piazza to 200 people, part of a literary festival.
ReplyDeleteFor 2012, the one and only Dagmar Krause, singer in Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, Art Bears and solo. Here's also hoping (probably in vain) for a return by the great Carla Olson (formerly Textones; Gene Clark and Mick Taylor collaborator), who I always tend to think of as the real Chrissie Hynde. Curtis
ReplyDeleteAnother pick, Eva Zeisel. Thank you, Gaye for a year of intelligent, artistic posts filled with beauty. LITTLE AUGURY is quite large on my list of favorite reads; anywhere! Cheers, Barbara ox
ReplyDeletePenelope, thanks about the header-a closeup of a few Avedon books in my library.
ReplyDeletePaul-what a birthday song.Unforgettable!
Curtis, I will explore these artists. thank you for the Suggestions-pgt
ReplyDeleteBarbara- appreciate that! pgt
I'm new to the Little Augury party. Looking forward to more in 2012. You're in my inbox now. Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete