Quentin Crisp (No.IX)
I was very fortunate to meet Quentin Crisp when I was younger. My first encounter with him made me feel very, very embarrassed. He was presenting his one man show in the Duke of York’s Theatre when he asked the audience to write questions they might like to ask him on bits of paper. I wrote my question….. After the interval he took the questions and read them out loud. Some of them where very silly, pertaining to his first sexual encounter etc…he managed to answer them in a fashion that only he knew how. He then suddenly read my question out once, then twice and declared that it was extremely interesting. He got up, looked at the audience and then asked the person who wrote the question to stand up and repeat the question to everyone. My friend who was sitting next to me told Quentin that I had written the question. He looked at me and then asked me to stand up. I was so very nervous, I wish I hadn’t written anything…...My question was….What is the first creative thing we do as humans?
From this encounter I came to know Quentin a little better. I remember being very sad when he left for New York. He was one of the most interesting people I had met in my life. I gave him a small painting as a going away present, which he told me he would keep. He still holds a special place in my heart.
This picture came out from the ice/snow series and for some reason it made me think of him.
Someone once asked him what would happen to him after life and he replied that he hoped he would be dead…..Why I thought of him today, I don’t know, you can all work that out for yourselves.
9/12 From The Ice, Snow Painting Series/Experiments…. Thanks to Pryere – for taking these photographs.
Music – Englishman In New York – Sting
12th February 2009
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sulaartist
I love your story and this work is perfect !!
coppertrees
I understand the answer about death he gave….perhaps he visited to let you know he was close…..This is beautiful Sophie
mhkantor
wonderful sophie. very cosmic. the figure and all makes me think of copernicus or galileo. hope that’s alright.
tkrosevear
Beautifully felt Sophie ;) xoxoxox
Deborah Milligan
this is absolutely beautiful sophie, and it does seem so appropriate for Quentin Crisp. Such an enigmatic man. so much more to him than surface issues. Loved the story.
Kathie Nichols
Lovely story Sophie…brilliant work of art! I see a shadowy figure standing in the snow!
Catherine Hadler
what an interesting piece, thanks for sharing