Friday, February 17, 2017

Rob Schackne #246 - "On a wave of art history"


On a wave of art history
I'm giving a little lecture
today on abstract expressionism
to my seven students
and on master Mark Rothko

(I know almost nothing about it but
when has that ever stopped a teacher)
who once said that great art
along with conflict & death
has to have 10% of hope

I say this is both a wildly optimistic view
and a wildly pessimistic one
now pause for a moment

looking beyond yourself
at the world and the etceteras

(on a reef of bad management)
what do you reckon
the fellow up the front
misunderstands the question

in record time
everyone should have 100%
I make with a baleful look
cut it out I say
it’s just homemade blood

(now they're checking their messages)
the class ends as if nothing were a painting

it ends as if it were all a painting
I switch off the projector

4 comments:

  1. Great read again Rob. I can only hope there was some abstraction and a little hope in their messages!

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  2. Ah the joys of teaching .. particularly in the era when all the students are attached to their mobiles. Particularly loved the ending with the slightly ominous references to the homemade blood and nothing being a painting and everything being a painting plus the finality of the projector being turned off. Great stuff!

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