[New-Poetry] Poetic Justice

[robert e. watling jr.]

On Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:24:54 -0700, Judy Prince  
<jbalizsprince at googlemail.com> wrote:

> And I'm fascinated with the bold black calligraphic paintings of Franz  
> Kline, his reaction to Japanese brush writing-painting, which is a  
> reaction to Chinese brush writing-painting.  Kline's mother said about  
> him and the black paint [I'll have to paraphrase]:  "Just like Franz,  
> always taking the easy way."  One can only imagine what Rothko's mother  
> would've said.

I recently went to the Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, my new home town.  
In one gallery I was continually drawn to a hulking black and white thing.  
I saw it everytime I turned a corner. I finally came to it in it's own  
time and it was Kline's Rue. I almost fell into it. Eventually, as I  
walked away from it, I found on a wall opposite a photograph by Annie  
Livovitz of Steve Martin in a white suit smeared with black. I gradually  
realized he was standing in front of that same painting. I looked at the  
photo, then over my shoulder at the painting and began to feel that I had  
been drawn into the continuum of the two. Later I found, through the  
wonder of the internet, that Martin had purchased the painting. Probably  
no one cares about any of this but your post reminded me of the experience  
and I am glad to be remembering it.

Robert E. Watling

-- 
"Cogito ergo...how does that go again?"...rewjr.