Page 33 - Studio International - March 1974

You just say, 'well, I haven't the faintest clue', Chirico. You see, I mean, look at what he's call them (tutorials). And the only response I got
and they think you're an idiot. In fact he said, produced. You see all that stuff he's done is tripe. was from the Slade who suggested we make
`you're a con-man.' And you are. Every artist I don't know. Chirico was a funny bloke. He that. So I went there, and you know, I went
is. Some are better con-men than others. You've used to go around with this enormous dog. But, back very distressed. I spent my whole time
got to get away with it somehow. I mean, one why this volte face ? Why should he decry ? taking coffee with the staff and I didn't see the
knows the history of art. And been through the AG: What really you are saying is that to keep students. There's been many bad artists.
whole thing. Every single bugger was a sort of going you've got to keep your nerve. There are hundreds of bad artists who are
con-man, and some of them were more RH: Very much so. universally recognized. Take someone like Paul
successful than others, there's no doubt about it. AG: The thing is that once, as far as keeping Nash, he's vastly overrated. And even the better
There's the tragic case of Cezanne. Plodding your nerve, you do whatever you do, and that's ones, like Mathew Smith, they're overrated.
along year after year, sending in to the Salon what you do. And you may not be able to keep AG: Do you think Rheinhardt's useless ?
with no success; not even accepted and his that sort of nerve. They don't go hand in hand. RH: I think everybody's useless. I think an
wife using the things to put round the stove RH: A lot of people get pulled down. artist is born by some accident. I mean, I think
and goodness knows what else. He's a classic they're born not bred. That's what the art
case. Then you get these, as I wrote somewhere, RH: When I was up having a cure at Saint schools are trying to do, breed the fuckers.
you get these people who have a jinx and they're Paul's it was a place called the Priory, and AG: The trouble with art schools, they make
persuaded to give it up by someone or other, I thought well, while I'm here I might as well it respectable. Education is a respectable way of
or by their wives. The classic example was de do one of these things called, I forget what they spending money on art.

119