Portrait of V. I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock, Part I

From Red Krayola Wiki
Portrait of V.I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock V (1980) by Art & Language

Lyrics

Jackson Pollock was the artist of the Marshall Plan; He broke ice for artists back when the Cold War began; He was the leading artist of the New York School; He was the action painter who rebelled against the rules Jackson Pollock took his canvas down and laid it on the floor And then he threw his brush away: Didn't need it anymore Need it anymore Need it anymore Need it anymore!

He didn't use a brush at all; He splashed and dripped all over all No-one could see a thing before They took it off the floor

He would dance and he would spin Then have a drink with Lee Making pictures with his body From his mind so free Art, for Jackson Pollock Was inner necessity But it was surplus value Got his place in history

He dripped big and he dripped small; He didn't use a brush at all; No-one could see his pictures 'Till they hung them on the wall One step forward, two steps back Life called him Jack the Dripper

Jackson: "An American's an American in thought and act And you'd expect his paintings to be qualified by that fact."

They say it's art killed Pollock — As if that could be In fact he missed a bend And drove his Ford into a tree

Chronology

Retrospectives

Art & Language, 1981[1]

Art & Language made some pictures of V. I. Lenin in the style of Jackson Pollock. They were monstrosities. Part I rehearses a representation of Pollock, Part II a representation of V. I. Lenin. But Part I might be a song that refers to Lenin, Part II might be a song that refers to Pollock in the sense that culture’s heroes are cultural products.

Interpretations

The song gets its title from Art & Language's Portraits of V. I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock paintings from 1979-80.

The "one step forward, two steps back" verse may have been inspired by a remark in Joseph Kosuth's 1969 essay Art After Philosophy: "If Pollock is important it is because he painted on loose canvas horizontally to the floor. What isn't important is that he later put those drippings over stretchers and hung them parallel to the wall." Kosuth was a member of Art & Language in the early to mid 1970s.

Live recordings

Show
October 9, 1982 vocal: Mayo Thompson
October 14, 1982 vocal: Mayo Thompson
October 1982 vocal: Mayo Thompson video
October 4, 1994 vocal: Mayo Thompson, Hanayo
January 11, 1995 vocal: Mayo Thompson
August 2, 1995 vocal: Stephen Prina
April 21, 2000 vocal: Stephen Prina video
March 20, 2005 vocal: Mayo Thompson
August 6, 2006 vocal: Stephen Prina
October 15, 2006 vocal: Mayo Thompson
December 13, 2006 vocal: Mayo Thompson

References

  1. Art & Language and The Red Crayola, ‘Notes on the Songs’, booklet published in connection with L.P. Kangaroo?, Rough Trade records, London, 1981.