MUSEUM JOURNAL 1967
(double-cross interrogation)
Engels: image of an image
your description
english more and more
(in holland for the time being) one of the
most outspoken figures
in a field known to you – perhaps the
most outspoken.
He is already finished with himself
I.e.: everything (note: everything)
is for him a done deal –
I.e.: thinking problems
are not an issue for him, if they
are there – then this is rucksichtlos
(go ahead – an expensive word against it
accepted by him and put on
his (insane) sensible relativizing
way and / or by such
such problems willy-nilly from the way
(which indeed requires a great
courage).
this freewheeling is the great strength of
english.
for himself engels has reached the
ideal situation for him, that
he (for himself) can and wants to do what he
can and will do, what he wants and can
do or not
english said and says: ‘english makes
his english products to amuse himself and
amuse you (amusing means
amuse at the same time – last
word has for him a double
meaning. Engels by the way often sees
a double or multiple meaning
in words, formulations, formations
and situations) english works (when he
works) with data
basically with:
any
any
any
every
every
each
every
(to be filled in as you think fit)
and thus provides a proof or worse
even a hypothesis
incoming message:
engels smokes 77 lucky strikes
(cigarettes) per 24 hours/ moreover
he sleeps around the clock
round the clock/
as you read this – smokes engels
or sleeps engels/
his executive work is bad(s)
dosing –
causing an incident
and his specialty is making
the right choice for him.
that makes him, among other things, an idea-
He collects the data
he wants to work with and forms
a conclusion or an idea.
at the same time he is aware
that through other formations and
dosages he could have come to a different
conclusion – this
correspond to his thesis
(thesis he (you) have, anyway)
anyway):
ENGELS FORMATION:
ultimately the code of laws consists of
a succession of loose
words; regrouped it forms, for example, a pornographic work
engels expresses this most clearly
expressed in his series of restored furniture (1963-1964)
given: 1 chair
2 hands with 1 saw (mark: pigeon)
situation: 1 summer night
sound: radio caroline
recreation
ingr.: 1 liter of milk
77 lucky strike cigarettes
conclusion:1 engels products epo
cat.b: restored furniture price f 750.-.
engels cuts an arbitrary ( a concept
which does not exist for him – through the
action you make a choice – the
only consequence of not
not to saw does not work either and then
still: engels likes to saw) the chair into
x-number of pieces.
The deviation is this: engels
does not attach the chair fragments to each other in a
in a different way – he
puts the chair back together like a jigsaw puzzle
like a jigsaw puzzle by means of dab-
and sprays the chair in a non-colour (the colour of staples.
color (the color of staples. The
The result is breathtaking – his
breath bottled (English used air) is still
still available at f 10.-. per fl.
at engels products org. By the way
wants engels with this act
annex formation nothing
other than to show what
see:
a chair sawn through: a recovered
chair
in his other works such as the
spatial objects in formica
(obstacles), assemblages (formica
wall objects with furniture fragments
ments), curtain-pieces (formica
wall objects with plastic curtains),
letter-pieces (wall objects with
folding shutters with on them
name plates with short, dull
cliche texts), girls’coat pieces
blamages a jim dine) (formica
wall objects with coat hooks with
hung on them or twisted
draped and fiked 1 coat),
prototypes (comparatively conservative
to be called conservative wall and floor
objects in monochrome Formica with
minimal interruptions to the surface by
saw cuts and reliefs)
Engels (current) ground options
thesis options does not immediately come through (for
the viewer)
in these works too there is only
of showing what is
to be seen and that is:
portraits of pictures
it is no different with his so-called
special offers:
wonder events – such as:
engels used air a f 10.-. per fl.
engels cuts every valid banknote
a f 10.-.
engels damages your car à f 25.-.
engels damages your car nicely à
100.-. etc
i.e.: engels values destruction and
construction equally or:
engels constructs destruction and
vice versa
the already mentioned not directly
options coming through of engels’
theorem can be experienced in his
prototypes (repetition: by engels
himself called conservative.
i, ie: simon es, once read: ‘the
first revolutionary has numerous
conservative traits’ or something
something like that, who wrote it I
Who wrote it I have forgotten – probably a conser-
vative figure.
engels, however, confesses and denies
both –
angels says:
after engels comes the avangarde
after engels comes engels
(prototypes) the engels intervention in
the given surface format is in
complete contradiction with the
created impression – the seemingly
mathematical impression.
