Sean, as I said in my last post, I’ve no interest in Dylan’s behaviour or attitudes towards money (or anything else) outside of his art. The situation with him at the Isle of Wight festival that you mention is probably disappointing for you, but I have never held him up as a paragon of virtue merely because he happened to write “idealistic” lyrics up until around 1963. The “sincerity” or “insincerity” of an artist has never been something that has caused me much concern. For me, art exists outside of its creators once it has been created. Also, I’m never interested in the “gossip column” sort of ephemera that surrounds artists who are celebrated. I realise, though, that I might be a little eccentric in this regard, given the “reality” TV world we live in today.
On Sat, 15 Oct 2016 17:27 Sean Carey wrote:
I suppose my own position on art is that I have to see what the artist is doing or coming from in their work. Often to meet one's icons can be a real letdown with John Lennon's last interview in mind. In that Playboy interview he questioned live gigs as opposed to studio work. In a poetry context very few readers do their work justice bar a few I can recall from Dublin. None of these were big names but my goodness they could perform with real style. Often people like Barry Ahern knock the Beats theatrical aspects compared to the Objectivists - this could apply to music too of course.
The notion of truth in our era has devalued language as nobody quite knows if anyone for example in politics is being honest. But that could apply to trademen or women or the Walmart check out operator. Labels have become meaningless as the century slowly takes shape. The old song "Everybody wants to go to heaven/but nobody wants to die" comes to mind. We impose our values on the past totally misunderstanding many events.
George Oppen sought a sincere aspect in poetry which may still apply but the internet era has been a disappointment. In fact the snail mail era was more exciting with more effort involved. Cid Corman would reply faster from Japan than Joe or Mary Soap in Dublin.
With Dylan I have always had problems & I do not understand the veneration with very little critical views. People like saviours & icons more & more as they blur reality. Sainthood is granted all too easily until the saint falls from grace. I have a vague recall of Dylan's actual situation being in a tabloid or broadsheet a few years ago. But it drew very little attentions though of course Dylan's legal people may have intervened.
The cash for concert was Isle of Wight late sixties or early 1970s. Dylan's henchmen stood close to the event host & waited till all was counted. This from the same man who preached anti violence lyrics & looked like he could not hurt a fly. I like many artists but I enjoy knowing a little about them or I could end up in a Georgia O' Keeffe myth mindset. Georgia was a superb expert on the stock exchange for sales reasons but played the recluse card. She knew when to sell & yet the myth endures but Georgia was far from alone.
In time as with Samuel Beckett the full story of Bob Dylan will emerge & there will be surprises. To cultivate a persona is no easy task & Beckett knew why not to translate De Sade. He presented himself as a hermit but was having one hell of an incarnation & I swallowed the lie.
We live & unlearn perhaps?
Cheers
sc
Turn that frown upside down
|