- \n
![\"Three](\"http:\/\/archive.johndanversart.co.uk\/versions\/003\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/s-Three-Views-Early-1971-Wooden-planks-Printed-text.jpg\" "\\"Three")
Three Views<\/em> Early 1971 Wooden planks Printed text<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Observation Sculpture 211271<\/strong><\/p>\n
On Tuesday 21st<\/sup> December, at 8.45pm, the following objects were found to be situated on a kitchen table, as a result of the combined energies of numerous professional, recreational and domestic activities:<\/p>\n
one box of Bassett\u2019s Jellybabies<\/p>\n
a white ceramic sugar bowl<\/p>\n
a wooden pepper mill<\/p>\n
a fawn make-up bag<\/p>\n
a glass salt-cellar<\/p>\n
a brown paper bag containing two apples<\/p>\n
one copy of Art and Artists<\/em><\/p>\n
one copy of Intentio Recta*<\/p>\n
a bottle of Sainsbury\u2019s Vin Rose<\/em><\/p>\n
one Venus Drawing Pencil, grade B<\/p>\n
two toilet rolls<\/p>\n
one stainless steel teapot<\/p>\n
one ceramic teapot stand<\/p>\n
two circular tablemats and one rectangular tablemat<\/p>\n
one almost empty roll of surgical tape<\/p>\n
one folder containing various pieces of paper<\/p>\n
a pair of scissors<\/p>\n
a green slip of paper and a paperclip<\/p>\n
a letter from my mother-in-law<\/p>\n
a 1972 calendar<\/p>\n
a letter to a friend in an envelope<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
a blue, cream, yellow and black tablecloth lay over the wooden surface of the table<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
At 8.55pm I lifted the teapot from the table.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[* Intentio Recta<\/em><\/strong> is the title of a text from this period, click here<\/a> to read it.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
And another is titled, Prayer<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
Now I see<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
deadleaves\u00a0\u00a0 paint\u00a0\u00a0 nails\u00a0\u00a0 cactus\u00a0\u00a0 folder<\/p>\n
clock\u00a0\u00a0 chain\u00a0\u00a0 plaster\u00a0\u00a0 cobwebs\u00a0\u00a0 envelope<\/p>\n
wallpaper painted over white\u00a0\u00a0 dirt\u00a0\u00a0 window<\/p>\n
hair\u00a0\u00a0 hooks\u00a0\u00a0 lightbulb\u00a0\u00a0 typewriter\u00a0\u00a0 bowl<\/p>\n
radio\u00a0\u00a0 dust\u00a0\u00a0 string\u00a0\u00a0 drawings\u00a0\u00a0 chair<\/p>\n
butterfly\u00a0\u00a0 sunlight across the floor\u00a0\u00a0 elms<\/p>\n
tablemat\u00a0\u00a0 cracks\u00a0\u00a0 tincan\u00a0\u00a0 water\u00a0\u00a0 stones<\/p>\n
notebook\u00a0\u00a0 rusty marks\u00a0\u00a0 stains\u00a0\u00a0 table<\/p>\n
writingpaper notepaper typingpaper graphpaper<\/p>\n
linedpaper blankpaper\u00a0\u00a0 floorboards\u00a0\u00a0 glass<\/p>\n
wood\u00a0\u00a0 book\u00a0\u00a0 damp patches\u00a0\u00a0 pen\u00a0\u00a0 rubbishbin<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
thanks.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Some of the Observation Sculptures are gathered together under the title, Hunter\u2019s Log<\/em>. The title is used again in 1974 for a text accompanying two working exhibitions in Canada. Here are a few entries:<\/p>\n
One day in November, 1970<\/strong><\/p>\n
11.32am\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Two gulls<\/p>\n
A person outside the door<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.36\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The order \u2013 is it fortuitous, arbitrary,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 accidental, random, logical, considered, determined, uh?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.37\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Door shuts \u2013 door opens \u2013 fan whines down<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.39\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the mind is there any distinction at all between fact and fiction? Is there a hierarchy?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.42\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lorry rattling past \u2013 I say lorry, but was it? I can\u2019t see it, I can only hear it. The inconstancy of IT. (Why is it we\u2019re more ready to accept what we see as real and believable than what we hear?) Sound is a clue. I wade into the chaos and bring out a thrashing idea which dies in the air and becomes a corpus classification.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.45\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Door closes<\/p>\n
Seagull from tower to tower, smoke in the opposite direction<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.47\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why time it?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smoke from right to left ascending diagonally<\/p>\n
Mindfulness<\/p>\n
Diary of a clockwatcher? A man clutching at time and what about those gaps in his life \u2013 the empty vacant spaces?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.52\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pencil \u2013 pressure-proofed \u2013 black glossy hard cracked woodgrain pitted conical graphite<\/p>\n
Two specks of dust hair<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
11.54\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Actions filling the spaces<\/p>\n
Decision to include date<\/p>\n
Carry on marking time<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
241170<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
12.30pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Hunter\u2019s Log<\/p>\n
I feel like I\u2019m a hunter stalking Trueblue Self, OX, Original Face, Coyote, Buddha Nature, Great Spirit, Little Spirit<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3.00\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sitting, having completed preparations for activities tomorrow<\/p>\n
