Art Star Landed (Dec25)

Tall older smooth intelligent-looking guy in the kinda artist-restrained uniform of the earlier gen. walks into my cafe, vaguely familiar. Couldn’t be placed. Looked awfully like the London Review of Books at the table. Had to be Oz. Jeeeez! ‘Twas indeed the LRB! Needed to rise and step closer to be sure. Yup. That was a first in near 39 months. The matter they referenced here, bloke needed to be congratulated. Blah blah. Sydney, going to London. Preferred the London Review to NY cos of the editorial squeeze 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 was then attached to SAM — Sing. Art Museum.) A Merryweather (?) bloke from the Getty brought in recently was trying to try to lift the local game... Listened politely to the local expert on this push by the biz-politico class of art, sport & related colouring in this republic. Strong-arm authoritarianism wasn't doing the trick any more; soft power required; deft, canny management... Pity none of Parr's work ever sighted, other than in the 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 hard confrontational stuff of his own, didn't he, not too far removed from Stel? (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. RG's life really interesting, said Mike P. 

         That was in the afternoon after more submissions mailed Downunder. $40 yesterday on postage alone; today was a mere $3. 

         Hopefully P's Good luck with the work goes straight to the Art angels. 

         In Montenegro we say: Iz tvojih usta u Boze usi! From your mouth into God's ears!

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.)