Page 35 - Studio International - March 1973

THE PAINTER'S ALIBI
I have often been the narrator' of my own attempts to realize the
work which I know I want to create. I have utilized this practicable
mental dissociation, which is natural, everyone has experimented
with it — even if, used to excess, it can lead to the split personality
well known in psychiatry — in a domain where, scrupulously applied,
there is some chance of it being instructive for me. I realize that on
my own I shall probably never see this enterprise through, the
enthusiastic observer being inclined to take the place of the object of
his study, or else the experience of the artistic activity disturbing, by
contagion, my neutrality and my objectivity in the matter.
I have imagined to myself having a Watson who would keep my
records up to date and pillage my archives 2. Being at the time
uncertain of my project I resolved to carry it onto a different plane : I
associated my work with a fictitious character, the painter Florent
Max, hoping by this increase in fiction to discover the detachment of
mind needed to observe the behaviour of a painter from which I
want to keep my distance'. I also used this method for 'Le Récit'
(The Account) 4 which was made up in the same way as the
'26 Cahiers' (26 Exercise Books), both of which bring together what
I could at the time call the complete account of my activity'.
Things might perhaps have rested there if a close friend s had not
given me the first manuscript pages of his novel entitled 'The
Imitation of Jean Le Gac' to read, which I can today deposit in
the file.
Jean Le Gac

1 (...) 'he made references, invisible camouflage on the 2'I am looking for my Watson ... to keep my archives up to its existence in, the body of this review composed by
ground as if he were trying to conceal the traces of his date... but I don't have the time'. (Reply to a public several authors. So I will deliberately skip the details
activity to be deciphered'. (Extract from a dispatch, May inquiry in Uomini e ldee nos. 23/25). concerning myself and also the qualificatives that I have
1969. Reproduced in Mail Art Communication a Distance recognized as disturbing this procedure of adherence to
'Right Bank Gallery. (Appeared in Cedic publications,
Concept, J. M. Poinsot, published by Cedic). a textural image.' (Extract from "Le Récit' — newspaper
Jean Le Gac/Florent Max preceded by Echo Images, by
'Please consider as a negligible quantity whatever.... cuttings from 1969 to 1971, Jean Le Gac, published by
J. M. Poinsot).
may say about an activity which he has been engaged Hossmann, Hamburg).
upon since the spring' (Extract from a letter of 10 March 'Document 5, Kassel. (Fragment reproduced in Flash Art
1970. Reproduced in Uomini e Idee no. 23/25, Naples). no. 36, Milan). 'This account pieced together like a work 'Kunstmuseum, Lucerne. Templon Gallery, Milan,
(...) 'we were now avoiding that course ... leaving him garment, is made out of bits and pieces of paper cut from Templon Gallery, Paris. Document 5, Kassel. ("26
to that idiotic occupation, veritable mental suicide'. various newspapers, hence its fragmentary nature. The Cahiers', April 1968-September 1971, published
(Reproduced in Art in France —A New Generation, by subject which stands out here is at the same time figure complete in the catalogue of the Museum of Lucerne,
Jean Clair, published by du Chêne, appeared in Chorus and reader: Florent Max (and not myself) has for civil March 1972).
nos. 8/9, Paris). status that possible entity which identifies with, and has 6.JM
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