abvg,

I sincerely thank you for your honest post. I appreciate it more than anything you've written so far. "Despite our differences, I still think you are my best hope for an answer to these questions....I do value your opinions and your help." - this more or less sums up what I myself thought from the beginnings of our discussion (which might explain at least some of my frustration). Your proposition that "we draw a line under everything that has gone before" sounds to me like a very good idea. In the moment, I couldn't possibly address everything you said in your post (I'm of the opinion that such things are best done "over a drink" - which isn't possible here anyway). I will, though, try to say a few things.

First, I wasn't nearly as "pissed off" as you might have thought (well, if I was, I no longer am). Second, as you yourself realize, there were a lot of unfortunate misunderstandings on both sides. Third, we don't know one another at all (which is the difficult aspect of a discussion like this - I myself am more of an old-fashioned "letter writer" and I'm not all that crazy about the internet). Add all this to the fact that we are (and I don't want to get into any artist-personality cliches) probably - you know - "not exactly uncomplicated individuals".

You also said at the end of your post: "writing on art by philosophers, critics, and artists has, in general, become increasingly intellectually complex and abstract over the years and that art itself shows a trend to becoming overtly intellectual in nature and form. Had I said that in an earlier posting, I feared that you might jump down my throat for over-simplification." No, abvg, I can honestly assure you that had you written that, I would not have jumped down your throat - I would have been glad to hear it! Here, I have to say that you have your finger on an important aspect of the whole problem.

(I know of Adams' "Hitch hiker's Guide" but have never read it, so THE ANSWER is 42 goes completely by me...)

There are, however, a number of things you've accused me of that I could take issue with - being "perverse", my "intellectual snobbery", etc., but this would perhaps be counter-productive at this point. I really didn't consciously intend to sound or behave in such ways - and this goes the other way as well, I'm sure. Nevertheless, I have a real problem with the idea that "the number of outright errors in (my) posting...(is) a very good example of 'left brain ego' denial". But, as I said, I'd rather not get into it for the time being.

I will also say that with the Betty Edwards book, you hit one of my nerves. The text which I haven't posted yet has to do with this - and I hope - for what it's worth - it sheds some kind of light on the subject. (I'm too exhausted to type in the text tonight. But don't worry, in my text I don't have "bad tempered tirades", rant or rave, or say insulting things about you.)

One final thing: during the last ten years (nothing you could have known), I've had a lot of disappointing and frustrating experiences with other artists. Things are now beginning to look somewhat better, but I'm also rather frayed at the edges - I still have to recover from a long time of expecting the worst from my relationships. (I'm also a bit on edge - with a lot of others - because I'm not in the least bit looking forward to seeing America and its allies carry out their plans to invade Iraq - only the second stop on the "Axis of Evil").

- David