David Seymour and Me: part 3

And ACT's spokesperson for the Arts

Talofa friends

I mentioned in the previous installment of this saga that I have not read ACT’s latest press release for fear it would lodge itself in my brain like some awful nest of maggots. Since then, I have read Stuff’s recent article, which does allow me a voice. I did happen to read one sentence which quoted ACT’s Art spokesperson, Todd Stephenson:

“With a new government looking to spending cuts at low-value departments, Creative New Zealand is tempting fate.”

What else can I do at a time like this, but write?

***

Dear David and also greetings to your spokesperson for the Arts,

Oh dear.

We are still struggling with that scary poem of mine, aren’t we? And now it seems Art in general is in trouble.

Let’s see if I can help.

Let me start with a few quotes from artists I’m hoping you have heard of. If you haven’t, David, then I’m hoping against hope, that your Arts, Culture and Heritage spokesperson, Todd Stephenson, has.

These quotes are equivalent to U.E. English level, so I promise it will not be too taxing.

(Please tell me that Todd has this qualification, at least!)

Never mind, let’s forge ahead regardless. I’ll make it as simple as I can.

The two artists I refer to, are very famous writers and poets from the English tradition – who also happen to be white – so, I hope that makes you feel more comfortable, than, for example, if I were to use quotes from writers of colour. Or, god forbid, indigenous writers.

I refer to the much-lauded Oscar Wilde and Jeanette Winterson. One of them is a white man, from that much disenfranchised, discriminated-against group that you yourselves belong to.

I have tried to find someone you can relate to. I want you to feel comfortable.

So, let’s start with Oscar Wilde, who said:

“If a man approaches a work of art with any desire to exercise authority over it and the artist, he approaches it in such a spirit that he cannot receive any artistic impression from it at all…The more completely he can suppress his own silly views, his own foolish prejudices, his own absurd ideas of what Art should be, or should not be, the more likely he is to understand and appreciate the work of art in question.”

Wilde goes on to say, “The moment he seeks to exercise authority he becomes the avowed enemy of Art and of himself.”

Do you see yourself in these words, Todd?

Let me remind you of your own words:

“With a new government looking to spending cuts at low-value departments, Creative NZ is tempting fate.”

Goodness me, Todd, are you ascribing to Creative New Zealand  - the main funder of artists in this country – low-value?

Are you threatening Creative New Zealand  – and thereby the livelihoods of thousands of artists all over this country – because of … hang on, let me get this right … because I wrote a poem?

Oh Todd, Oscar Wilde is correct, you are indeed

The Avowed Enemy of Art.

Perhaps Jeanette Winterson can offer us some hope, let’s listen to what she has to say:

“The ignorant, the lazy or the plain confused are not likely to want to admit themselves as such. We hear a lot about the arrogance of the artist but nothing about the arrogance of the audience. The audience, who have not done the work…will glance up, flick through…then snap their fingers and walk away like some monstrous Roman tyrant.”

David, does that ring any bells for you?  

If (after nearly a year of struggling with my poem) you are yet to understand that poetry

is not to be read literally, like you would read a recipe or a court order.

If the figurative and the symbolic still elude you

If you can do no more than snap your fingers, walk away and leave poor hapless Todd to try and read a poem

Then, you sir, are indeed

A monstrous Roman tyrant.