‘Nina Beier’s work is as unstable as a keg of dynamite, if a whole lot quieter. The Danish artist’s sparse, pared-down offerings have included fading photographs, a wall painting that was redone daily and a sculpture recreated via a game of Chinese whispers. Her Dust Painting is literally a pile of dust-coloured pigment, which gets traipsed all over the gallery on the soles of people’s shoes. As unassuming as it first appears, her art is an elusive, restless thing, with scant regard for the beautiful picture frames that often attempt to contain it.’ — The Guardian
‘I believe my father invented Google Maps. Or at least a map of what could have eventually become Google Maps. He never fully realized this project, though. The roads of his psyche, to use a fitting metaphor, were perhaps not made for opposing traffic. People say that every map is a portrait of its maker, a picture of his knowledge, perspective, and interpretation. One thing is certain: My father loves Google Maps.
‘The philosopher Alfred Korzybski famously stated that “the map is not the territory,” supposedly meaning that one should not confuse the representation of something with the actual thing. But there is a lot to be said for confusion. These are confused works, pictures that are both map and territory. What is a poster for an exhibition of posters, or what should we call a representation of dust made of dust-colored pigment dispersed over a room? Or a work that frames the clothes the framer was wearing when he made the frames? After all, isn’t the best way to describe a story to tell one?
‘I have repeatedly come across a Lewis Carroll story about a country that, after several attempts at making an accurate map, makes a map the size of the country itself. But when using it, the citizens run into a number of problems and, following complaints from the farmers who argue that using the map would harm crops, they decide to use the country itself as its own map, a solution they conclude is nearly as good. Here, the represented almost succeeds in becoming its own image, like the story, as I just told it, is almost the same as it was the first time around.
‘When one attempts to light a sculpture fully, its shadows unfold on the floor around it. The sculpture practically appears overshadowed by the repeated figures. But if one would present the shadows as the work of art on display, would we see the sculpture as the portrayed?
‘I have found pictures of body parts belonging to giant statues. These statues are constructed in fragments and will inevitably end in fragments again. They are a puzzle and we know the pieces; even when looking at the full figure, its own reality shines through. As an image torn to pieces and reassembled, it displays the scars of its own history while competing with the story it depicts.
‘The pictures argue within and among themselves, as their surfaces struggle with their content for domination. When a published representation of a work of art is framed and presented as a work again, the weight of the frame might initially outshine its content, which again, if the reflective UV filter makes it survive long enough, might gain enough importance to be appreciated on its own terms and perhaps even be freed from its frame again.
‘The viewer will see her own image mixed in with this story, and any future photographic documentation is likely to include the reflection of its maker. Appositionally, a framed poster that has been sandblasted, obscuring the image and exposing the frame, has become a thing in itself, no longer a representation, and will never again reflect anything.’ — Nina Beier
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Further
Nina Beier @ Laura Bartlett Gallery
Nina Beier @ Standard (Oslo)
Nina Beier @ Metro Pictures
‘Of any artist working today, 35-year-old hyper-mixed-media artist Nina Beier …’
‘Artist of the week 180: Nina Beier’
‘FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS’
’25 artists to watch: Nina Beier
‘Nina Beier’s “Office Nature Nobody Pattern”’
Book: Nina Beier & Marie Lund ‘The Object Lessons’
‘Johnson Tiles lends its expertise to artist Nina Beier’
‘NINA BEIER: VALUABLES’
‘ALL THE BEST: NINA BEIER E MARIE LUND’
‘The Pedestal Problem’
Nina Beier reviewed @ Frieze Magazine
____
Extras
Nina Beier exhibition @ Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Exploring Nina Beier’s Exhibition at Kiasma
Live with Nina Beier
NINA BEIER, PERFORMER PERFORMING PERFORMANCE (2009/2010)
______
Interview
Let’s start with the basics—your work is so materially diverse. If someone asks you what you make, how do you answer?
