Laurie and Lou

Sara – Can we get back into some art related letters. I think this one was a bit interest-neutral and I found it hard to find something in it that I could relate to.

Hey, Who doesn’t love a love story? This put a face on the news for me.

Thanks Sara!

Nice piece Sara. Your fortitude to share publically your journey is admirable. Wish you strength and peace in your time together.

Fall in love with yourself, and everything else will fall into its place.

Thank you for this letter, it really touched me, and I learned a lot I didn’t already know about Laurie and Lou. Laurie, like your dad, is at the top of my “favorite artists” lists. Both share keen observation and thoughtful expression. I’ve been thinking about your dad a lot and I hope things are going well.

This story of how two artists deeply lived, loved, and created an apparently fulfilling and generous lives together filled my heart with joy and hope — there is a way to bring art into every aspect of life. May your family and all of us face embrace what fate brings us with the same passion.

“…back to some art-related letters”? (Mike Barr). It seems to me that some insight into the lives of two heavyweight contemporary artists, whose lives are predicated on commitment and passion, is the kind of insight from which we can all benefit. It isn’t (shouldn’t be) just about pushing paint around a canvas, but about exploring ourselves and our world, as profoundly as we are able to manage, and to bring that to the easel, the sound studio, the dance floor, and to our relationships.

Due to the often individualistic nature of creativity, collaborative relationships in visual arts are relative rare. (Unlike in music) For some reason the number of gay and lesbian couples who share a passion is statistically higher. Children, (the ultimate mutual creativity) or lack of them, may be one of the reasons. Think of the active gay couples who are mutually passionate about collecting art.

Thanks for this letter, Sara. It certainly helped me put the Lou Reed / Laurie Anderson relationship in perspective. Though not particularly knowledgeable about either, I was ore familiar with Reed’s early life, and Anderson’s early work. I suspect there is fodder in this relationship for a book. Though not infatuated with NYC and it’s denizens, I suspect I would read it.

Hi Sara, I was familiar with Lou Reed and the world lost a great artist and more importantly, a great teacher.. It was touching to hear about his last moments. Please keep the letters coming if possible and about any subjects you feel should be written about.. Although we have see different aspects of art lately it’s all interesting and if thought about all types of art help form each individuals thoughts and output. Just think how many people listen to music as they paint. Robert is in the thoughts of many people and providing inspiration and enrichment to many by being so open with this very personal issue.

God Bless Rich Mason

I now get ‘electric’ feelings when I open the newsletters.. I’m falling in love with your writing, too! Celebrating artists of all kinds is insightful. Hearing about their struggles and victories are often the kind of inspiration that keeps us trying for our own ‘next masterpiece’… Big virtual hugs to you, your Dad, and family.

Stepping into your father’s shoes, so to speak, isn’t easy, Sara. I commend you for it. Negativity in life has to be both boldly pushed aside, embraced and transformed. Your courage to share and take over the newsletter is admirable. Keep up the good work. A woman’s view and focus will be different. Much can be gained from wherever we are from opening our eyes/mind. Death is a portal to life. In truth, we are the butterfly, ever shedding our limiting cocoons for greater pastures.

that. was. beautiful.

Thanks for this appreciation Sara. You must be doing it right, as you have already got your first complaint! I have followed both artists over the years and somehow the obituaries made me aware for the first time, that I missed that they were together. For years I blasted both of their songs in my studio. I lived in the East Village (among other places) when he came into notice, though did not move in his circle (alas)(?). I probably wouldn’t have written, except to brush back the complainers who seem not to want widen their horizons. Art is wide, not narrow, aesthetics is abstract, not concrete!

Sara, capturing the intensity of these two artist, as you have, is all any visual artist needs to experience the universality of all art. And the in-spiriting we share in our creativity.

You have to remember that in many parts of our world women are still not recognized as equal partners in relationships, let alone collaborators in lifetime passions such as painting and music.

After reading “Laurie and Lou” and I’m in tears. It moved me beyond words. Thank you for telling this story.

I am 82 years old and I have a beautiful wonderful daughter named Sara. So I feel somehow connected to you!

Sara, I love your letters. A different view is always refreshing. What does remain though is the thoughtfulness and inspirational side of your dad’s writing.

Beautiful..thank you for sharing unknown intimacy between two magnificent artists.

Thank you, Sara, beautiful article. It has enriched my life.

Oh my God. How beautiful yet sad.

A strong legacy.

Beautiful work. You must be proud, Robert.

