‘To Save a Likeness’: Berger on Drawing & Resemblance

The moment pen hovers above paper, the world divides. So recently just one form—a plum, say—it now splits into at least three. There is plum as perceived by sight. mind anticipates: round, purple, of a certain size and density. And then there on page; what line itself can create achieve. When mark made, so too ‘a microcosm’.1 With each succeeding mark, new laws dynamics are created: ‘there air, pressure therefore bulk weight’.2 In these marks, in their relation: life itself. They generate emotion personality; they evoke memories, imaginings, hauntings; make cheek turn, thumb articulate with wrist, breast press against an arm’.3 These three worlds—of eye, mind, page—do not cohere. Sometimes pride themselves cohering. Usually we take see it, think to be interchangeable. But when you set out draw something, realise that actually profound opposition. trying discount eye: it working clear round would fit palm your hand, actually, if were obey eye alone, triangle, larger than branches behind it. Berger often presents drawing discovery exploration. person bird, pilot, sailor: navigating negotiating vast vacant expanses. bat throwing sonar world; water-diviner communion stick. He also renders ruthless observation. ‘I say because artist’s observation question his using eyes; result honesty, fighting himself understand he sees’.4 (In this sense, almost way life. obituary, Geoff Dyer remarked although did need university education, ‘he was reliant, end, art school discipline drawing’. other words, reliant mode engagement, presence, encompassed practice – belief ‘if looked long hard enough anything either yield its secrets or, failing that, enable him why withheld mystery constituted essence’.) must battle, page. At first, page subservient wanting only best can. has deviated — failed takes own non-negotiable autonomy. This inevitable ‘point crisis’. where demands overtake, reality bend retreat order coherent have been established lines page.5 It remarkable how many lies accommodate. How false moves. ‘Drawing ceaseless process correction. proceeds corrected errors’.6 correct itself, but times give way. Soon won’t matter. will life, bear comparison for long. Often make, private reckoning, soon it’s theirs forget. outlasts fleeting eye. * Portraits exception. For portraits confess failure far more readily drawings. are, reason, among riskiest drawings undertake. instant, undisguisable fact immediately apparent every observer having capture likeness. success or sorts esoteric. those us who distrust our experiences suspect guilty some predictable philistinism everything respond fail always seems require someone sophisticated genuinely judge. portrait, central regard, all verdict immediate indisputable. ‘I’ve never known likeness consists portrait’. writes. ‘One whether not, remains mystery’.7 A relatively faithful person’s features relationship between them, yet remain stubbornly uninhabited. Conversely, utterly unfaithful geometries filled detours exaggerations vibrant still arise. fickle beauty indeed ugliness. concentrated small place. ‘Her left sometimes wanders, become fraction displaced. slight asymmetry most precious thing I could see. If touch place my stub charcoal without giving name’.8 One evening friend his, Bogena. ‘Not first time. her face very mobile can’t forget beauty. well, that’.9 Bogena Polish, spending Russian New Year together; she brought sausages wine. Drawings may emerge from imagination, memory, combination once night, able summon realm before herself had taken away her. portrait required collaboration, all, (by knew be, rather him). head—and do out, look paper tore. rubbed paint thick ointment. Her began lend to, smile at, representation. four morning, smiled back me’.10 loss emerges particular urgency essay ‘Drawn That Moment’ (1976), which recounts efforts father coffin. skill save likeness, lifesaver uses much greater swimmer life’.11 Here, especially vivid, Berger’s vision defiance disappearance. ‘What seen again, anybody else. whole course time past come, unique: last opportunity again visible, occurred recur’.12 true, course, usually easy forget; believe hold onto see, revisit mistake looking upon dead. disappearance less subtle form, becomes explicit act resistance: keep something image, man. Not record face, photograph might, being time, searched; kind attention. ‘As drew mouth, brows, eyelids, specific forms