Art Star Landed

Tall older smooth intelligent-looking guy in the kinda artist-restrained uniform of the earlier gen. of hippies walks into my cafe this arvo, vaguely familiar. Can't place him. Looked awfully like the London Review of Books he was opening with his one hand at the table. Had to be Oz. Jeeeez! it was the LRB. Needed to get up and go half-over to be sure. Yup. Sure was. That was a first in near 39 months. The crap they read here, bloke needed to be congratulated. Blah blah. Sydney, going to London. Preferred the London Review to NY cos of the editorial squeeze they enforced in the latter.... Blah, blah. Left him with his muffin & cafe. On finishing went over again later to wish him bon voyage. Ya, Mike Parr. Chat about Anna Schwartz, Morrie, &etc. Contemp. art here, some of the collection next door he thought pretty good. (The Dome cafe is attached to SAM — Sing. Art Museum.) A Merryweather (?) bloke from the Getty brought in recently here to try to lift the local game.... Listened politely to the local expert on this push by the biz-politico class of art, sport and other colourful entertainments in this republic. Strong-arm authoritarianism wasn't doing the trick any more here, soft power required, deft canny management... Pity none of Parr's work ever sighted, other than review pages. Made it a bit awkward. Very nice and affable. Early 70's when he first came to SG with shoulder length hair, g-friend unkempt, eyed off by the officials &etc. How did he lose that arm? Motor-bike? Drunken brawl/fall? It was somethin risque wasn't it? Was it somethin to do with the work?... Man mentioned Stelarc for some reason that can't be recalled. (The Footscray Greek in fact some kinda mates with an American friend here. Came over recently for a lecture or symposium.) Parr did kinda hard confrontational stuff of his own didn't he, not too far removed from Stelarc? (I see him only once a year....) Set for an outing to Kinokuniya tomorrow to pick up the London Review to checkout the piece the man recommended, some sharp fella with a Polish-Jewish name writing about Robbe-Grillet. R-Grillet's life really interesting, says Mike P. Better look-see. That was today after more submissions mailed Downunder. $40 yesterday on postage alone; today was a mere $3. Hopefully P's Good luck with the work goes through to the Art angels. (In Montenegro they respond in these circs: Iz tvojih usta u Boze usi! —From your mouth into God's ears!)

I know Dave is slack not writing; just hope yr studio-busy and not down with the sicks Av.
Cheers guys, might be outta here end of the month, after GF.
P

NB. A few artist friends down in AU needed to hear of the lucky chance. A full-term serious artist one does not meet every day — in SG probabilities rather lower again. (The Schwartz pair is a power couple of Art titans down in Melbourne, Mike P. showing at the lady’s gallery.)