Nina Beier: [laughing] Only in America do I get this question! I usually say that my work is conceptually based and takes any form except painting…but I guess that’s not even true anymore. I am wary of self-mediation though, because conceptually conceived work is already far too self-conscious. The art needs to work as a project: to read, to misinterpret, to reinterpret, that’s how you get closer to the idea of a show.
You’ve made some projects that have the possibility of being unfinished forever. How do you resolve to stay unresolved?
NB: My process is coming from a direct frustration—as artists we want to explore something that is alive, but normally in the art system the work is supposed to have a final destination, and it freezes. On the issue of staying unresolved, I guess I am not the first artist to struggle with fitting a living and changing practice into a framework that demands final answers.
So what is your process?
NB: All the things that are completely unbearable about the system, that’s what I want to work with. The artwork is autonomous despite the attempt to claim its rights. When I look at my existing work it is not uncommon that something has changed since it was made; it could be its context, itself or even me. I respect the authority of the [extant] work, but I like to believe that mine trumps it. I should have the freedom to change it. For example, I’ll change a title if I don’t think it’s fitting anymore.
You’ve been quoted as having read the theories of Walter Benjamin and Roger Caillois. Do you think of your work as theory-driven?
NB: I read, but not conscientiously, I have to admit. I use writing for inspiration and I rudely mix and match to make it fit my current thinking. But I would hate to think that my work would be an illustration of any theory.
Do you feel you are playing a game with the audience?
NB: No, a game would imply that I have a master perspective and I don’t want to claim that. My work tends to be built on some more or less logical premise, but it would be really sad if it ended there. I try to start something and there is nothing better than when it is taken on the route of over-interpretation, an attack of the mind, like the incredible places that these guys’ minds can go. It’s what any work of art would wish for.
___
Show
On the Uses and Disadvantages of Wet Paint (2010)
Traffic (2023)
Fibreglass elephant slide, black slate
Nina Beier with Marie Lund
History Makes a Young Man Old, 2008/2010
A crystal ball rolled on the ground from the place where it was purchased to its final destination
Tragedy (2012)
Trained dog, Persian rug
[NO EYES DRY] (2016)
Robotic Massage Chairs, Precious and Noble Metals from Electronic Waste, Dental Industry and Various Currencies
Sweat No Sweat No Sweat No Sweat No Sweat (2013)
Shelving for Unlocked Matter and Open Problems (2010)
Wallet (2014)
turtle shell, woman/man and kid cotton underwear
Curly maroon fade pixie (2015)
Short Crop Swoopy Bangs (2015)
Layered Side-Swept Ombre (2015)
Human hair wig, painted frame, framed 64.8 x 41.9 cm
Nina Beier with Marie Lund
The Collection (2008)
The Blues (2012)
Sun-faded posters, window glass, frames
Automobile (2018)
remote control car, human hair
Nina Beier and Bob Kil
Field Trip (2023)
Continuous rows of flowers in identical pots arranged in grids, creating pathways for visitors to navigate, and ultimately hosting a choreography.