the intervention is impulsive and is
partly determined by material
difficulties, the fatigue of
engels while sawing (which is
probably the main reason,
that there is little to see in said
engels products) moreover, engels
that whatever he does is always good
him is always good or good enough –
what he finds very annoying
is this, that the only thing he is not yet
is not capable of: making
bad engels products, within-
he is going to deal with that at length.
extensively with it.
so look out for the first
epo show of bad engels
products
(including a series of bad portraits
of jules de corte)
This brings us straight to a very important
important facet of english: luxury
He already formulated his
as such: engels products – last
luxury
It is an extremely decadent and luxurious
luxurious state of mind from which
engels thinks and works – profligacy:
sawing through good furniture,
cutting up valid bank
bills, abusing expensive
coats, arousing irritation, wanting and being
want and be able to afford
write badly written books
write poorly written books, damage new cars
damage, want to deliver bad products.
products.
according to engels, he has the power
of the deviation, the negative and
unfavorable (compared to) the established
so-called good standards) discovered by
means of his sometimes bad
speaking, which at the same time gave him a
feeling of superiority
and (this luxury): his
consistent inconsistency ) from
this luxurious mentality comes his
production, which deviates strongly
from the hitherto known art
expressions.
while visual artist x
works feverishly on image
building by means of a spoken
spoken genre work and what
usually does not change radically over the years
changes radically over the years, whereby
commercial reasons are not
Engels is the opposite of this
the following in contrast:
because of his work with ideas
this has the consequence that engels works in
series (new collections) of english
products, which often differ radically
differ radically from one another.
The spectator who, in the course of
used to a certain image of engels in his works
image of engels in his works-
is confronted with the launch of engels’ new
new collection is confronted with
something that often no longer
no longer corresponds to his just
formed idea of the image of
engels and that makes him insecure.
that is what engels actually
wants – to take the solid ground
away as far as he is concerned, to make himself
elusive to anyone
and at the same time to state,
that an opposing mentality
has reason to exist and does exist –
i.e.: seen from the existing
(fixed) pattern of thought a
negative or unfavorable
way of life and thinking, of which
a commercial and not only
commercial power.
(repetition)
everything is possible according to engels
provided you apply the right dosage
(that doesn’t exist either) and then also
with conviction – a feigned
conviction, these are the ingredients
to turn nothing into Fl 10,000?
from nothing?
founding of engels products
organization in october ’64 )ge-
registered with the english chamber of commerce)
commerce) has at least a
double meaning – the creation
creating an image of an image – i.e:
a portrait (painted in the Engels
style) of a well-oiled trading organization
organization –
began as a charitable organization and
currently evolving into a truly
truly commercial organization
with future shareholders
and annual dividend payments,
on the other hand
started in 1964 as a commercial
organization and, for England, it
ended up as a farmer’s organization
or an image of an image.
in addition to the manufacture of his
engels products, engels works in a
in a similar way to the creation and
formulate the engels figure-
that is: he creates his success
is his manager, is his sales
promoter, is his publicity man
and boycotts himself.
At the same time he sees this image-
building separate from himself and separate from
his works.
For him the engels character is
is an english product.
It works with a reversed effect-
the custom that one’s results in
whatever gives you an idea of
the figure in question – engels sees
that this is in direct contradiction
with the appreciation from the outside.
you want and see only the clearly
successful figure and sees his work
his work as a success at the same time.
in fact it leaves you cold (bad
exceptions)
there is only a need for an idol-
engels creates himself.
engels creates himself an idol-
engels
as a favourable factor for your jest-
morale, english also supplies
products of excellent quality.
By exposing his mentality
mentality in this way, engels continually provokes
irritation and aggression from many critics and
critics and spectators. Engels is
in their eyes as a smooth
oiled wrestler without any
grip and with an inward
turned inwards poker face.
With binoculars they stare
at engels’ deviation.
