My writer friends and I met for a farewell celebration lunch at Gorky Park the Russian restaurant, the celebration being our meeting and being in Berlin, the farewell because they are returning to New York. Borsht, blinis, caviar and German champagne, (Sekt), fabulous. I love being with these smart guys who don't let anything get them down. It is tender and touching to see them approach. One walking slightly ahead of the other saying things like "watch out for the broken pavement here, keep to the left," "here is the curb to step down quite a way," "now there are four high steps up to the restaurant with a rail on your right." The other, blind one, has his hand lightly on the other's shoulder and follows with trust. They look as if they could be in a Beckett play, archetypal figures crossing the stage in eternity. Very moving. Then they realise I'm there and shout and wave their arms.
03/03/2007 Every step of the way in making a painting one has to be on one's toes wary of the pitfalls and obstacles on the way. Mentioning toes, painting, if it succeeds, is like ballet just as everyone quotes: presented as an effortless finished object, never mind the bloodied toes, sprained ankle, months of work. It is not at all a factory assemblage produced impersonally. As an example, when Manfred arrived and we put together the stretchers, doubling them with an electric stapler, and then laid the pieces of linen canvas down, one was too short, too narrow, it simply did not fit. After a bit of discussion and my swearing, there was nothing for it but to return to the kunst magazine and get another piece the right size. Since it is expensive they wouldn't be happy about that, and if needs must I would just have to pay for another, but I did give the correct measurements. That helpful girl was extremely upset but immediately set about getting the replacement canvas, and said how sorry she was. I only hope she doesn't have to make it up from her wages. Personally I was much relieved for the paintings. They were stretched up by the end of the morning and then I began wetting them, but I had a sinking feeling that they hadn't been stretched tightly enough. Manfred is used to cotton canvas that does shrink when wet. Linen may tighten when wet but doesn't shrink in the same way, and this linen was looser than what I have worked with before. Knocking out the corners worked but warped the stretchers, so then they had to be knocked back again, back and forth until they were finally optimised. After another wetting the corners rose up and weights had to be applied to keep them down. Those piles of books came into their own here. Whew, cross fingers I think they are fine. Once they dry out I'll put the primer on.
