| It was the eve of my trip to California, touring the first | | | | pushed the new fashion to unprecedented heights of |
| group of oils from my 'Banjo Paterson's People' series. | | | | hyperbole and obscene prices. And each novelty, |
| The pictures to be exhibited were being previewed for | | | | regardless of its worthiness by any standard except |
| Australian collectors at a cocktail party hosted by the | | | | fashion, was hailed as a masterpiece as soon as it hit |
| gallery which represented my work at the | | | | the market.But we need to be sure we're all 'on the |
| time.Suddenly, a trendy local architect loomed up | | | | same page' when we discuss Abstract Art. The |
| beside me, champagne flute in hand. Looking down the | | | | officially accepted definition specifies: art in which the |
| considerable length of his nose at me, he commented, | | | | portrayal of things from the visible world plays no part. |
| 'So, you're really an illustrator, I see.' | | | | No recognisable objects can be included. It follows that |
| I beamed up at him and gushed, 'Oh, thank you!' | | | | there can be no such thing as an 'Abstract portrait' or |
| His smirk made his thought transparent: (She's too | | | | 'Abstract landscape.' Those paintings mis-named as |
| dumb to even realise she's just been insulted.)Then I | | | | such should properly be described as 'Figurative.'The |
| added: 'You've elevated me into the company of | | | | astonishing body of work by Picasso (1881-1973), which |
| Michelangelo and Leonardo, Raphael and Rembrandt.' | | | | covers 80 years of innovation and experiment, |
| As his jaw hit his chest, it was clear the truth had hit | | | | contains no works that are actually Abstract, so far as |
| him between the eyes, and I walked away, chuckling. | | | | I know. If you have found one, I would like to hear |
| Now, why could I dare list my work alongside the | | | | about it.A true form of Abstract painting can be found |
| Masters? Because their 'book' was The Bible; mine | | | | in the work of 'Colour Field' painters such as Mark |
| was 'Banjo' Paterson (1864-1941.)(That night, I didn't | | | | Rothko (1903-1970) and his many imitators. On these - |
| bother to point out that of close to 300 titles in my | | | | always vast - canvases, geometric shapes are filled |
| Register of sold paintings at the time, only 33 were | | | | with colour, sometimes solid, sometimes transparent. |
| based on Paterson poems or stories. The current | | | | Sometimes they are given titles apparently freighted |
| totals are 400 and 63, plus 30 illustrations of my own | | | | with mysterious meaning e.g. The Existential Sadness |
| version of the story of Paterson's words to 'Waltzing | | | | of Happiness. Sometimes the title is more honest: a |
| Matilda.')But back to the Masters:When you stand | | | | stark Untitled #14. And when you leave the museum |
| gazing up at the massive marble sculpture of David by | | | | where they are displayed, can you recall which design |
| Michelangelo, you know it can be no one else but the | | | | told of 'The sadness of happiness' or which extolled |
| youth who challenged and defeated Goliath. Yet, it | | | | The kindness of cruelty?' Can you differentiate |
| might be anyone. He stands naked of any identifying | | | | between Untitled #7 and Untitled #13 from |
| costume. And in this portrait - of the young man | | | | memory?Picasso never lost sight of the power of |
| destined to become the second Jewish king - he is | | | | Story. Only think of his incandescent protest against |
| shown not circumcised. We are given only one clue: | | | | the futile brutality of war in 'Guernica.' Or the |
| the slingshot. But that is enough.Still, as you know, no | | | | psychological power of his series based on the ancient |
| artist is content to simply illustrate the facts. S/he is | | | | myths of the Minotaur. It seems to me that all forms of |
| thinking always of how to present those facts in a | | | | art are servant to the Story. Let me show you why I |
| new way; a way that will stimulate the viewers own | | | | think that.The Movie:This has to be the most perfect |
| imaginations, start them thinking about more than the | | | | art form, I think. It combines all the classic forms, |
| remembered story. Michelangelo pared away | | | | embellished by the many technological innovations now |
| everything superfluous. No action is evident in the | | | | available and who knows what wonders yet to come. |
