Weschler has written biographies on both artists. I've read his book on Irwin, Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees: Expanded Edition
twice (most recently, the recently published and expanded 20th Anniv. edition for our book club) and it's given me a buzz each time.
A promotional graphic announcing the lecture mimicks boxing poster and includes the frase "WHEN FOUNTAINHEADS COLLIDE" which is ironic given our current book club title is The Argument Culture: Stopping America's War of Words
by Deborah Tannen. I've only just begun reading the book in which Tannen enumerates and critiques the development of the confrontational and inflammatory way in which debate is framed in America, degrading any potential for informed and sensible discourse into the polarized point-counterpoint contest with which we're constantly being presented.That Weschler's book on Hockney, True to Life: Twenty-Five Years of Conversations with David Hockney
was born from the artist reaching out to the writer to dispute virtually all the assertions made by Irwin in the first book, one could imagine how such a conflict of sensibilities could easily be transformed by a CNN or FOX News into a true clashing ideology. I imagine, however, all of this is conveyed in a civil manner by the writer. I have not read the Hockney book, but I'm interested to see how Weschler handles Hockney's counters to Irwin. I got a sense from the Irwin book, particularly in the new edition, which includes the very real fray the artist had with Richard Meier in the creation of the gardens of the Getty Center,that Weschler is firmly in Irwin's camp.
Take note fellow bookclubbers, the Hockney book is on my list for possible upcoming reads. This all came to my attention by way of Tyler Green's twitter feed.
Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and stream the Weschler talk right here tonight:
Live video by Ustream
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