Intended solely as a joke
(begins) engels with a boycott from
critics and for certain collectors
eliminating the possibility
to buy an engelsproduct.
soon english will only be written
be written about engels
or by me, simon es
Received notice:
soon big show of
works of simon es/
this show can be ordered at engels
products org./109 valeriusstraat/
amsterdam/ phone (020) 734811
-For the sake of completeness
text by simon es from the catalog on
occasion of the manifestation in
zeist (july ’65)
engels products’does not want to be more
(wants to be everything) than an extract from
a period pieter engels; a period
determined by the intangibility
of everything that happens.
not a new point of view.
engels reads life (also) in eg.
libelle’s lieve lita/ Jules verne/ the
literary magazine x/ burroughs (never
read)/ the advertising page/
marquis de sade/ the telegraph/
mickey spillane and the day’s locker/
tv tv tv tv tv/ the bible + the father-
country history. Engels will follow
a.o. a written course in short
writing short stories at the nti in
lead.
you, dear reader, can add to the list
complete the list; engels hears and sees
everything and has no other opinion
about it other than: his opinion dependent
made by the time of
conversation e.g., the place, the situation,
the weather, the number of
persons, male or female
and the kind of interlocutor.
his opinion pliable as chewing-
knowing that this is the only
correct opinion: accepting
of the other.
that art forms are a facet of
reality into an independent
reality, which appropriately in
the whole is a lie. ie:
that one must be content
with the situation as it is
However, these forms resp.
formers also determine reality as a whole.
everything exists by the grace of
the grace of whatever factors
factors are all equally important
because without a certain factor
existence as it is now, is unthinkable
or : becomes another reality.
becomes.
Therefore: everything is propagated,
everything must be propagated,
because everything exists, does not exist without
reason exists, the without reason
existence is also reason.
That e.g. Pop art is ridiculous, that
expressionism is ridiculous, that
neo-gothicism is ridiculous-
that painter, you name it, is ridiculous
as long as he paints-
thinking that he paints important.
Everything that is done is (equally)
important or: equally important
painting better and best e.g. Is a
fiction and exists by the grace of a
group of so-called art experts, who
eventually appointed themselves to be art experts.
have appointed themselves as art expert.
This too, part of what
once was and is – also determines
life.
engels accepts the
reality
(does simon es exist – yes or no?)
what is the reason for engels’ thunderous-
standing rush to the top? A summit
is english by the grace of engels.
ie: engels is a born top figure.
Not for nothing did e. already formulate:
after engels comes engels. ie: after
1 face of e. come quadratic-
are 1001 faces: engels is
elusive. + after engels comes the
avant-garde – speaks for itself.
engels’ irresistible rush to
the top – he doesn’t do this to the
He does not do this to society, when he
soon to reach the so-called
The society clarifies
society elevates angels to a position of excellence.
is like a natural phenomenon and equally
irresistible. e. is truly the
man with the golden hands, is
really the man with the golden
brain. Objects touched by these golden
hands give them the
value they really possess-
i.e., his sight makes them precious
like, say, grenades. Speak with engels
and you go away with a head full
gold or 1 promille of his un-
mettle wealth (haughtiness) –
engels smokes lucky strike and is
addicted to the card game and
obsessed with one card: the joker.
engels is a joker, e. is an always
key, e. locks your and his
game with his sprightly dead-
doers. A solution, too.
for a question which for you and me
is at issue
SIMON ES
( A [ DISTORTING ]
MIRROR FOR THE
UPPERDOG)
ENGELS =
ART UNLIMITED
( …………………………………………………………………………………………)
– ( after wandering about in many directions)
– after using and discovering known and unknown ( or known
and unused) media in the visual arts, sometimes outside the
traditional medium: “ orthodox “ painting –
– isn’t it just possible –
– that engels (now and / or in the future) will (short) circuit
the vicious circle (action-reaction, reaction-action, etc)
(short): (also means temporary)
by once again using the medium of painting which has (now)
become engels ‘new rage.
*
anyway: this rediscovery (like the rediscovery of your own
wife (after all: isn’t truth always there for the seeing)) of a
medium – in no way excludes engels’ use of other media ().
– it just causes a redoubled activity in his brain. ( such as
listening with fresh admiration to a revival of a straight and
uncomplicated rock star: (e.g. jerry lee lewis)
*
*
Partly on account of engels’ ineradicable need (for certain
groups of people (sic): this isn’t a 20th century need) to be
an unbridled individualist – which for him means – : unique,
suberb, unassailable, elusive, universal and above all,
inimitable (i.e. ever on the run from everyone and himself)
-within the elastic framework of art – : a thought born of
a brain utterly obsessed by an aspiration and a ambition to
achieve even the absolute impossible.
