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Hunter Biden, New Millennial American Painter
“It’s Generic Post Zombie Formalism Illustration” —Jerry Saltz
“a…vaguely psychedelic vibe…Tomaselli…for dermatologist waiting rooms” —Scott Indrisek
He used the N-word in iMessage conversations with
his lawyer—Hunter Biden is an artist full of pith.
In fall, a New York exhibition will be taking place,
his pictures making tens of thousands—money won’t be traced.
As decorations they are nice, Don Kimes said of the pics.
They’re “Bed, Bath and Beyond” in style, a hotel perfect fix.
He does not paint with feeling or emotion he has said,
but straws and brushes in the making of his images.
The fine self portrait of the fifty-one-year-old-half-youth…
“is kind of trying to bring forth what is,” he calls, “the truth.”
.
.
Mr. Wise —
Not surprisingly, several lines are a labyrinthine quest for rhythm, but on the whole, I find refreshing readability here.
You will object strenuously, I know, but I nevertheless suggest in good faith the following edits to perfect the fit and wit of your rhyme:
“his pictures making tens of thousands—money won’t be traced.”
to…
his pictures making tens of thousands—spent without a trace.
and…
“They’re “Bed, Bath and Beyond” in style, a hotel perfect fix.”
to…
They’re “Bed, Bath and Beyond” in style, a sanitary fix.
and….
“but straws and brushes in the making of his images.”
to…
“but straws and brushes crafting rushes rustling in his head.”
as per Red Was Iceblue:
I appreciate the remarks of Mr. Dunn.
His first suggestion is to change “money won’t be traced” to “spent without a trace”. I suspect the reason for his preference is to achieve an exact rhyme; but it loses an important point—that the people spending hundreds of thousands for his art will not be known, or traced; perhaps some money laundering going on.
His second suggestion is to exchange “hotel perfect” for “sanitary”; but I certainly do not mean “sanitary”. However, in retrospect, even though this tennos is in its second printing, I would like to change the adjectival “hotel perfect” to “motel-perfect”…as a better “fix” for future printings, if they occur.
His third suggestion, is the most interesting. Here, for internal rhyme, external rhyme, and overt alliteration, he suggests replacing the blander “but straws and brushes…in the making of his images” by “but straws and rushes crafting rushes rustling in his head”; however, I prefer the more prosaic phrasing for the sake of “readability”; and, though most present-day readers of my poetry will miss that I consider “he has said” and “images”, one of the coups of the poem, I wonder if future readers (if there be any) will as well.
Overall, I would say the comments of Will Dunn are well done.
as per Red Was Iceblue:
Mr. Dunn’s comment that “several lines are a labyrinthine quest for rhythm” is a remarkable insight; for that is undoubtedly part of my artistic style, emulating Vergil, Milton, et alia. Both a plague, and a blessing, that “labyrinthine quest for rhythm” is my launch pad for dealing with the Universe.
Bruce, this is an apropos introduction of the as-yet little known painter. I am a bit alarmed, though, that the first couplet and the rhyme in the illustration might suggest Hunter has some pretensions as a poet in addition to those he is manifesting as a painter.
Oh, the life of the Beautiful People!
as per Wilbur Dee Case:
One of the ways Wise uses the docupoetic tennos is to briefly capture incidents, ideas, and individuals in the present moment, preferably nonconfessionally. Ironically, although he seems to have little sympathy for his subject, Wise seems to tie that in to Hunter Biden’s own artistic creed: “He does not paint with feeling or emotion…” reminiscent of the late 19th century Realists, as in Russian, French, and American literatures.
A microcosm of the world around of which its reality is made, this poem succinctly draws in images of the present time à la Postmodernist Tom Wolfe. First there are the quotes by two contemporary art critics, both checking in negatively to Hunter Biden’s art. Former truck driver, irreverent Saltz considers himself a goalie, someone who says, “It’s going to have to be pretty good to get by me.” While Indrisek’s comment accurately captures the essence of Hunter Biden’s art with his comparison to contemporary artist Tomaselli and the neat note on dermatologist waiting rooms, making his description clear, focused and ironic.
This tennos, by Red Was Iceblue (Wise’s Modernist, PostModernist and New Millennial art critic) immediately jumps in to the double standard world of social media (the modern mob), the euphemistic “pith”, and the corruption of the artworld and the Biden family generally. [This tennos focuses only on Hunter Biden’s art, and only vaguely alludes to his notorious corruption in Ukraine, Communist China, and America, with the “money” not being “traced”.] Another art critic, embedded in the poem, is Kimes, who smartly brings in contemporary business and artistic vision to lambaste Hunter Biden’s art—not that all these critics and painters themselves are without visions also critically assailable. Finally the last two couplets display Hunter Biden’s artistic goals and media, i. e., the straws and brushes. The final couplet contrasts the “fine self portrait” with “the fifty-one-year-old”, youthful only in his artistic maturity. The actual last quote of Hunter Biden’s plays off on the discrepancy between the deadpan PostModernist phrasing “kind of trying to bring forth what is” with “the truth”.
Though poetically Wise does not share the poetic vision of Sally Cook (Whitworth over Whitman, etc.), he does share her concerns about “The State of Art”, which Mr. Anderson adroitly construed as “The State o’ Fart”, Anderson continuing, “Found art should never be confused with profound art”, yet noting Ms. Cook’s “dung heaps will not last”, Anderson notes that they have “already lasted far too long”. Wise certainly suggests it is important that poets unabashedly take on contemporary attitudes—wherever found—shallow or profound, hallowed or aground, and does so here in a tennos.
I like the direction sought here, but I only want to wryly comment that I thought Hunter Biden was only interested in …performance art. Heh. Shudder.
But unjustifiably priced art, yeah, a great way to launder money. Good observation.
Daniel Kemper: Bio Blurb
by Cal Wes Ubideer
He is, as he might say, an unaccomplished man of sorts,
who crossed the bridge of no return connecting Sachong’s shores,
who carried forth an acolyte’s cross in rose-fingered dawn,
who, at the gates of hell, heard in the garden of Rodin,
some poetry at midnight—some supposed Atropia?
who touched the bones of Dinkenesh, preEthiopia,
who climbed Masada long before the Sun’s burn beat above,
who walked the Pamlico barefoot—What was he thinking of?
who brought two kids into the world, and took one father out,
who wrote words when there was no one who he could tell about…
Your acronyms are showing, Dr. Lecter…
🙂
as per Dr. Weslie Ubeca:
“Actually, anagrammatically, Dickensian mad…”