cwilleford.theburntorangeheresy-第19章

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　　〃I　am　curious　about　why　you　immigrated　to　Florida；　M。　Debierue。〃
　　〃I　almost　didn't。　For　my　old　bones；　I　wanted　the　sun。　When　more　than　fifty　years　of　my　work　was　burned　in　the　fire…you　knew　about　the　fire？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃A　most　fortunate　accident。　It　gave　me　a　chance　to　begin　again。　The　artist　who　can　begin　again　at　my　age　is　a　very　fortunate　man。　So　it　was　to　the　new　world　I　turned；　the　new　world　and　a　new　start。　Tahiti；　I　think　at　first；　would　be　best；　but　my　name　would　then　be　linked　somehow　to　Gauguin。〃　He　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃Unavoidable。　Such　parisons　would　not　be　fair；　but　they　would　have　been　made。　And　on　the　small　island；　perhaps　the　bus　would　pass　my　studio　every　day　with　American　tourists　to　stare　at　me。　Tahiti；　no。　Then　I　think；　South　America？　No；　there　is　always　trouble　there。　And　then　Florida　seems　exactly　right。　But　I　did　not　e　right　away。　I　knew　about　the　war　in　Florida；　and　I　have　had　enough　war　in　my　lifetime。〃
　　〃The　war？〃　I　said；　puzzled。　〃The　war　in　Vietnam？〃
　　〃No；　no。　The　Seminole　War。　It　is　well　known　in　Europe　that　these；　the　Florida　Seminole　Indians；　are　at　war　with　your　United　States。　Is　it　not　so？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so；　but　only　in　a　technical　sense。　The　Seminoles　are　actually　a　very　small　Indian　nation。　And　it's　not　a　real　war。　It's　a　failure　on　the　part　of　the　Indians　to　sign　a　peace　treaty　with　the　U。S。；　that's　all。　Once　in　a　while　there's　a　slight　legal　flare…up；　when　some　Florida　county　tries　to　force　an　Indian　kid　to　go　to　school　when　he　doesn't　want　to　go…although　a　lot　of　Indians　go　to　school　now　voluntarily。　But　there　hasn't　been　an　incident　with　shots　fired　for　many　years。　The　Seminoles　have　learned　that　they're　better　off　than　other　Indian　nations；　in　a　legal　way；　by　not　signing　a　treaty。〃
　　〃Yes。〃　He　nodded。　〃I　learned　this　from　M。　Cassidy；　but　I　wrote　some　letters　first　to　be　certain。〃　He　pursed　his　lips　solemnly　and　looked　down　at　the　countertop。　〃I　will　die　in　Florida　now。　This　much　I　know；　and　a　Frenchman　does　not　find　it　so　easy　to　leave　France　when　he　knows　he　will　never　see　it　again。　There　are　other　countries　in　the　world　that　would　have　weled　me；　M。　Figueras。　Greece；　Italy。　The　world　is　too　good　to　me。　I　have　always　had　many　good　friends；　friends　that　I　have　never　met。　They　write　me　letters；　very　nice　letters　from　all　over　the　world。〃
　　I　nodded　my　understanding。　It　was　perfectly　natural　for　strangers　in　every　country　to　write　to　Debierue；　although　it　had　never　occurred　to　me　to　write　him　myself。　The　same　thing　had　happened　to　Schopenhauer　in　his　old　age；　and　he　had　been　as　pleased　as　Debierue　to　receive　the　letters。　Any　truly　radical　artist　with　original　ideas　who　lives　long　enough　will　not　only　be　accepted　by　the　world　at　large；　he　will　be　admired；　if　not　revered；　for　his　dogged　persistence…even　by　people　who　detest　everything　he　stands　for。
　　But　there　was　a　major　difference　between　the　old　German　philosopher　and　this　old　French　painter。　Schopenhauer　had　accepted　the　flood　of　congratulations　on　his　birthdays　during　his　seventies　as　a　well…deserved　tribute；　as　a　vindication。　Debierue；　on　the　other　hand；　while　grateful；　seemed　bewildered　and　even　humbled　by　the　letters　he　received。
　　〃But　I　am　not　sorry　I　came　to　Florida；　M。　Figueras。　Your　sun　is　good　for　me。〃
　　〃And　your　work？　Has　it　gone　well　for　you；　too？〃
　　〃The　artist〃…he　looked　into　my　eyes…〃can　work　anywhere。　Is　it　not　so？〃
　　I　cleared　my　throat　to　make　the　pitch　I　had　been　putting　off。　〃M。　Debierue；　I　respect　your　stand　on　art　and　privacy　very　much。　In　fact；　just　to　sit　here　talking　to　you　and　drinking　your　fresh　orange　juice…〃
　　〃The　fresh　frozen；〃　he　emended。
　　〃。　。　。　is　an　honor。　A　great　honor。　I'm　well　aware　of　your　reluctance　to　show　your　work　to　the　public　and　to　critics；　and　I　can't　say　that　I　blame　you。　You　have；　however；　on　occasion；　permitted　a　few　outstanding　critics　to　examine　and　write　about　your　work。　You've　only　been　in　Florida　for　a　few　months；　as　I　understand　it；　and　I　don't　know　if　you've　pleted　any　paintings　you'd　be　willing　to　show　an　American　critic。　But　if　you　have；　I　would　consider　it　a　privilege…〃