Sara,

My deepest gratitude for sharing this and in such a beautiful way. I was so moved by their story and thankful for your loving heart. My most sincere sympathies go out to Mike Barr.

Dear Sara

I first found and read your travel weblog in 2011, when I was having a summer study in Berlin. YOur stories were so inspirational to me then, and now, a little more than a decade later, reading this story about the magical creative couple, brings me again that sense of wonder. Thank you for your gift of a beautiful story that is real, so real, so inspirational and magical…that I hope and believe that for myself.

Mike Barr, not everyone who reads these letters paints, but we are still artists – sculptors, musicians, fabric artists, jewelry artists – the list is practically endless. As an artist, no need to specify in what, I found Sara’s letter beautiful and inspirational. Thank you Sara.

Thank you so much for this post. I only heard about the Velvet Underground visiting the David Bowie exhibit at the AGO last month–a privilege and revelation. Reading further about Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, whom I’ve always admired, was so moving. I love her quote: the purpose of death is the release of love. What a brave, sensitive and sentient ending.

Robert- and Sara- always amazes me when you take something I’ve sent you that’s unrelated, and post it… though this part of it is related to both your reality and Lou Reed’s passing.

I was spinning records in a dance club and working in a music store when the pre-album release of Laurie Anderson’s 12″ single ‘O Superman’ arrived. We put it on- looked at it- looked at each other- and went- ‘What the hell is that?’ Been a fan of Laurie Anderson ever since. And one must never forget that the subject matter of Lou Reed’s most famous song- ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ was all the degenerate perverts out there- you know- like me… I was in high school when it surfaced. So anyway- my poem- ‘enough’ is 7 pages long- in case anyone wants to read the whole thing- After everybody else has posted- I may share it… here

Thank you so much for this celebration of 2 wonderful artists, when I first started reading it I thought it was Robert writing. Sara you have the same sensitive and enjoyable style as your father. Robert good luck.

Sara, I was drawn into the story and it wasn’t till the end that I was surprised to see that it was written by you and not your father. I kind of suspected something was up in that it was about a rock star and a woman, but I want to compliment you on your seamless and supreme handling of Painterskeys.com with which your father has placed in your hands. You fooled me, I thought it was your father writing, not you. Compliments and kudos.

