Philip Poburka on sun 19 aug 01
Dear Merrie,
I understand this, what you tell of...I truely do...happily do...this has
happened to me a time or two, and
I was not unhappy with it at all.
There IS the 'mistique' and it has some political life to it...and if given,
one may
accept it without too much demure.
One may even earn it, in the eyes of those who so bestow it...and that is
alrighty enough for me.
Whether is is or is not the fine-point OF the notion, the notion will define
the 'facts' sometimes, in ways that are benovelent enough to satisfy me.
When I got flooded some couple years ago, my power was ruined for almost
two
months, and things were a mess, and I could not do much here at my Shop.
Money was 'low' , and I was in some straights...
Through a serendipitous opportunity of hearing something, me and a friend
(we were on the 'Board' of an Art-Organization for the old Down Town area,
and had played back some orphan messages on the answer machine...)
learnt of how the MGM Show-Case Mall needed some 'Faux-Painters'...and
was in some drama without having them.
That these 'Painters' had to do phoney 'brushed' Aluminum finishes and black
light finishes, and touch up statues and make things look like Marble,
Granite or Sandstone...
So we amble down there...I wear some decent, 'clean' pre-war 'Work-Clothes',
my budy in Black trousers and proper Black leather shoes..white shirts with
the sleeves rolled up high...
and Cloth Caps, and we tell the superintendent that the 'Faux-Paintin' boys
are here and get the Boss.
So they say..."Oh! You men are the Artists!"
Well...everyone treated us real nice...nobody knew who the hell we were, and
truth be tolled, I never had done any 'faux-painting' anyway...but I had my
thermus of Coffee, and my Sack-lunch, and I squinted at things, and they
turned me loose, and by god I did just dandy...there was one other fellow
there who DID do this stuff, and he was my immediate 'Boss' and he was a
good Man...a good fellow...he was gracious enough to work me just as hard as
he worked himself, and we got along nice-as-pie...I was one quick-study, and
he never knew it were all brank-spankin' new to this child...'Painting' I
did know...as first rate House and Machine Painting...'Oil-Base' I
knew...this stuff was all 'latex'...(ugh...) but that was the 'rule'
now-a-days...'Osha' don't allow Real Paint these days.
There were reams of giant Blue-Prints and drawings, and elevations of how
things were
supposed to be...a whole nomenclature I did not know, but learned quick then
forgot...of what the finishes were called, 'codes' for where they went, or
changes that had been made in the intentions...lots of 'bosses' who looked
doughy and
unhappy and anxious to bestow criticism...it was a big job going on...a
lousy environment TO 'do' anything...my friend quit oweing to how unpleasant
it all was...wasteful...'Union' plumbers would scrape their ladders down a
hall that I just spent seven hours 'touching-up'...'bosses' getting pissy
about me smokeing or having me Thermus...hideous...I held my own, my buddy
said "The HELL with it!"
Well...I just managed to figure out enough, at the right sequence, with
enough judgement and good results, to where they all liked me being there
and let me
be, and I got a lot of work done...10 or 12 hour days for weeks on
end...they were on the last phase, and the pressure was on...
Got paid prompt every Friday too, when all the other stiffs got paid every
two weeks...which is what I told them it MUST be...and it was...
It was HARD work...climbing like a monkey way the hell up 25 or 30 feet, to
'touch-up' some ding or scrape or what...leaning way out, like a
'free-climber'...brush in my teeth..paper cup (or two) of Paint in my
teeth...reaching with one hand...hanging on to some 'Unistrut' abstracts
with the other and one foot
maybe on some next-to-nothing perch...to tidy up the spot...and a lot of
other stuff too, that was a mite unusual.
..they wanted me to go to Florida for their next gig, which I was plum
flattered bye...but I did not do that...
I worked through all the 'breaks'...smoked just barely
'off-to-the-side'...ate me little lunch when I WAS 'hungry', and was the
only guy they let have a 'Thermus' of coffee with me wherever I was a
working in there...
I had my ways of reminding the complascent among them that I was NOT
'one-of' their regular boys...even though the major 'bosses' kept bitching
about it off
and on...reminded me of hi-school, so far as the 'order' of things
went...'privelege' and it's status...or 'Status' and it's Priveleges...such
as they may be!...and
they ain't 'much' sometimes, but some is more than none...maybe a lot more
too, so far as morale goes.
'Artist'...
Well...gotta get bye as one may sometimes...
And that sure didn't hurt...geting to BE an 'Artist' for a while...
Phil
Las Vegas...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Merrie Boerner"
> In 1975 I moved to "Small Town Mississippi" and began my identity crisis.
> After collage years of rebellion, I had been thrown into the role of
> "lawyers wife" and "Brad's Mom" and I had to give up my cut of jeans, flip
> flops and put on a bra. This was not an easy transition, but one that I
> struggled with for about 20 years. In the mid 90's, a friend was giving
her
> husband a 50th birthday party. I dressed in black heels, black slacks and
> blouse, black gloves, black hat with black veil, black sunglasses and red
> lipstick. I entered the party late....so the room was full. Only the
hostess
> recognized me and came toward me, took my arm, lead me over to the
birthday
> boy. We passed by some ladies sitting on a couch. One said to the other,
> "Who is that ?!?!" A friend whispered, "That's Merrie, she is an
artist."
> That was one of the best parties I've ever been to !
> Merrie in Mississippi
>
| |
|
