From Ralph

08/11/04

Masculinity & Chivalry

Written to accompany a set of drawings of Poets to appear in AMBIT magazine-see their letter below. It says a lot about my impulses, and Adrian refers to a dear friend, Poet Adrian Henri from Liverpool, who died a couple of years back- far too young- as is often the case with good guys. You can use the drawing with it, which expresses why mothers make men aggressive. It has never appeared in color- but it is funny and we need some fun right now

Dear Kate

That's nice!! Adrian would have been pleased and I think he would have giggled as he did. As for generic title for set how about- 'In Yer Face'. They exist because I think to myself- what shall I do?- and I hover over a copper plate, or a zinc plate or a sheet of paper, until I think I have hovered long enough, particularly over paper. Sometimes, I am holding a brush, or pen, loaded with Indian Ink, and a blob drops onto a virgin surface. Well, I have to get going then, so I slosh about without thinking and often end up drawing myself in trousers, but subconsciously, I probably wanted to wear a frock- which is OK because drag is so comfortable and a cool breeze is an electric experience. Some of my most interesting and enigmatic drawings are the result of a sudden lunge into the white abyss. No one can foretell what is going to happen and there are no mistakes in Art. A mistake is an opportunity to do something else. What a fun way to go on! Then I get all religious and imagine that someone else is in control so that if it all ends in a terrible mess- I can blame God.......

OK??

RALPHX