　　〃Are　you　a　painter；　M。　Figueras？〃
　　〃No；　sir；　I'm　not。　I　had　enough　studio　courses　in　college　to　know　that　I　could　never　be　a　successful　painter。　My　talent；　such　as　it　is；　is　writing；　and　I'm　a　craftsman　rather　than　an　artist；　I　regret　to　say。　But　I　am　truly　a　superior　craftsman　as　a　critic。　To　be　frank；　in　addition　to　the　personal　pleasure　I'd　get　from　seeing　your　American　paintings；　an　exclusive；　in…depth　article　in　my　magazine　would　be　a　feather　in　my　cap。　The　sales　of　the　magazine　would　jump；　and　it　would　be　the　beginning　for　me　of　some　very　lucrative　outside　assignments　from　other　art　journals。　As　you　know；　only　one　photograph　of　any　single　one　of　your　paintings　would　be　art　news　big　enough　to　get　both　of　us　international　attention…〃
　　〃Do　you　sculpt？　Or　work　with　collage；　ceramics？〃
　　〃No；　sir。〃　I　tried　to　keep　the　annoyance　I　felt　out　of　my　voice。　〃Nothing　like　that。　I'm　quite　inept　when　it　es　to　doing　work　with　my　hands。〃
　　〃But　I　do　not　understand；　M。　Figueras。　Your　critical　articles　are　very　sensitive。　I　do　not　understand　why　you　do　not　paint；　or…〃
　　〃At　one　time　this　was　a　rather　sore　point　with　me；　but　I　got　over　it。　I　tried　hard　enough；　but　I　simply　couldn't　draw　well　enough…too　clumsy；　I　guess。　If　I　didn't　have　a　welldeveloped　verbal　sense　I'd　probably　have　a　tough　time　making　a　living。〃
　　〃I've　got　to　go　to　the　restroom；　Mr。　Debierue；〃　Berenice　said　shyly。
　　〃Certainly。〃　Debierue　came　around　the　bar　and　pointed　down　the　hallway。　〃The　door　at　the　far　end。〃
　　I　climbed　off　the　stool　when　she　did　and　looked　down　the　hallway　past　Debierue's　shoulder。　Berenice　was　undoubtedly　bored；　but　she　also　undoubtedly　had　to　go　to　the　can。　At　the　end　of　the　short　hallway　there　were　two　more　doors　en　face；　in　addition　to　the　door　to　the　bathroom　straight　ahead。　One　door　was　padlocked；　and　one　was　not。　The　padlocked　door；　with　its　heavy　hasp；　was　probably　Debierue's　studio　and　formerly　the　master　bedroom　of　the　original　owner。
　　I　took　the　Polaroid　camera　out　of　its　leather　case；　and　checked　to　see　if　there　was　an　unused　flash　bulb　in　the　bounce　reflector。
　　〃This　camera；〃　I　said；　〃is　so　simple　to　operate　that　an　eight…year…old　child　can　get　good　results　with　it　almost　every　time。　It's　that　simple。〃　I　laughed。　〃But　before　I　learned　how　to　work　the　damned　thing　I　ruined　ten　rolls　of　film。　It's　ridiculous；　I　know。　And　with　typing；　which　I　had　to　learn；　I　was　equally　clumsy。　I　took　a　typing　course　twice；　but　the　touch　system　was　too　much　for　me　to　master。〃　I　held　up　my　index　and　second　fingers。　〃I　have　to　type　my　stuff　with　these　four　fingers。　So　you　can　see　why　I　quit　trying　to　paint。　It　was　too　frustrating；　so　I　quit　trying　before　I　suffered　any　emotional　damage。〃
　　He　looked　at　me　quizzically；　and　stroked　his　hooked　nose　with　a　long　finger。
　　〃I　guess　I　sound　a　little　stupid；〃　I　said　apologetically。
　　〃No；　no。　The　critic…all　critics…arouses　my　curiosity；　M。　Figueras。〃
　　〃It's　quite　simple；　really。　I'm　purported　to　be　an　expert；　or　at　least　an　authority；　on　art　and　the　preschool　child。　And　what　it　boils　down　to　is　this。　Most　motor　activity　is　learned　before　the　age　of　five。　A　preschool　child　can　only　learn　things　by　doing　them。　And　if　you　have　a　mother　who　does　everything　for　you…little　things　like　tying　shoelaces；　brushing　your　teeth；　feeding　you；　and　so　on；　you　don't　do　them　yourself。　After　five　or　six；　when　you　have　to　do　them　yourself；　in　school；　for　example；　it's　too　late　ever　to　master　the　dexterity　and　motor　control　a　painter　wifi　need　in　later　years。　Overly　solicitous　mothers；　that　is；　mothers　who　wait　on　their　children　hand　and　foot；　inadvertently　destroy　incipient　artists。〃
　　〃Have　you　ever　written　about　this　theory？〃
　　I　nodded。　〃Yes。　A　short　book　entitled　Art　and　the　Preschool　Child；　and　I'll　mail　you　a　copy。　It　explains；　in　part；　why　men　who　are　psychologically　suited　to　being　painters　turn　out　so　much　bad　art。　It　isn't　a　theory　though；　it's　a　fact。　A　neglected　point　that　I　made　is　that　such　people　are　not　lost　to　the　world　as　artists。　If　their　problem　is　recognized；　they　can　be　rechanneled　into　o