| sculpture. But every gesture of the figure, the complex | | | | Yet, without a Story, there is no movie.The |
| expression of the face, tells us that something is about | | | | Novel:Attempts have been made to produce a novel |
| to happen.Leonardo was thinking the same way when | | | | devoid of narrative. Famous examples include |
| he made The Last Supper. The great innovation here | | | | 'Finnegan's Wake' and 'Ulysses' by James Joyce |
| is the placement of Judas on the same side of the | | | | (1882-1941.) Complex constructions using devices of |
| table as all the other disciples, a breakaway from the | | | | 'interior monologue' and the 'stream-of-consciousness,' |
| tradition of isolating the betrayer by seating him apart. | | | | these books fascinate literary critics. But have you |
| In the hands of the Master painter, all that's needed is | | | | ever read them? Do you know anyone who |
| the expression on the face of Judas and the gesture | | | | has?Architecture:If I mentioned the Sydney Opera |
| of his figure.Both masters used every skill of | | | | House or Notre Dame cathedral, you would not need |
| craftsmanship at their disposal to engage our | | | | a photograph to remind you of them. You would |
| emotional response to the work and the story it tells. | | | | immediately see a mind-picture of them. Two buildings |
| And even today, these images, made 500 years ago, | | | | set far apart in time, they reflect the very different |
| fill our minds when we think of those ancient stories. | | | | Story of the people who raised them.Then think of a |
| How is that for memorable art?Now, jump to New | | | | skyscraper, the icon of modernity.Except for those |
| York post-WWII, when Abstract Expressionism was | | | | topped with identifying decorations, or those endowed |
| riding the crest of its wave. Abstract Art was | | | | with emotional signifigance like the twin towers of the |
| declared the successor of all art that had come | | | | World Trade Center in New York, you would be hard |
| before, a new broom sweeping away the | | | | put to say which city housed any one typical box. A |
| unfashionable traditions of representational art. And | | | | founding father of the skyscraper, Louis Sullivan |
| with it, a new dogma was proclaimed: 'Narrative is | | | | (1856-1924), believed 'form follows function' and the |
| dead!'I believe all artists from Kandinsky (1866-1944) to | | | | skyscraper embodies that principle. Its function is to fit |
| the latest 'name' in 'Modern Art' circles have been | | | | the largest number of paying tenants into the smallest |
| genuine in their desire to revolutionise art by | | | | piece of high-priced real estate. And its design clearly |
| experimenting with (seemingly) new ways of laying | | | | states its lack of interest in who those tenants might |
| paint on a surface. Left to themselves, they would | | | | be.Music:When you listen to a recording of, say, 'Hall Of |
| have done no harm. Art is the biggest game we | | | | The Mountain King' by Edvard Grieg, you have no |
| humans have invented, and within it there is room for | | | | need to know about the folk stories that inspired him. |
| all manner of playfulness. But some art dealers, and | | | | But you will see pictures in your mind as you listen. And |
| those critics who served them, soon awoke to the | | | | yet, unless you are a classical musician, you are unlikely |
| golden opportunity this new art presented.There are | | | | to be able to hum the entire composition in the shower. |
| people who have much money but little confidence in | | | | This is because there are no words to help you recall |
| their own taste, others who feel the need to display a | | | | the music. Incidentally, this is why 'Banjo' Paterson |
| 'sophistication' above that of their fellows. Then there | | | | scribbled some verses that we can sing along with, to |
| are those who must demonstrate their superiority by | | | | the old marching song we now know as 'Waltzing |
| possessing whatever is the latest, or most exclusive. | | | | Matilda.'So when the trendoids try to convince us that |
| They were the perfect targets for the purveyors of | | | | 'Narrative is dead,' my answer is a giant raspberry that |
| this new style of art that was presented as beyond | | | | says: 'Oh, yeah? |
| the understanding of 'the common people.' They | | | | |