Little Pieces from Big Stars
The piece consists of some musical notation. The semi-trained eye reckons it may be a D minor chord with a major seventh added, but since the creator of this chord is Robert Fripp there is no real reason to believe that it should be anything that simple. If we could turn this piece of sheet music over - if it wasn't framed and hanging on the wall at Flowers East - we would be able to read the following thought for the day: 'Something has gone terribly wrong. Because of that, many things have gone terribly wrong. Because of that, everything may go terribly wrong.'
It's true. Something has gone terribly wrong (the war in the former Yugoslavia); because of that many things have gone terribly wrong (for example, nearly half of the children in Sarajevo have witnessed someone being killed); because of that everything may go terribly wrong (traumatised by war this generation will grow up to...what?...repeat the whole cycle of violence?) The charity War Child aims to help treat the psychological scars of war on children, and to raise money for its music therapy division, rock stars were asked to donate works for exhibition and auction. The curator, Brian Eno, suggested that works be kept very small. (Eno is very interested in setting parameters.) Hence 'Little Pieces from Big Stars'. The response was impressive. Works arrived from David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Bono, The Edge, Bryan Ferry, Iggy Pop and George Michael, amongst others.
The first work that struck me was Kate Bush's piece, mainly because it had flashing red lights on it. Two black boxes, each with a red light flashing on and off in its centre, looked like some mutant offspring of 70s LED watch technology. The works were titled Someone Lost at Sea Hoping Someone in a Plane Will Find Them and Someone In a Plane Hoping to Find Someone Lost at Sea (all works 1994). Halfway through the private view one of the lights went out. Accidentally, probably, but very effectively.
Eno's own Arms and Legs of the Superheros was a jumble of limbs ripped from toy dolls of the Masters of the Universe ilk. It might have been a comment on that initial feeling of impotence that hits you when faced with a situation like the one in Sarajevo. It was certainly strangely sensuous for something made of plastic biceps. Iggy Pop provided a set of photo-booth self-portraits each bearing a message - variations on 'good morning', 'good afternoon', or 'good luck' - and all framed as a vertical strip, echoing Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' video. The nearest thing the exhibition had to a masterpiece was signed C.R. Watts (no, not Curly, Charlie): a piece of notepaper from the Westin Hotel, Winnipeg, and on it a biro sketch of a phone in a 2" x 2" biro frame, underneath that the simple question 'Dear Brian, Small Enough?'
As at all charity auctions, people applauded wildly whenever anyone paid a significant amount of money for anything. This became slightly sickening, since the applause seemed to be directed towards the amount of disposable income available rather than the buyer's generosity. Despite some inspired work, it was inevitably the market that proved, if there was any doubt, that 'Little Pieces' was being viewed as a collection of music memorabilia, not art. The big money went to the big pop names. A woodcarving by McCartney fetched £12,500 amid dismissive grunts from some tables (but not, one assumes, from Sarajevo). Bowie's works - prints from an imaginary play 'We Saw a Minotaur' - was sold around the £5,000 mark. Bono's music box, titled 'When You Wish Upon a Star', made £1,800 - surprisingly little considering the box contained his 'Fly' sunglasses and a gold American Express card in the name of Paul Hewson valid till 06/97. (The Edge's piece only made £300, confirming the continuation of the cult of the singer.) It was also odd to see George Michael's sketches for the cover of 'Faith' go for only £840. If that isn't pop history, what is?
The truth is that most of those who exhibited shouldn't give up their day job. But - guess what? - none of them had any plans to. The auction raised over £56,000, and that's the bottom line.