emerged whiteness felt history experience made them were’.13 few decades on, answerable. no testify presence absence man, (nor even necessarily memory) compared to. appraised different terms: man’. terms mattered execution. What then, any formal features, remain, mystical project capturing person, personality, markings ‘The longer deserted inhabited. pencil markers white marked, door through moments enter’.14 errors accommodate; suddenly accommodation cease. ‘It mistaken over-emphasis burst like balloon; might collapse too-thin clay potter’s wheel; irrevocably misshapen lose centre gravity’.15 Resemblance both durable delicate. survive huge assaults, vanquish Since both, tell reckless until late. uncertainty catastrophe portraiture, another quests intervene appearances, accidentally step over cease resemble ourselves. (Funny, too, little understanding respects, authority anyone matter). resemblance, resemble, surely fascinates us. We gravitate celebrities whom we’ve imagine comparison. haircuts coyly show hairdressers. (My mother found exchange tacit self-aggrandising embarrassing cut Winona Ryder’s presented hairdresser contextless pixie reference tiny crescent glossy black paper). Whenever conversation turns comparisons, female mine gleefully told me likened Eva Green (the magnificent French Bond Girl) Steve Buscemi. amazingly so: reside within face; flickers simultaneously, dance expressions mannerisms, nothing common other. writing feels anathema Girls Buscemi (although shared planet both). era altogether. As sipping Merlot, talking money Green, beneath tree Galicia, unwrapped tissue laid grass. light dimmed chickens gone quiet. Marisa Camino comes house supper ready’.16 While bowling alley Los Angeles, come rock paintings butterflies Chauvet cave. ‘Anne, dying Cambridge, mind’. feel bit worn down reverence seriousness writing. self repressed mostly marvel exists; exist. emerging now. ourselves such shallow, trivial terms, reading essays, amazement published all; reader. better off case. sad, way, oneself really reader, anymore; knowing, were. Still, strange unwelcome feeling part yourself addressed Some aspect humanity sealed dark room. find, calls answer. there, despite dignifying ordinary human be: grace wisdom simplicity integrity self-respect. Something forgotten. seriousness, ill fitting, begin seriously; reverence, respect yourself. Moreover, reasons ways dependent anything. pursuits commitments; beliefs views. say: indifferent things currently mattering, patently emphatically concerns count. pivot intrinsic, innate value, consumed extrinsic. during World War Two enrolled London. ‘Amongst debris bomb sites sirens air raid warnings, single idea: wanted naked women’.17 Outside hear roar RAF fighters crossing night sky intercept German bombers; while inside, staring model back: ‘the ankle foot weight posed vertically under dimple neck—directly vertical’.18 Again, writing, individual meaning, worth history, ideology, system should seek subsume allowed matter someone. ostensibly war existed, vertical, directly foot. paradox, miracle: simultaneously profoundly moral political writer refuse, resolutely, ever merely morally politically useful categories. theories systems structures grand explain everything, nevertheless inadequate person. respects transcription unconscious. capture, observation, ordinarily thought. roiling, maligned unconscious —with fears prejudices perversions ability perfect wisdom. making, moment, series extraordinary judgment (a sailor, water diviner). involved esoteric elemental: universe (‘a ferocious inarticulated dialogue’19), game (‘something thrown caught’20). leisurely, joyfully, easily world. speaking son, Yves, about drawing. Yves co-exist; Nick Cave plays background talk. confesses incapable freely; casually free. children draw, points enviously, disinterested end result. disinterest. ‘We bad be’.21 drawing, privacy, half public create. alas: ‘reception’ world, it: shame, pride, humiliation, vanity. hampered hard-won recognition answerable Or, obstructive: good celebrated turn spurn forsake majority, inevitably) fail. (‘The case—bad, bad’22). discard regret them. pages passages, invited consider differently. habitual, ever-generous evocation sublime, drawings, ones, rendered voyages ontological discovery. Seeing thus, possible dwell value undertaking irrespective result, execution burst, collapsed, toppled endeavour extraordinary, celebrated.