The open letter below was floating around in the back of my mind as I've been reflecting on the way in which I have been pimping out my abilities into a sort of prostitution. Over the last year and a half I have not remained true to my own instincts, instead I've allowed the distractions and diversions to become the whole of my work. I've been allowing outside artistic influences that are not as natural to me and my personality have to dilute who I am as an artist. There’s nobody to blame but myself. -James
A Letter To MTV
October 96
by Nick Cave
To all those at MTV,
I would like to start by thanking you all for the support you have given me over recent years and I am both grateful and flattered by the nomination that I have received for best male artist. The air play given to both the Kylie Minogue and P.J. Harvey duets from my latest album murder ballads has not gone unnoticed and has been greatly appreciated. So again my sincere thanks.
Having said that, I feel that it's necessary for me to request that my nomination for best male artist be withdrawn and furthermore any awards or nomination for such awards that may arise in later years be presented to those who feel more comfortable with the competitive nature of these award ceremonies. I myself, do not. I have always been of the opinion that my music is unique and individual and exists beyond the realms inhabited by those who would reduce things to mere measuring. I am in competition with no-one.
My relationship with my muse is a delicate one at the best of times and I feel that it is my duty to protect her from influences that may offend her fragile nature.
She comes to me with the gift of song and in return I treat her with the respect I feel she deserves - in this case this means not subjecting her to the indignities of judgement and competition. My muse is not a horse and I am in no horse race and if indeed she was, still I would not harness her to this tumbrel - this bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes. My muse may spook! May bolt! May abandon me completely!
So once again, to the people at MTV, I appreciate the zeal and energy that was put behind my last record, I truly do and say thank you and again I say thank you but no...No thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Cave 21 Oct 96.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Most Important Painting in the World.
The most important painting in the world, my world that is, is ""Etaples Fisherfolk" by Henry Ossawa Tanner. Henry Ossawa Tanner could be one of the greatest artists you've never heard of. He is the first black American artist to achieve international acclaim despite the racism he encountered in America. After being thwarted by racism in America he moved to France and from there moved on to study in the Middle East to hone his ability to realistically paint biblical scenes. He travelled back and forth between the U.S.A and France yet making France his new home. Probably his best known painting is The Banjo Lesson, which is the painting that I first came to know him through. The high school that I went to was focused on black culture and my art teacher introduced this painting to us and the signifigance behind the theme and the painter himself. I was, honestly, fairly uninterested at the time.
Later when I decided to become a more serious painter I began visiting the High Museum of Art on a regular basis to closely examine the paintings there to help me gauge what I felt was acceptable in painting and to figure out whatever mistakes I may be making. I poured over so many paintings but when I came to Henry's painting "Etaples Fisher Folk" I knew I had found my model. His chunky yet precise brushwork, the cracks filled with varnish, the muted and at the same time rich color, errant brush hairs embedded in the paint, the chairoscuro, the realism despite the sparse painterly strokes...everything about it appealled to me. I studied that painting extremely close to the point of having my eyes inches from the paint to study the brushstrokes and divine the pressure applied to achieve his effects. So much so that I have been told many times to back off by security.
When I moved back to Georgia, the High was one of the first places that I visited and specifically to view that particular painting that I love so much, and has influenced my way of thinking about and appreciate art and the process and responsibility of creating.
How could you go wrong check out his stache?
Later when I decided to become a more serious painter I began visiting the High Museum of Art on a regular basis to closely examine the paintings there to help me gauge what I felt was acceptable in painting and to figure out whatever mistakes I may be making. I poured over so many paintings but when I came to Henry's painting "Etaples Fisher Folk" I knew I had found my model. His chunky yet precise brushwork, the cracks filled with varnish, the muted and at the same time rich color, errant brush hairs embedded in the paint, the chairoscuro, the realism despite the sparse painterly strokes...everything about it appealled to me. I studied that painting extremely close to the point of having my eyes inches from the paint to study the brushstrokes and divine the pressure applied to achieve his effects. So much so that I have been told many times to back off by security.
When I moved back to Georgia, the High was one of the first places that I visited and specifically to view that particular painting that I love so much, and has influenced my way of thinking about and appreciate art and the process and responsibility of creating.
How could you go wrong check out his stache?
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