Foxtail Keychains, Choker Chain Necklaces, Teaspoons, Chain Print Fabric (2013)
Untitled (2008)
Woman’s wig, Persian rug, sheet of glass
Plunge (2015)
Broom, coins, resin and glass head
Untitled (2014)
Untitled (2014)
Untitled (2014)
Beast (2018)
two motorised rodeo bulls repeatedly perform their act of resistance
Tunnel Taken Apart (2010)
The Pockets (2012)
Women and Children (2022)
Nina Beier with Marie Lund
New Novels, New Men (Jealousy, Jalousi, La Celosia, La Gelosia, Die Jalousie oder Die Eifersucht) (2009)
Liquid Assets (2013)
plastic, 3D modeling
Allegory of Charity (2015)
ceramic cups, coffee beans, resin, wood, metal
Nina Beier with Marie Lund
The House and the Backdoor (2007)
Nina Beier with John Miller
A True Mirror (2018)
*
p.s. Hey. ** Steeqhen, I don’t think there’s any question that nicotine is nice for the brain. It’s just whether you’re willing to sacrifice the lungs. Yeah, Homes’s characters in that period of his novels are just iconography basically. ** Charalampos, Hey there. I would be shocked if whoever reprints ‘Shy’ uses the original cover, both because such things almost never happen and because, for me at least, that cover is kind of blah. I personally would read ‘Jack the Modernist’ first. I’ve had many, many writing ideas that I was never able to pull off, if that helps. Some seemingly good ideas are just way stations. Hi back from clouded over, more chilly than not Paris. ** James Bennett, Cool, ‘Slow Death’ is really fun, I think. Happy that your respite is resplendent. Great about the open mic gig. The writer scene that Adem is involved in is full of very cool people, or at least the ones I know of or have met. His ex-bf Alex, who’s also involved in the press, is a good friend of mine and really great and very talented. I’m about to start Kate’s book, and I’m super looking forward to that. Your assessment of ‘Nocturnes for the King of Naples’ makes a lot of sense. Ed ‘flexing his acquired old-world sophistication to impress people’ is a problem in much of his writing, I think. I’m good, still mostly working on film stuff. Paris is hanging on to springtime, weatherise, which is a joy for a heat-hater like myself. Love back, me. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yeah, that was really sweet. Absolutely, 100% on queer filmmakers wanting to keep reiterating identity struggles and triumphs. Same with gay fiction writers. There’s a never-ending smallish, devoted audience for that, obviously, and more power to them, but I don’t quite get why people get so stuck on that first act of self-recognition and empowerment. Life is personal and rich. I want to laugh like a dog munching in her sleep. Hmmmmm. Love wondering if he would totally freak out if he took LSD and looked in an owl’s eyes, G. ** Misanthrope, Not so entirely weird. You’re the James Joyce of the Style Guide. ** Alistair, Hi. Well, should commenting here daily provide any internal positivity whatsoever to you know it’s nothing but a pleasure for me. The Backxwash album is pretty solid. Thanks! ** scunnard, Hi, pal. Okay, excellent, let me pass that along. Everyone, The following italicised chunk of text might look dauntingly long, but don’t skimp on your reading of it because it announces something exciting that you might well be very interested in. It’s from scunnard, and here he goes: ‘Here’s the blurb for Soft Territories I’ve been putting together. If anyone here is interested in being part of it, that’d be great, maybe just have them mention they’re from here in their application text in case I don’t recognize the name. This showcase will be the first installment/show of the project. // We’re launching a new ongoing series—Soft Territories—through Pup and Tiger, a queer-run art space in Canterbury, UK. This evolving project offers a platform for interviews, showcases, and creative conversations with artists. It focuses on queer and underrepresented voices. // The term Soft Territories evokes spaces that are porous, shifting, and open to redefinition. We want to explore how artists shape or inhabit these spaces. They might do this through memory, identity, practice, resistance, care, or play. In a world that urgently needs this kind of work, these creative acts matter deeply. // Through this series, we invite you to explore the edges and overlaps—imagined geographies, creative rituals, experimental forms, and the spaces we build to survive and thrive. These are the kinds of spaces where we can reimagine the world we want to live in. How to apply: https://pupandtiger.co.uk/soft-territories/‘. Thanks, J! ** _Black_Acrylic, That era of Stewart Homes’ work where he was sort of turning Richard Allen skinhead books into transgressive blasts is very good. There are about five of them, I think. I don’t