Коллекционер
Chapter 2
Caroline’s"second-ratePaulNash"—horrid,butthereissomethinginit.Nothinglikewhathewouldcall"photography."Butnotabsolutelyindividual.Ithinkit’sjustthathearrivedatthesameconclusions.Andeitherheseesthat(thathislandscapeshaveaNashyquality)orhedoesn’t.Eitherway,it’sacriticismofhim.Thatheneitherseesitnorsaysit.
I’mbeingobjectiveabouthim.Hisfaults.
Hishatredofabstractpainting—evenofpeoplelikeJacksonPollockandNicholson.Why?I’mmorethanhalfconvincedintellectuallybyhim,butIstillfeelsomeofthepaintingshesaysarebadarebeautiful.Imean,he’stoojealous.Hecondemnstoomuch.
Idon’tmindthis.I’mtryingtobehonestabouthim,andaboutmyself.Hehatespeoplewhodon’t"thinkthingsthrough"—andhedoesit.Toomuch.Buthehas(exceptoverwomen)principles.Hemakesmostpeoplewithso-calledprincipleslooklikeemptytin-cans.
(IrememberheoncesaidaboutaMondrian—"itisn’twhetheryoulikeit,butwhetheryououghttolikeit"—Imean,hedislikesabstractartonprinciple.Heignoreswhathefeels.)
I’vebeenleavingtheworsttolast.Women.
ItmusthavebeenaboutthefourthorfifthtimeIwentroundtoseehim.
TherewastheNielsenwoman.Isuppose(now)they’dbeentobedtogether.Iwassonaive.Buttheydidn’tseemtomindmycoming.Theyneedn’thaveansweredthebell.Andshewasrathernicetomeinherglitteryat-homesortofway.
