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