Looking back - Ross Bleckner from Mary Boone Gallery Recalling Gulu. That night dancing outside above the East River at the top of the UN to a distinctly tribal band. Meeting Ross Bleckner. The “art” from GULU - the works of barely prepubescent boys , conscripted to, main, pillage, and rape -- and their sisters, nieces, cousins, play mates, girls lucky e enough to have survived the brutality and madness of it all. The”art” which mostly here spoke pain and anguish and, once in a while, anger and rage, but which otherwise seemed almost as detached and benign as“fruitbowl” painting in what has pretty much become a cyclic reoccurrence here (causing many to wonder whether relief efforts like Band Aid and Live Aid are doing more harm than good). Meeting old friends at the UN. Reuniting with Susan Sarandon, who I hadn’t seen since 1987. Meeting Nicholas Cage. I told him I still thought his best role was Raising Arizonia. He did riot disagree. And a host of other “celebrities”. Seeing Adam Yauch for the last time. The feeling there was very close and very high and I have never quite understood who someone could have such a deep, gravelly sound performing and be so incredibly soft-spoken, almost introverted, in person; but that was Adam . The entire night had a very surreal qualit -- not unlike Mr. Bleckner’s work itself. I will treasure the moment forever. I do hope that somewhere out of all of that activity some real cathartic so relief came for the children. Because GULU was really never about Ross Bleckner, or the United Nations, or art, celebrities, or even dancing on top of UN to a tribal beat one lovely early summer night with global “high socie(y” (one of whom I definitely am not so I don’t know how I got here) while looking out at the East River. GULU was not even abou the specific children and atrocities that occurred the In Ugunda GULU was about something much deeper and much simpler: do we care? Does any one really care? I refuse to believe we cannot find a solution and make it work. But will we? The answer is not yet in.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 02:53:10 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015