know that Kevin Sampson book, I’ll check it out. Thanks, Ben. ** Carsten, It’s been a rough year for great lit. A lustrous self-off for the great Alice there, sir. As a fan, I feel soothed. Of course I rushed out to see the ‘Four Nights of a Dreamer’ restoration as soon as they screened it here, and, wow, night and day after having to watch that muddy, scratchy copy for decades. Thanks! ** Sypha, Hi. I didn’t know about that substack. I certainly take issue with a bunch of the Neo-Decadent screeds, but I’m always interested. And I’ll go see what you have to say. Everyone, Sypha aka the fine fiction scribe James Champagne is interviewed over on a new substack called Neo-Passéism put together be the Neo-Decadent writer gang, and go have a gander here. ** pancakeIan, Hi. Same era as ‘Trainspotting’ but much less colloquial. The Ring Cycle seemed like one of those gigantic, important things that I thought I would be aesthetically remiss if I didn’t experience it. Like reading ‘Finnegan’s Wake’. Although I doggedly refuse to read Proust. That’s where I draw the line. Thanks for reading ‘Ugly Man’. ‘The Ash Gray Proclamation’ is the title of a great song by my great artist/musical hero Robert Pollard, best known for his band Guided by Voices. Why I chose it for that, I don’t know, it just felt intuitively right. I liked the combination of ‘ash gray’ and ‘proclamation. I’m not sure I could parse its literal relationship to the story. I hope that lack of helpfulness stops the gnawing. ** HaRpEr //, Hey. Yeah, I mean, really, there is nothing more gratifying than when an artist you admire turns out to admire your work, even second hand like that. It really is kind of the ultimate reward. It always shocks me. There’s a point with readings where you just have to get pragmatic about it and imagine that fate is a real thing and just try to be curious about how it’ll go kind of objectively. Not all that easy to do, of course. Sorry about the job rejections. I guess just try to keep in mind how subjective and impersonal those decisions almost always are. ** Steve, Yes, I still read Stewart’s books. He has a new book about the fascist yoga cult that I haven’t read yet. His son, oh, I forgot he had a son. That film didn’t exactly infiltrate me. Enjoy the Muratova films! ** julian, I think you won’t be sorry to have read ‘Autoportrait’. I feel pretty confident in guessing that. Yeah, just reserve part of your brain as a hothouse and keep imagining what you want to write and letting it evolve however it does until you have the place and wherewithal to spill it. That’s what I do, at least. The working it out mentally is almost the most important part maybe. It’s so helpful, obviously, to have writer/artist comrades around you. So that sounds great. No, the Xiu Xiu thing was our only music video. After the mess of that, I think we’re kind of wary of making something that we can’t completely control ourselves again. ‘RT’ is currently submitted to two festivals in Chicago, so, if one of them takes it, that’ll happen. If not, we want to show the film there — Zac went to university in Chicago — so we’ll figure something. We’d love to show the film in San Diego, but I don’t think we know how or where we could do that. If you know/hear of any possibly receptive venue there, let me know. And I’ll do a search. The film is still very early on its life. ** Okay. I filled my non-existent yet accessible galerie with a show by the wonderful Nina Beier today that I recommend you check out, duh. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Hi!!
Nina Beier is a new name to me. What an incredibly diverse body of work! Thank you so much for curating this show!
Maybe one potential reason why so many older, “big” queer films focus on these very obvious “milestones” (such as that first act of self-recognition you mentioned) is that a lot of them weren’t actually directed by queer people – and so their creators didn’t have access to deeper or more complicated layers, at least on a personal level. But then again, this trend has been changing for the better, and yet the same themes still dominate, so…
Probably. But that doesn’t mean love shouldn’t try it. Love eating After Eights ‘til he bursts, Od.
the dog lying down is fun hmm…me imagining what it’s made from…. Frankie sleeps like that and she ain’t even a dog but she’s been crying for food since I’ve got home (she eats and is food-obsessed)
Hello I’m back home as of yesterday!
I had a good time there was so much to do. I went to the Morgan Library and Coney Island which I’ve wanted to Coney Island since I was probably about 13ish it’s so beautiful just like how I imagined it and I was thinking of that scene in The warriors which is a movie I probably digested alot as part of my obsession.
