Vispo: Leave It At That / Selling Vispo to unlikely candidates / Reader's Bill of Right

RTomens, 2021

When is a piece of artwork finished? Oh no! Not that old conundrum. Poor Fine Artists do struggle with that question sometimes, so I hear. So I presume. Whilst those of us who live beneath the underdog are so free that we don't care - ha-ha!

Am I lying? Mebbe. I know instinctively when a piece of visual poetry is finished - and no, it's not always about just covering the page, although I have to say that working top to bottom, as I do sometimes in a fit of logic, there comes a natural end point. Guess where? That's right, at the bottom. On the subject of covering a page (and I know how interested you are in that subject), it's not always necessary to fill virtually every space. Obvious, eh? But you'd be surprised how many people think it is - 'Look, there's a space - fill it!' But if overload is the mark of an...amateur (heh-heh), then it's also the mark of an outsider who just goes ahead until there's barely a tiny space left - good luck to them. Good luck to all 'rule' breakers. Not that I know it's a rule.

All of my work runs on instinct. How could it not? I've never been taught, except for the few weeks I spent at an evening class not long after I'd started a Job because I fooled myself I could still progress in the education system but all I recall from the lessons is copying the cover to The Who's Quadrophenia album - not my finest hour, but it wasn't bad. Yes, back then I was still copying...because what was left of my imagination as a youngster had been well and truly obliterated by the everyday drudgery of factory work (at Aylesbury Frozen Foods, where I would sometimes spend a whole day just cracking eggs! Or so it seemed). 

Talking of vispo, the book is still selling well in the shop. Just this morning I sold one to a chap who seemed to be the least likely person to buy one. And what does a likely buyer look like? I dunno... Since selling books I've come to judge people by how they look less quickly. That said, many conform to type - well hey, don't we all in some way? He said he spotted it on the shelf, had a look and loved what he saw. He also loved the A4 print of a vispo piece that I've stuck above the counter. Made my day to reach someone who wouldn't have known what vispo was if someone mentioned it to him. Of that, I am sure.

And talking of things I stick up in the shop. A few weeks ago I copied out Daniel Pennac's Reader's Bill of Rights. It's proved very popular. Someone's always photographing it, so I thought I would too and share it with you.

TTFN!