1.

Abstraction Գ Surrealism

            The conflict between the theories of surrealism Գ
of pure abstraction leads many to look upon one as
black Գ bad Գ the other as white Գ good.

            Yet it seems to me that a good work of art
has always contained both abstract Գ surrealist
elements – just as it has both classical Գ romantic
elements (order Գ surprise?)

            An artist should use all his powers,
Գ the intellectual ordering and designing of the work.
when he takes up ^{picks up} a brush or chisel he does not cease to be
a reasoning being - Գ the intellectual ordering Գ designing of
the work within its medium, Գ _Ʌ^its critical control will be
necessary, but the subconscious perhaps plays a greater part
in the creation of the fullest works of art.

            (The Surrealist theory) or) Surrealism is widening the
field of contemporary art Գ is giving more freedom to the
artist (Գ _Ʌ^perhaps what is not unimportant, - stretching the appreciation
of the public, (by shock tactics))

            Pure Abstraction, is re-establishing fundamental laws,
bringing back form to painting Գ sculpture.

            There are many products of surrealism which I
personally dislike, - chaotic jumbles, paintings that are badly
mixed salads of literary fancy; pornographic shock stuff, and
the echoes of the nineties (Beardsley) decadence. But
equally unimportant to me are the empty decorations
produced in the name of abstraction.

Decoration Գ Abstraction

2.

pallet, Գ is pleasingant tasteful decoration, Գ the other which is much
more, a charged up concentration,. Գ They are the results of two
very different approaches or aims (attitudes in the artist.)

one, to make a pleasing harmony of nice shapes Գ colours,
designed Գ ordered within the given area to; ^_____ aAn exercise
in taste Գ two dimensional design, producing at its best,
lovely decoration.

With    The other attitude _Ʌ^{the artist} also aims at ordering Գ relating forms Գ colours within his space, yet (^Գ added to the two dimensional
design is a three dimensional vision (though ü not necessarily a 3 dimensional
illusionist technique)) But there is a more keyed-up tension
within him, Գ forms Գ colours must be created and ordered,
to the satisfaction Գ expression of this powerful emotional.
(He may _Ʌ^even use forms and colours which in themselves, taken from
their context, are harsh and unpleasant.)

Such work will get its meaning (its effect) from ^the unity ^the (unified ^{Գ total}
effect) of its colour Գ form Գ not by literary reminiscences of
its parts, (The literary association of its subject matter) But its
unity will also have a surprise within it Գ a life of its own,
^{And this} which for most people will be ^{may make it} too intense, to hang upon
the wall of a living room, there to serve as a distinguished
decoration _Ʌ^or as a restful pleasing change to the eye.ø

3.

“Drawings for Sculpture”

            Often I draw just for the enjoyment of
drawing but _Ʌ^{most times} I draw mainly as a help towards making sculpture;-
as a means of generating ideas for sculpture, as a way
of sorting out _Ʌ^sculptural ideas Գ developing them. Also, sculpture
compared with drawing is a slow means of expression, Գ so
drawing is useful as an outlet for ideas which there is not
time enough to realise as sculpture.  And I use drawing as
a method of study Գ observation of natural forms. But

            But the th difference there is between the _Ʌ^{mediums of} drawing Գ
of sculpture should not be forgotten. A sculptural idea which
may be satisfactory as a drawing always needs alteration
when translated into actual sculpture. At one time, whenever
I made ^did drawings for sculpture I tried to give them make them
as much representations of real sculpture as I could, that
is I drew by the method of illusion, of light falling on
a solid object – But to make the drawing so complete a
substitute (for the sculpture) _Ʌ^may weakens the desire to do the
sculpture or make it only a dead realisation of the drawing.
So _Ʌ^that I now prefer to leave myself a wider latitude in the
interpretation of the drawing, Գ so ^{Գno longer} do not ^try make them
into  ^{to make them complete} illusions of actual sculpture……..

            Sometimes I begin a drawing _Ʌ^{more in the a surrealistic way} with no
preconceived problem to solve, with only a desire to use pencil
on paper, Գ make lines, tones Գ shapes with no conscious aim,
but as my mind takes in what is so produced, a point
arrives where some idea crystallises Գ then a control
Գ ordering takes place until the whole has reached as
satisfying a completion as I can [?????] ^{give it} or the impetus
has worked itself out.

Surealism Գ Abstraction

Questions 4 Գ 5 continued                                                                                                                    4

surprise, - form and content, - classical and
romantic,- intellect Գ imagination, - conscious and
subconscious, are present in the same work,

{this poem appears to have been added by someone other than HM}

In the picture in my mind

the boy holds a rose, he has plucked the petals off,

the woman gathers the petals plucked from the rose,

the man watches the flight of a bird across the marshes

and I twist a piece of lead in my fingers

In the picture

the boy is saying “mother, I will fetch you more roses”

the woman is saying “what are these in my hands?”

the bird cries, the man says “bread for the hungry,

                        bread for the hungry.”

Abstraction Գ Surrealism.                                                                   

                        It seems to me that all good art contains _Ʌ^{has always contained} both
surrealist Գ Abstract elements – (just as great artists in the past
have both classical Գ romantic elements in their work) so
that ^{it is not surprising} we find that some of the work of the most important _Ʌ^contemporary artists
working today can be claimed by both schools.

            And I think The first inception of a painting or sculpture,
may begin from either end/^{As far as my own experience is concerned,}
2   ^{[??? ???]} more the surrealist way Taking myself, I sometimes begin a drawing
with no preconceived problem to solve, with only a desire
to use pencil on paper, Գ make lines, tones, Գ shapes with
no conscious aim, ( but ( as my mind takes in the what is so
produced ) a point arrives where some idea ( becomes conscious )
Գ crystallises Գ then a control Գ ordering takes place until the
whole has reached as satisfying a completion as I can reach or Գ
the impetus has worked itself out.

  1   more the abstract way.     Or I sometimes begin ^start with a set subject,
or to produce an idea for a piece block of stone of known
dimensions, Գ _Ʌ ^{begin aim [?? ??]} consciously attempt to build _Ʌ^an ordered relationship
of forms, which shall express themy idea.

To work _Ʌ ^{to the letter, consciously excluding [??????] to any}  A theory so completely that it ^{is a cramping limitation to the artist [????] means the danger of [?????????]  limited.}

Consciously to work to a theory that limits an artist

An artists theory is no good                But somewhere a jump takes place ^But in my mind
                                                                which I cant explain as a step by step logic Գ

            (I don’t mind which way I begin providing
the work at the end its conclusion is) [?????]                        whichever way the drawing _Ʌ ^{or [?????????????] the} is started

one begins to work sooner both ways come into the
completed one eventually used.