I took some amazing photos of the Luna Park from the train although it’s not open on the weekdays but at least I could take pictures without human interference. I didn’t get to make it near Greenwich village and Chelsea which I planned to but there’s so much and I mostly explored the Brooklyn neighborhood around me and Harlem area where there was a jazz club that seemed entertaining but I couldn’t make that so far from my location and planned movements. I would love to go to Jazz clubs.
I went to this place called psychic records and I bought a couple things. They had a good cassette collection so I obtained “in the meantime” by helmet and the guy was telling me that the drummer comes there often and that was cool. He was nice I can remember his name but I’ll go back again.
I got The Animals.. “The Animals” on CD but I can find it anywhere online or YouTube so that fulfills my love of mystery.
The first song is “story of Bo Diddy” (proceeds like this)
Bury my body, dimples, I’ve been around,etc
What do you think? I’m going to make it my quest to find the origins as I’m bored.
Honorable mentions Frank Zappa Hot rats and Janis Joplin greatest hits which I was singing while unpacking to
I’ve been following the release of Daniel Johnson’s art book “I’m afraid of what I might draw” and one of my goals in New York was to physically obtain it which I did at a bookstore called Greenlight l. While there I also got a poetry book called Night sky with exit wounds by Ocean Vuong and then the piano teacher. I really like his art book I’m glad I got to bring it because I was distraught after watching the airplane security throw my art supplies away which I guess was my fault since I didn’t consider it.
And now I’m back to waiting
Im so tired of this guardian she takes so fucking long to do anything I’m so tired of her stupid laugh as if she isn’t some day fucking sloth who doesn’t know shit about me. They should have been put me on testosterone at this point I should have been on it since last December but it feels so impossible now I feel like it will never happen I’m so tired of people making decisions on behalf of me. It’s frustrating. I bet if I didnt plan this trip on my own and told them about it it wouldve token three months for them to approve it and it took me three weeks to pretty much get everything ready within the same frame of travelling there. Ughhh whatever.
What festivals/events have you sent your film to so far? I wonder if anywhere close to me. What places are guaranteed to show RT? I’m sorry if I’m out of the loop of things, actually you’ve probably already linked it somewhere, honestly I just don’t want to come off too self-absorbed which I probably am unintentionally sometimes.
I hope your cigarette mysteriously tastes like strawberries this morning.
Oh I watched Chungking Express for the first time today which I’m happy I did now then a long time ago when I was 16 and it got hyped up again( or at least to my awareness) because I don’t think I would’ve felt it then but I appreciate May as a character and I’ve got food in my fridge dated for May expiration
J’adore today, Dennis, this work’s new to me, it’s wonderful!
Dennis,
Happy to hear film work is steaming ahead and the sun’s rays can’t seem to get their hands on you.
I’m giving up on “Nocturnes…” – life’s too short. I’m about to head down to Bow, a more out of the way part of East London, to spend a week cat/flatsitting for a friend. I’m planning to do lots of secluded reading. I’ve decided to take this old Kingsley Amis book called “The Alteration” with me. It’s a speculative fiction about a present where the reformation never happened, which seemingly led to the Enlightenment never happening, and England and its dominions remained staunchly Catholic societies. The drama seems to turn around a choirboy who some people want to castrate and some don’t, as far as I can tell. I’m hoping it’ll be a fun romp. Here’s a picture of said book and my bedroom window garden view: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S5pdMrlUHpCjBvQSluh2q0LoFnzN8Fni/view?
usp=share_link)
If that turns out to be a non-runner my backup is Houellebecq’s “The Map and the Territory.”
Ciao bisous,
J
Nina Beier is a new name to me and I like her work a lot. Especially responding to her collaboration with John Miller here.
Seems like a lifetime ago that there would be art openings every weekend. Getting dressed up, going out and drinking free wine, plus doing whatever else, standing around just talking about art all night. Being part of the hated cultural elite. I do miss those times!
