Page 12 - Studio International - November 1972

When he saw Edward Albee's play Baby Alice, Correspondence Tim Craig writes : The Editor of Studio
Warhol's response was eloquent: 'It's tiresome', International has been kind enough to call my
he said, 'because it's so long and drawn-out, but attention to a letter lately received from Mr
I love boring things. It appeals to me because it Graham Brown of 4 Cricketers Terrace,
is absolutely without content. It doesn't say Leeds 12. Mr Brown in his letter seeks
anything'. Similarly, the canvases and Pop Art information touching the life, work, and
films made by Warhol do not say anything. performances of 'John Fahey, the American
In the film titled Empire, one side of sculptor/performer who . . . together with an
New York's highest skyscraper is shown for six Italian cybernetic sculptor, built a
hours. In the film Sleep, the audience watches computer-controlled machine that performed
the stomach of a sleeping man for several hours. amputations upon Fahey himself.' Questionless,
The films Flesh, Trash and Kiss are full of filthy Mr Brown has confused John Fahey, an
scenes which depict with revolting naturalism American guitarist of surpassing technical
the daily lives of drug addicts, prostitutes and skill, with the only person who could represent
the other flotsam of the city. the real target of his interest: John Fare, Art's
`This Narcissus', wrote the Paris weekly Gingerbread Man or, if you like, the Stepin
L'Express about Warhol's films, 'has placed his Fetchit of self-slaughter. (Strange to say, each
mirror in a urinal, and the characters which he of Fahey's long-playing records has included
contemplates are remarkably ugly'. Such too is the word death in its title.)
Warhol's first play Pork (which in the author's John Charles Fare was born in 1936 in
original scheme was to last two hundred hours !) Toronto, Ontario. These exciting facts were
in which various tedious perverts talk about their always made available to members of his
sexual problems while showing their naked audiences, for whose benefit Fare's birth
behinds to the audience. The London Daily certificate was always displayed under glass at
Telegraph described this production as 'deadly the entrance to each of the theatres where,
dull'. over the years, he conducted his 'appearances'.
Removing man from art by any means Portions of this document have been blatantly
available — such is Warhol's main aim. Why does deleted, a circumstance which, in light of
`the father of Pop Art' find this necessary ? Fare's own highly edited state, I find very
Primarily, to affirm in artistic terms the ideals of suggestive. It is more than simple tidiness,
bourgeois society, to present the artist as the I think. As a theatre programme, it seems quite
unthinking accessory of the present-day perfect. It says : 'I went fishing once, but
`affluent and leisured society'. Warhol's tonight I cannot do that.'
smoothly-running 'factory' of modernism is a Fare attended Forest Hill Collegiate in
clear proof of the deep crisis in avant-garde Toronto, and in 1959 he came to London,
art. q [The letter below, and the attached comment by where for a time he remained as an imperfect
Translated by Alasdair Beaton Tim Craig were held over from earlier this year student at the Bartlett School of Architecture.
from motives of distaste, and for checking. — Ed.] Disappointed, he left London for Copenhagen.
This article first appeared in Literaturnaya Owing to his financial independence, a condition
Gazeta, Moscow, No. 24,14 June 1972. It John Fare you well from which he was never perfectly relieved, he
carried one illustration with the following Presently I am researching my thesis and badly was free to spawn novelties, including the first
caption: ' "The Father of Pop Art", Andy require information on 'John Fahey' the of his 'appearances'. The notable events of his
Warhol, in the soup can which brought him
American sculptor/performer who died tirocinium are perhaps less well known than
fame. What an expressive self-portrait !' knowingly as a part of his work, as I they ought to be. Nor are facts concerning this
understand it to be: and all this is hearsay : or any other period of Fare's career as generously
together with an Italian cybernetic sculptor, imparted as one might be led to expect by an
Fahey built a computer-controlled machine organization calling itself the John Fare Vital
that performed amputations. Fahey was the Information Bureau, West 56 Street, New
patient — the computer functioned in a York. A vital telephone call which I put through
completely random way. The performances to them early this morning yielded nothing
were advertised and tickets sold at £5 a throw. beyond the swirly gobblings of a certain
These performances took place in England. `Jenkins' who, possibly owing to the distance,
In total there were 6 amputations on Fahey resembled a ventriloquist in a Waring Blender,
by the machine. The final one being his head. and an unidentified pre-adamite whose
Do you have any information about these continual laughter sounded like pieces of iron
performances (they took place two years ago, thrown into a bathtub. As publicity agents, they
the death of John Fahey was mid-November are just one step ahead of the Tarbaby.
1970), John Fahey, his life and/or his work ? I have nevertheless been told by others that
Failing this could you please let me know of Fare's earliest 'appearance' gestures consisted
anyone whom you think may have ? Failing in the public removal of his clothing,
that could you please print my request in your accompanied at times by such trimmings as the
magazine asking for any known material on pressing of 'his bare arse' against the
Fahey to be sent to me at the address given ? I street-level windows of particularly genteel
do hope you may be able to help. restaurants. These high deeds nearly always
GRAHAM BROWN led to his arrest and/or hospitalization, if only
4 Cricketers Terrace because it never, apparently, occurred to him to
Leeds 12 avoid consequences, however predictable or