-making visible, making it known, now leave him no other
choice but to do it by means of the restricted medium of
painting together with any other medium whatsoever (then
promptly abandoning this medium when the time seems fit
-as no single medium can be of any last(ing) use for engels
to reveal the workings of his thousandfold schizophrenic
brain – engels needs a thousand media or an unlimited
universal (unknown) medium)
*
– engels says: ‘the impact of art is unchangeable’
– engels says: ‘the impact of art is unchangeable art’
– engels says: ‘the medium is not de message’
– engels says: ‘the message is the medium’
*
*
(e.g. a creative hand guided or not by a brain choosing or
assuming a standpoint – a creative hand transforming ideas
into images, or not an/no emotion resulting or not from
an/no idea.
()
-( exposing to ridicule all the fashionable, fascist, dogmatic
standpoints taken up by various artistic sects which want
to banish emotion and subjectivity ( or vice versa) ( or what-
ever else) to verify a – shit theory- to verify a spasmodic
and ever questionable, unreal mentality – : () (the defensive – (aside):
lines around ramparts about the undermined)
*
*
*
(after all)
– everyone making himself out to be an artist and, for
example, unable or unwilling to paint a hand – a head –
a landscape – etc -:
– everyone making himself out to be an artist and, for
example, able or willing only to paint a hand – a head –
a landscape – etc -:
– everyone making himself out to be an artist and never
once cherishing the desire to do or propose something
different to what he’s been doing for ages – and never
going to be able or willing to propose this action –
is a handicapped artist
– i.e. no artist at all
– because art is as valid as the pest
– you even have to use the limbs (possibilities) which you
don’t possess.
– (you then plump far an artificial limb or prosthesis)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
engels therefore considers saying:
– “ much (98%) of present day (past and present) art is
bogus art. (formed by an interminable series of dead and
specializations, ( e.g. it should be enough for mondriaan,
klein, Oldenburg etc. to visualize a limited idea in a limited
number of works. every overdose is no longer a creative
product, but instead a commercial product))
– this means to engels: the superficial image of present day
art is a richly variegated scene – like a mosaic with innumerable
interlocking pieces. ()
– all these little pieces, however, which make up this
(incomplete) picture are individually formed or loaded by
various individuals and /or groups who again from the point
of view of conceptions, principles, style and contemplations
are after each other’s throats.”
*
– (aside): (a great (grey) part of every art scene in every
age is shaped and dictated by academic schools
of thought. Whether or not the are aware of it,
followers of such trends boycot other people’s
intellectual environment)
– (aside): similarly, a great (grey) part of the present day
art scene is shaped and determined by academic
styles (but it is the avant garde and so-called
avant garde who constitute the academics of
today – with their new conceptions and
modifies mentality ( e.g. with respect to the
19th cent.) they want to assent and achieve the
reverse of every academism, but by the ceaseless
repetition of this point of view (aided and
encouraged by museums and art dealers) the
final result is once again: an academism,
an academism welcomed by engels as it can
provide a fertile foundation and situation from
which a differently thinking person can push
off against)
*
– this picture of the present day art scene resembles modern
mass production methods in the car industry, where worker
x makes the doors, worker y the fittings, worker z puts in
the engine etc.
-98 % of these people, if put on their own, would hardly,
if at all, be able to construct the whole car, instead, each of
them makes his own special little bit of car and can no
longer conceive the car as a whole.
– just as 98 % of artists today produce a specialized piece of
art without being willing or able to embrace all aspects of
past, present and future art, and even reject in an
ostensibly intelligent way those aspects outside their own
spezcialization for the sake of protecting (authenticating)
their own “ art mutation “
– e.g. the post-war specializationary trend of every style
being rapidly succeeded by the next ( just like the car indu-
stry)
-: a new type every year) has in addition to this many positive
aspects a clear and sickening drawback –: this drawback
(or the only possibility): that every ism wants to demolish
dogmatically and irreconcilably the preceding, the
contemporary, the future, or any other ism – on a basis of
specific arguments or standpoints, asserting that this ism
is the only truth () whereas there are as many truths as
there are people.
*
*
– (no single aspect of art needs an accent)
– (every aspect of art needs an accent)
– (art needs an accent – because:
(art is beautiful))
– (repeat: “ the impact of art is unchangeable “
“ the impact of art is unchangeable art “)
simon es
august 1972