Hi Dennis, I think I’ve heard the name Nina Beier, but don’t think I knew the work? These days are great. And haha sorry that was really long wasn’t it? I blame the allergy medication… Thanks again.
Ah so you caught Four Nights of a Dreamer theatrically, nice.
I just started on a series of short scripts for the no-budget phone-camera film projects I mentioned before. What I’m going for is a gathering of short films related by locale (Andalusia) & certain themes (poetry & origin/culture). I think the individual pieces will vary greatly in terms of approach, because there are ones where I want to leave room for improvisation & others that need to follow the script (especially the dialogue) to the letter. How do you & Zac work? Any improv?
Dennis, Oooh, a Galerie! Yay!
Hahaha. We’ll see what the division thinks when they see what I’ve done with it. Hehe.
It is weird, though, to work with people who are tax lawyers, many of whom have master’s degrees, and barely a one can write a coherent sentence or knows anything about grammar and punctuation. 😛
It’s understandable, about the music video thing. As a musician myself, I think I’d like to make my own music videos for the most part. I’ve done a few video projects for school and it’s definitely something I’d like to explore more. As long as RT is screening in Chicago after mid-August (when I go back for school), I will make sure to be there. It would be lovely to meet you. San Diego doesn’t have much of an arts scene compared to other cities, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys couldn’t find a place to screen there. It’s one of the main reasons why I left for college. The difference in terms of art culture between SD and Chicago feels like night and day.
Dennis, well, as I think I’ve mentioned before, I disagree with the Neo-Decadents on a lot of things as well (in fact, I’m perhaps by far the most Neo-Passeist person associated with the group, in that I’m very much a live and let live guy and don’t castigate others for their interests . . . well, most of the time!), yet inevitably I find myself getting roped into a lot of their projects. I would say that in most cases my contributions to the Substack are maybe 50% how I really feel, and 50% theatrical grandstanding. I think they like having me around because when I want to I can project this sort of over-the-top, Leon Bloy-ish “this is the most hideous thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on” bluster, so in that light I almost view these assignments as if they were some kind of performance art, or like gigs I’ve been hired to perform (not that any of us are making money off it ha ha). One of my friends had the brainwave that the 50th and final entry should be a takedown of Neo-Decadence, as a sort of “autocritique,” and I think that would be clever, though not sure if they’ll actually go through with it! In any event, thanks for the shout-out.
Hi Dennis. Some great looking art here. I really like the cars with hair, the elephant slide, and weeping statues. One thing I’ll always miss about NYC is all the available culture there , especially museums and galleries .
I’ve never tried to tackle ‘Finnegan’s Wake’, but I think I’ve told you that I don’t do well with stream of consciousness. I did attempt Proust in grad school, but felt daunted by him and didn’t get far. Recently , we were discussing the whole ‘madeleine incident’ concerning him, and how he had this long term relationship with his chauffeur , or assistant . Which, to me , sounded like a glorified houseboy. Wonder if it’s still a relationship, when you’re paying the person to attend to your needs.
Ah, thank you for the genesis of ‘Ash Gray Proclamation’. I’ve eavesdropped on you talking about Guided by Voices, and remember that it’s a favorite band . I can see why you chose it as the title for the story…….it has a nice guitar riff.
I think a big reason queer films focus on coming out and coming-of-age stories is that youth are constantly going through these processes, in a shifting social climate. Each generation has a different version of what that means. But I agree that it’s become a tired trope. I’ve very rarely seen media represent the way one keeps coming out as new people enter your life.
I’m working on a review of Pulp’s MORE. DIFFERENT CLASS is one of my favorite albums, but now the band just sounds lifeless, with too many slow ballads and enervated borrowings from dance music. It’s really disappointing. When it comes to reunion albums from bands of their generation, Stereolab beat them hands down.
New York’s into our second day of cold weather and heavy rain. It’s so draining.
Hey Dennis,
I think I’m committed to the quitting smoking. I had about 3 today, and the nicotine was gorgeous, but I’ve really grown to despise the taste and burn. I think I’m going to try nicotine gum soon, see how that works.
