Dennis Hollingsworth

Carmen's Visit

Our neighbor, Carmen brought her daughter and son in law in for a visit.

?Mol Maco! That's what I heard over and over. I think that's a positive Catalan phrase.

And surprisingly, the son in law delivered a very high level critique... not an art world jargon thing, but a very considered and reflective response.

Thank you, sir.

He referred to other Catalan painters that I should meet. I like to say that there are many art worlds. There's a whole other art world here in Catalonia.

He saw figures in this painting, and I didn't tell him that I too saw figures early on in the making of it ( a Leger double take) and painted past it, obscuring it a little. A dent. A dancefloor. He said with a grin: "This is a man and a woman... very close... yes, I see them and I don't care if you do too... that is your problem if you don't!" Everyone laughs.

Later, we talked about sea urchins (the monads, of course) and how he will show us how to eat them. (I was happy to not have originally thought of sea urchins when I first made the spiney things I call Monads. I can enjoy the association better.) You have to have a tool to cut them in half. And you have to choose from one of two species: the black ones, no... the ones that have violet tips, yes. They taste of the sea.

Carmen stops at this and says: "Horse Shoes!" (but she said it in Catalan), turning to verify her claim, eyes wide. Her imagination is open, muy bien. "?Maco... mol maco!"