Gen-jo, the koans of daily life: washing up, pouring tea, sweeping, dusting, cleaning, wiping dry, cooking, sleeping, making love, reading, pissing, listening to music, shitting. All of these are koans, gates to paradise, paradise in themselves. Task: to enter paradise (by realising I\u2019m there) with everyone else<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.55\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smash the cup! Smash the saucer! Break away from your koan, don\u2019t let it be your prison or prisoner. Put a stone in the tea!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
In the next example narratives from the mass media (maybe radio or TV) creep into the observations, a counterpoint to the humdrum objects and events.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
051270<\/strong><\/p>\n
4.40pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fox, music, violin<\/p>\n
\u2026.and he said\u2026is the first\u2026take care of these people<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Gas fire<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.42\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026.I thought I told you to take care of them\u2026and we told him\u2026we are\u2026He said\u2026No, I mean kill them<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Guitar vibrato<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.43\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pile of books, yellow, blue, red, green, thin pale green, blue, blue, big speckled blue, open notebook, newspaper<\/p>\n
\u2026.I was a little stunned. He said, come around to this side. Get on line<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Dog sighs, head to the door, draught ruffled his coat<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.46\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026.Get on line and we\u2019ll fire into them. The people screamed and<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Gas hissing, bin piled full<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.49\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026.yelled and I guess they tried to get up too. They died<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Tumbleweed, piano, kids voices<\/p>\n
\u2026.They were pretty well shot up, messed up<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Heads, photograph, dominant grain<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.52\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Heads were separate<\/p>\n
\u2026.heads were shot off<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
Fire flickers<\/p>\n
Burn down the mission, songs<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4.55\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026.screamed. There were people in it. Then there was a shout\u2026sweep<\/em>…<\/p>\n
Photograph five figures white parallelogram<\/p>\n
Country music, yackety-yak<\/p>\n
\u2026.there were a few kids<\/em>\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Two are like haiku:<\/p>\n
091270<\/strong><\/p>\n
1.44pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke<\/p>\n
Four chimneys<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
161270<\/strong><\/p>\n
Midday\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shoe, half a shoe, ashtray, pole, curtain<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
And then a stream of questionings:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
150871<\/strong><\/p>\n
A change of emphasis. Description as darshana<\/em>, a path to enlightenment. Also questioning, a stream of questions as statements or statements as questions. To whom are they directed? To myself? To others, who one day may read this? To others as a sublimation of my desire to talk to myself? To the Great Spirit? To all the Buddhas?<\/p>\n
Are there thoughts behind all the words we speak? Is it possible for us to have thoughts and then to gain a mode of expression for them? Can there be a thoughtless thought or a wordless thought? And where does logic come in? If I say, \u201cUp is down\u201d, am I still thinking? Am I thinking in an entirely different way to when I say \u201cUp is up\u201d? What if I\u2019m in Australia, on the phone to someone in England?<\/p>\n
Who thinks? Lichtenberg: \u201cThere is a thought.\u201d Who is it who presumes authorship or ownership of a thought? Can anyone justifiably claim ownership of a thought? Is a thought a function of a relationship? Or is a relationship a function of thought?<\/p>\n
Is a book less of a book when it is shut? And more of a book when it is open? When it is read more than when it is unread? Can it be unread? Is unread a state of not-being? Or an absence?<\/p>\n
The chair is over there. Is there a chair? Is a chair a creak to which my head turns and my eyes encounter? What kind of thing is a chair? A sound we make with our mouths? A name? The chair that I sit in is quite different to the chair that I thought of sitting in, or to the one that I now think of getting up from. There is no single chair, but many chairs, in one.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
290172<\/strong><\/p>\n
As I was reading about Buffalo Cow Woman\u2019s gift of the Sacred Pipe to the Sioux, a moth, which had somehow got itself caught in a spider\u2019s web, landed on my book. Some of the web still clung to its body and it had difficulty moving about. I carefully removed most of the sticky substance, even a piece stuck to one foot, which I pulled off while the moth pulled its leg towards its body. I was pleased to see wings whirring and in the air again. Nice to be able to help one\u2019s relatives, however many times removed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During the 1970s I made a number of Observation Sculptures. They all consist of a simple process of describing what I could observe in my perceptual field at a given time. They take different forms: from lists on paper displayed … Continue reading