enough

© 2013 J. Bruce Wilcox do the work — just do the work I agreed and began early to do the work — make art — create beauty allow the inspiration to flow — act on it and manifest my vision of heaven even if it is abstract in my mid-twenties I began in earnest yet after several years of struggle I found myself spiraling down down into a suicidal depression called hell leave me alone I’m having a crisis said the button I still have — a gift from a friend how can one find one’s self in hell attempting to manifest heaven? after an unimaginable time in the depths of a solitary hell with no one near to hear my hello — I climbed out I climbed out but never closed the door the door stayed open because I agreed to do the work I agreed to do the work and recommitted myself to my art path continuing to produce against impossible odds — fool that I am hell hurts just do the work — bruce hell continues to exist because we avoid — we repress- we deny we continue to feed it because we can’t face the pain — our own pain decades of pain — lifetimes of pain — aeons of pain we can’t own the rage — the anger we can’t own the grief — the sadness we can’t own the despair — the hopelessness the work is to allow all feeling — to deny nothing to allow hell — when triggered- to flow up when triggered — to allow hell to flow through and then out out of that which we stand on — out of the earth the repository of all our ancient denial and ancestral garbage out of the gap- the crack in the universe our universe- our world — our work it’s not a game show — it’s not reality tv I agreed to do the work — the work of healing the disconnect the- no that’s not mine — denial — that can’t be mine — denial yes it can — maybe it is the — no I didn’t reject that — repress that I couldn’t have — why would I? the — no I can’t feel that — I can’t feel anything judged bad the — no I won’t feel that — so I won’t feel anything at all the work I agreed to do the work to heal the disconnect — to feel everything not just the happy — not just the good not just the mindless — not just the shallow not just the acceptable and ok with everybody else I agreed to do the work of feeling all feelings good and bad — positive and negative masculine and feminine — light and dark but you’re a male — bruce this lifetime — but there have been others many others — beyond number — infinity is just that — infinite timelessness is just that — timeless — beyond time — outside time I agreed to do the work to attempt to succeed creating beauty even as I struggled to find my way out of rejection’s despair to experience the gravity of homelessness to come to know the nothingness — the no-thing-ness to carry the weight of poverty rather than give up something I’ve most certainly done before so I agreed to do the work I climbed out of hell but couldn’t close the door the door remained open and I only made it out a few steps anyway because I found I had to give hell a voice I had to open space for hell to speak — to communicate — to facilitate healing I gave hell a voice to speak through me from time to time it rose up into me — out of me and took over because I fearlessly let it use my vocal chords it is- you might say — a part of me as it is a part of everything and everyone it’s voice — low and guttural — loud and screaming soft and sinister — horrified and hair-raising outraged and deadly — toxic and terrifying sad — immeasurably unimaginably unbearably sad that can’t be easy — bruce no — it can’t be easy — it’s never easy — it hurts every time a pain so vast — so overwhelming — so total — so encompassing unfortunately — when difficult emotions get triggered because one’s emotions are meant to move stopping the wave is so much worse than letting it go to stop the movement is beyond dangerous because even if it takes a while — it still kills the self so I gave hell a voice — I said it could use mine I held the door open and created space for hell to move — out to heal by passing through me — unencumbered by denial no longer rejected and repressed into oblivion I agreed to do the work — the work of healing hell I gave hell love — and I gave hell a voice that can’t be simple — bruce no — it’s not simple — but necessary so very necessary — and so few can do this work no polarized female can do this work — no polarized male — either men and women are still fighting with each other — blaming each other this work requires an end to the gender battle work only an individual who is no longer split in two can do few humans know the value of the work you’re doing you’ve wholed the halves — united the opposites consciously become the one — the ancient split is gone in you yet I’m human too — this lifetime but I’ve been everything else — everywhere else — everywhen else everyone else — so I agreed to do the work to let hell move through me — through my heart — my soul to return hell to source- to help hell heal its self by my willingness to let it pass through me no longer repressed — no longer denied no longer discounted — no longer discarded no longer fractured off — no longer trapped in the dark no longer abandoned — no longer alone all feelings allowed — and even loved no more resentment — no more resistance no more reason to fear — no more need for fear no more fear so don’t misunderstand me the process of creating is a meditation — a dance intense passionate mind-blowing ecstatic joy — my heaven which magically makes the creation work — play honoring the gifts I incarnated with and every time a piece is completed and then signed higher states are achieved — greater clarity ensues and self-mastery manifests and amazingly enough — every time another wave of darkness moves a more substantial state of peace emerges a greater state of gratefulness unfolds and grace descends opening the lotus but after decades creating beauty — thinking I might be good enough knowing I’d worked hard enough- feeling I’d earned enough hoping to be worthy enough — praying I deserved enough after being beaten up enough and beaten down enough while never being popular enough because I’m far too progressive and living on next to nothing for far too long my gifts remain a curse a few months before her own death — my mother called being a make the best of it sagittarian after making a mess of it herself — she said — get a job hell rose up so fast I had to hang up in order to prevent a disaster I really didn’t want to just blow her away so we never spoke again because she was still clueless I have a job — to make art — create beauty and in the process — heal hell the work I agreed to do financially — creating beauty isn’t very functional at least for someone who doesn’t work in the most accepted media the most traditional formats — which I don’t maybe somewhere else it’s highly valued but not on this earth — not here — not now the insurance man says I can only claim the value of my materials the tax man says I can only write off the value of my materials my talent — my time — my expertise — my varied media my vision — my individuality — my originality — my uniqueness all the skills and