Emotional outpoorings (according to Wackenroder)

The party was definitely hot, and lively.

People were hanging around the pool, drinking heavily and talking rubbish.
One of them - I think it was the Pope - said something like this:
One day he wanted to paint a real picture, something magnificent and everlasting.
Eternal. Just like this.

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It would be absolutely uncompromising, yet appeal to the popular art market.

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We were rather sceptical: could this be done?
Wouldn’t it be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle- as the bible says.
But maybe he´s a Messiah , who knows?

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The annoying prattle of the crowd returned. I heard Led Zeppelins’ "Stairways to heaven"playing in the background. Somebody  was quoting Christopher Marlow "Let us paint black streams at the horizon to signify the slaughter of the gods!"

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Then the pope spoke again. At first quite gentle, almost whispering.
"No more of this spitted out ingenious bullshit!"

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Then louder:
"No more to all of this unthinking bullshit and unending arbitrariness!
No more to anything goes, to anything is art, to everybody is an artist!
End with all the pseudo-philosophical profoundness in the art!
End with the contrary of art as art!
End with the honest helplessness!"

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And then he screamed  so loud that I felt embarrassed and had to turn away;as people starred in our direction.
"Down with Cezanne!"
And even louder, with froth on his mouth:
"Down with Duchamp and all of his epigones. Down with those free riders Warhol and Koons!"

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After a short break, and not as loud he resumed
"Let us try to restore the honesty of art, or at least its seriousness!"
Then he babbled something about a new attitude towards work, craftsmanship and sweat, I think he was quite drunk.

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Then again he screamed:
"Chase away all these jugglers, entertainers, pseudo-shamans, intellectual conmen and niche-searchers from the temple of art!
Show these fake room-installers and interior-designers their limits, that not everything is art!
Teach the newcomers 10 semester of modesty!"

He ranted on making similar statements, but then suddenly slumped down and fell asleep.
At the crack of dawn we went home,troubled, but deeply moved.

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Wieland Jürgens