The idea of characters being characters is such a simple concept, but seems to be such a struggle for people to accept. I don’t want to be pretentious and see it as an intellectual issue, but I do think that people who don’t get exposed to art that pushes their boundaries or conceptions will be stuck accepting slop. I truly think that watching Mulholland Drive at 17 with my mother changed my life so much, it’s crazy to say that watching a movie did that, but I would not be the person I am without that experience, in fact I’m not sure if I’d even be around…
I hung with my friends and one of my friends younger sister who came up for the day, and I ended up getting a bunch of mario trinkets and shit: a reduced price Goomba figure, a blindbox that gave me a Koopa Troopa keychain, and a weirdly high quality Mario notebook, with a slip pocket, a ribbon bookmark, a magnetic lock in the shape of a ? block, and little 1-up mushooms in the bottom corners. And it was €8!!!
Haven’t heard anything back from the bookshop yet, and I’ve really been accepting that I need some stream of income aside from my disability, but I think that’s a good sign, as I’ve been so adverse to working for so long, and now I crave it. Been trying to write; articles, blog posts, diary entries, poems, short stories, my dreams. Hopefully I can start doing something great with it all soon.
Hey. That’s a curious Robbe-Grillet inspired piece indeed.
It’s interesting to think about photos taken of conceptual art – in the sense that if you’re in the gallery where the installation has been placed then you’re not thinking about the location unless the work engages with where it is placed. But when you look at photos of contemporary art the interior of the gallery merges with your aesthetic understanding of the art if that makes sense? I’m not sure if that’s a stupid observation or not.
I’ve been re-reading ‘The 120 Days of Sodom’ this week which I haven’t read since I was like fifteen. I’m onto the note taking parts. I get what you mean when you say you skim Sade haha. I mean, half of the book is essentially a book within a book with Duclos’ stories. Thank God he only got to writing about 40/120 days in full detail haha. Kidding. It’s of course a favourite of mine. I also love ‘Philosophy in the Boudoir’ which despite its relative brevity, is probably a worse offender in terms of verboseness. I remember a scene where Sade forces you to read a pamphlet he wrote because he couldn’t figure out how to incorporate its contents into conversation. That said, I do love the verbose, baroque quality, especially when it’s intermingled with his crude mannerisms. I’ll die on the hill that it’s not a very dark or austere book due to how much it’s about the pursuit of personal pleasure which disregards the feelings of others, and the treatment is farcical and humorous. I guess a lot of people can’t get past their disgust of the subject matter though.
I’m re-reading Sade now because I’m prepping for what is more or less a torture sequence in my book and I wanted to go back to study the greats. The other big influence for that scene is the ending of ‘Berlin Alexanderplatz’, both the book and the Fassbinder epic.
Anyway, I’ll let you know how my reading goes tomorrow. Thanks for the advice! All I really care about is making an impression. Humiliation doesn’t bother me so much anymore, I have more pressing things to worry about. I’d like to think that, anyway. I think I’ll finally go and see the Leigh Bowery at the Tate as well because I’ll have some time to kill. Hopefully my evening following the reading is eventful too, fingers crossed.
I’ll also claim ignorance of Beier before this post. The Women and Children sculpture is very nice. And A True Mirror reminds me a bit of Gisele’s work.
Was lucky to be invited to this event, been busy preparing:
https://www.bayimproviser.com/EventView.aspx?e=21854
A lot of catching up to do!
Finally saw Sally Potter’s The Gold Diggers, decades after I first heard the soundtrack. Nice.
Bill
Hey Dennis,
IDK if my last comment went through cuz I can’t find it on the last blog post. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know I sent you my novella “Never Coming Down”. Also, I just finished “Forever” by Thomas Moore. Fantastic book. I’m reading “The World of Normal Boys” now and loving it. Anyways, have a good one, Dennis.
Charlie