When I was in high school, my art teacher made a small press out of the wringers from an old washing machine. We made some drypoint etchings on tin plates.
For examples of etching we looked at Durer and Rembrandt and James Ensor. Ensor’s
skeletons at parties were so entertaining I had to do a few dancing skeletons myself.
I didn’t think much about Ensor in the years since but when John Bjerklie told me about an upcoming exhibition at MOMA I waited with anticipation until it was mounted.
I went to see it with John an
d my daughter Gillian last week and it was just as much funas I’d expected. Our trip there included viewing Song Dong’s” Waste Not” an installation of his mother’s house and possessions and a drawing show called “Compass in Hand”.
Very powerful stuff to get ready for Ensor with.
I was impressed by the change in Ensor’s palette from warm 19th century academician to icing cold mask and skeleton paintings. But most of all it was his infl
uence on Philip Guston that was a revelation to me. It was helpful to see the connection as I find Guston difficult and Ensor very accessible while being completely
exotic.