attributes I’ve spent decades even lifetimes — acquiring and refining the things that make my art — my art valueless — meaningless — even futile apparently — art has no intrinsic value and according to my brother — unless I can find a buyer the work is worthless even a dead end- at least until I’m dead — but I’m not dead yet so I guess I’m still hoping it will then have value because it pretty much seems you have to have died in order to make enough to succeed financially at least for me however — being blunt and straightforward enough you never succeed if you stop- if you give up but I guess I forgot to remember I’d need an expensive marketing machine and a sugar daddy — I mean husband — I mean patron I can’t just do it on my own? I can’t just do everything myself? I need a personal assistant? I need a business partner? I came to do the work — create beauty I came to do the work — heal hell and I can’t seem to make enough to support myself because too few want to pay for the art and nobody wants to pay somebody to heal hell which — by the way — is a lot of work yet almost unbelievably — with every emotional wave allowed to move unencumbered by the human inability to let go this plane lightens up — this place gets clearer this planet becomes more beautiful — more present — more open because that’s how significant the work is so I just do the work to heal hell and celebrate the creation of beauty just do the work — bruce nobody else can — nobody else knows how nobody else is willing — everybody else is afraid afraid of an earth where free will freed its self from its self I climbed out of hell but never shut the door hell — when triggered — moves through me without destroying anything that — of course makes just hanging out difficult because I may be easy — but I’m not easy to be around I stand there — and by just standing there others see in my reflection all they are denying which can be challenging — and unfortunately makes working for someone else problematical — likely impractical — even impossible because I’m done — done keeping my mouth shut — biting my tongue pretending everything is ok — civilized into silence I gave hell a voice to call out all the bullsh*t making me somewhat disruptive — somewhat reclusive because I’ve had enough — heard enough — taken enough — put up with enough I’ve tolerated enough — waded through enough — sucked up enough I’ve eaten enough — argued enough — fought enough — protested enough experienced enough — and kissed enough ass — too over the years I’ve been nice enough — kind enough polite enough — and more than helpful enough and with a twisted sense of humor I’ve even been hilarious enough but I’ve also laughed enough at the absurdity of being part of a species that continues to believe in war terrorists that can’t get enough of war barbarians that still haven’t had enough of war personally — I’ve tried to be smart enough — but I’ve made enough mistakes — too everybody does — it’s called growing up yet over time I’ve managed to remember enough — forget enough and remarkably — I’ve even been gentle enough — and loving enough but after 60 years I’ve been discriminated against enough tripped up enough — pushed around enough — screwed enough f*ck*d over enough — and judged enough too and in the end I gave up enough — paid enough sacrificed enough — suffered enough — even cried enough so I only have a few friends now because I agreed to do the work to move hell out of the earth — to free denial from the gap — to heal hell and today is moving day healing hell hurts with pluto — god of the underworld — conjunct the god sun in leo and mars — the warrior god — in leo too it’s no wonder I agreed to do the work just do the work — bruce create beauty — heal hell — and know yourself for who you are know the self — know the one — know the whole hell must be healed in order for the one to regain wholeness and remain whole — so just do the work no one but you can do the work you are doing the work you consciously came here to do no one else cares enough no one else is strong enough no one else is human enough no one else is selfless enough most are far too separated — still believing they are their gender so they’ll see you as far too arrogant — far too egotistical doing this work requires being neither male nor female doing this work requires merging both — being both because as you know — that’s what opens the healing channel the healing channel — it is a tv show I agreed to do the work — so I have a job a job that unfortunately — doesn’t pay very well I’m almost homeless again — no money to pay bills — or rent no food in the refrigerator — disconnect notices warning phone calls — if you don’t pay up — or else I never thought my choice of mediums because of its association with women and a functional craft would prove so profoundly mind-numbingly dysfunctional and after decades of expended energy — I can’t stop doing what I’m doing after all this time invested in labor-intensive work I can’t seem to make a living doing what I’m doing and unfortunately — I can’t be homeless again I’ve carried the burden long enough so let me repeat myself — and say goodbye in case you never see me again — as I’ve been beggar enough I can’t stop doing what I’m doing I can’t seem to make a living doing what I’m doing I can’t be homeless again I agreed to do the work — create beauty — heal hell sales have always been irregular so it doesn’t pay very well still — I agreed to do the work to create beauty — and heal hell just do the work — bruce you succeeded even if you have no money and nobody else can create your work — make your work- and do your work without a workroom I can’t do the creation work and after all these years — ongoing recognition and considerable success I still exist in poverty — and feel like a massive failure life comes — life goes — just do the work until the end this will be the last time these conditions exist you’re good enough — even if it seems everybody hates you though at the time it wasn’t understandable you’ve been transmuting hate since you were eight an unexplainable set of circumstances but one that’s been very valuable to the whole so there’s nothing to forgive — it will be enough — and amazingly — love is all around you because — on this side of the veil we’re all blown away by the beauty of your creation experience most importantly — just continue to be the conduit and take hell with you when you leave it will be a very big emotional wave it’s the work you came to do just return it to source source awaits until then — challenge everyone — everything continue to help where you can use your tools and do healing work write poetry and mix music share your energy field with those who are open persevere — make art — and just be radiant create beauty — and you’ll heal hell I agreed to do the work just do the work do the work just work work it will be enough more than enough © 2013 J. Bruce Wilcox

Bruce, I’ve heard it said that we “do the work” by just “being” here on this side of the veil…..beeingness is wonderful! Great poem! Wha 1703t creativity!