Thank you for your message and the wing nuts1. I regret your decision regards the Occupy Plymouth picture2 and as for the rest, well, it seems I have disappointed you and I regret that also.3 But look here, you can be sure that it pains me to neglect my TAS duties as much as it does you. Or does it? Is my drifting from the express agreement a cause of pain to you or are you just managing me? It is true to say that I enjoy the social aspect of plein air work and I do want to venture out into the town, be with people, exchange about our rationale of breakage; did I not say early on that I was keen to explore the performative aspect of the project?4 Well now it be different. I have been cautious to enter the fray and mix my self with the public world of people ever since I was rounded on at the Carbielle5 and as I have explained, I feel that the public has changed, its not the same anymore and I am none to sure weather I want any part of it just yet.
The consequences of this for our work together I know not, its in your hands but I do know that we are working with dignity in very strange and troubled times. A new world is being bashed into shape by thugs crooks and racists and tell me what is the use of standing our ground when the ground all around us is shifting? My instinct tells me our rationale of breakage is still sound but to whom are we now telling our story? Who is our audience? Until I have a firmer grip on this, until a new psychological relationship between the work and the imagined public to who it is aimed emerges, then I think it best if I play dead and take on a few more studies here in the boatyard, especially since the tide is high.
From todays Doing I emerged with a view taken from the aft deck at high water of trees and a solitary house from the military wives quarters. It is a scene which reminded my of Van Gogh Poets Garden in Chicago and having just reviewed a reproduction I marvel once again at his energy and boldness. I fashioned mine in short shrift, one hour and 15 minutes to be precise and this measurement I know to be accurate as it was the only time available this morning before making the trip to HMS Raleigh at 8:456. (I have been tackling the caulking7 on the starboard side for the remainder of the day.) Perhaps owing to the tight time frame I painted with more assurance and with a decisiveness in the hand at all stages of the process through the initial sketch to establishing the tonal relationships then smoothly moving in to the painting proper which was layed down in a variety of short strokes that follow the masses. Water of green over pink with a number six hog brush and as I write these very words I have awakened my like for the sporting analogy. It is a weakness of mine stemming from deep within. I know not why but if laying on his stained couch, Freud may peer into my subconscious mind to find only an episode of grandstand presented by Guy Debord! For what its worth an analogy between the brushes in the hand and the clubs in the golfers bag; the golfers swing remains the same while the choice of club determines the shape and form of the shot and thus we can imagine Gauguin in the sand trap with the wedge, Cezanne in rough with the putter and Van Gogh on the green with the driver! Please forgive my diversion but while the thought begs, a musical observation; green over pink, is this not the way the base note of a chord is indicated in music, C over G, D/G, E/A? Did you know that a bunch of John Cage's lieutenants composed a piece for his funeral made only from the C,A,G,E chords? The wags...
My apologies, you know years ago (pre crisis) one would probably take these ideas and make something critically amusing of them but one cannot chase every breaking wave and besides, nowadays I tend to be wary of this type of thinking as a basis for practice. Beware the contemporary art monkey mind that can lead one into a labyrinth of Doing from which there is no escape. On the other hand if one could politicize the labyrinth...? Oh I don't know! I have been so effected by my last trip out that it has made me question our fundamentals afresh but look here, and this will be my final word on it today, I will continue as planned for the time being and make a fresh assessment only when some time has elapsed and the passing out day fog cleared . I shall go out somewhere tomorrow and take a study.8
Today also a rare pleasure; I saw a family of foxes at the waters edge.
John
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1 A type of nut which is used on John's easel. Requested in work 24, paragraph 6.
2 We turned down Johns request to paint the old job centre building in Plymouth (referred to by John as the Occupy building) as all works for the Torpoint Art Service must be painted in Torpoint or its immediate surroundings. See work 2, note 1. See also note 9 to work 20.
3 We expressed concern that so few works have been painted in the town and reminded John that creating a public presence was important for the project. Apart from work 24 the last work painted in the town was work 10) View of St James Road.
4 In fact John has never mentioned the 'performative aspect' of the work but in Work 3, paragraph 2, line 8 reference is made exploring the 'social aspect of the project'.
5 John was verbally abused by a group of people as he painted work 24) Tree at the Carbielle.
6 To take his daughter to nursery.
7 A method of sealing the gaps between planks on wooden boats. See work 23, paragraph 1.
8 This contradicts what was said in paragraph 2 line 6 perhaps reflecting Johns state of mind following the 'Carbielle reverse'. (Johns phrase, see work 25 paragraph 3.)