Chromolume #7 / Putting It Together

[HARRIET]
I mean, I don't understand completely—

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[HARRIET]
But he combines all these different trends

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[HARRIET]
You can't divide art today into categories neatly—

[BILLY, spoken]
Oh.

[HARRIET]
What matters is the means, not the ends

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[HARRIET & BILLY]
That is the state of the art, my dear
That is the state of the art

[BOB GREENBERG]
It's not enough knowing good from rotten–

[CHARLES REDMOND]
You're telling me

[GREENBERG]
When something new pops up every day

[REDMOND]
You're telling me

[GREENBERG]
It's only new, though, for now—

[REDMOND]
Nouveau

[GREENBERG]
But yesterday's forgotten

[REDMOND]
And tomorrow is already passé

[GREENBERG]
There's no surprise

[REDMOND & GREENBERG]
That is the state of the art, my friend
That is the state of the art

[BETTY]
He's an original

[ALEX, spoken]
Was.

[NAOMI]
I like the images

[ALEX, spoken]
Some.

[BETTY]
Come on, you had your moment
Now it's George's turn

[ALEX]
It's George's turn?
I wasn't talking turns
I'm talking art

[BETTY]
Don't you think he's original?

[NAOMI]
Well, yes

[BETTY]
You're talking crap

[ALEX]
But is it really new?

[NAOMI]
Well, no...

[ALEX]
His own collaborator—!

[BETTY]
It's more than novelty

[NAOMI]
Well, yes...

[BETTY]
It's just impersonal, but—

[ALEX]
It's all promotion, but—

[ALEX & BETTY]
That is the state of the art
Isn't it?

[NAOMI, spoken]
Well...

[BILLY]
Art isn't easy

[HARRIET]
Even when you've amassed it

[BETTY]
Fighting for prizes—

[GREENBERG]
No one can be an oracle

[REDMOND]
Art isn't easy

[ALEX]
Suddenly, you're past it

[NAOMI]
All compromises—

[HARRIET]
And then when it's allegorical—!

[REDMOND & GREENBERG]
Art isn't easy—

[BETTY & ALEX]
Art isn't easy—

[NAOMI, HARRIET & BILLY]
Art isn't easy—

[ALL]
Any way you look at it!

[GREENBERG, spoken]
Here's George now!

[GEORGE]
All right, George
As long as it's your night, George—
You know what's in the room, George:
Another Chromolume, George
It's time to get to work...

[GREENBERG, spoken]
George! I want you to meet one of our board members. This is Harriet Pawling.

[HARRIET, spoken]
What a pleasure! And this is my friend, Billy Webster.

[BILLY, spoken]
How do you do.

[GREENBERG, spoken]
Well, I'll just leave you three to chat.

[HARRIET, spoken]
Oh...

[GEORGE]
Say "cheese," George
And put them at their ease, George
You're up on the trapeze, George
Machines don't grow on trees, George
Start putting it together...

[HARRIET, spoken]
This is the third piece of yours I've seen. They are getting so large!

[GEORGE]
Art isn't easy
Even when you're hot

[BILLY, spoken]
Are these inventions of yours one of a kind?

[GEORGE]
Advancing art is easy—

(spoken)
Yes.

(sung)
Financing it is not

[GEORGE]
A vision's just a vision
If it's only in your head
If no one gets to see it
It's as good as dead
It has to come to light!
(spoken)
I put the names of my contributors on the side of each machine.

[HARRIET, spoken]
How clever!

[GEORGE]
Bit by bit
Putting it together
Piece by piece—
Only way to make a work of art
Every moment makes a contribution
Every little detail plays a part
Having just the vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution
Putting it together
That's what counts!

[HARRIET, spoken]
The Board of the Foundation is meeting next week...

[GEORGE]
Ounce by ounce
Putting it together

[HARRIET, spoken]
You'll come to lunch.

[GEORGE]
Small amounts
Adding up to make a work of art
First of all you need a good foundation
Otherwise it's risky from the start
Takes a little cocktail conversation
But without the proper preparation
Having just the vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution
The art of making art
Is putting it together
Bit by bit

[REDMOND, spoken]
Oh, we haven't met. Charles Redmond, County Museum of Texas. I wanted you to know we're in the process of giving out some sizable commissions—

[GEORGE]
Link by link
Making the connections

[REDMOND, spoken]
I hope you don't mind my bringing up business during a social occasion.

[GEORGE]
Drink by drink
Fixing and perfecting the design
Adding just a dab of politician
(Always knowing where to draw the line)
Lining up the funds, but in addition
Lining up a prominent commission
Otherwise your perfect composition
Isn't going to get much exhibition

Art isn't easy
Every minor detail
Is a major decision
Have to keep things in scale
Have to hold to your vision

Every time I start to feel defensive
I remember lasers are expensive
What's a little cocktail conversation
If it's going to get you your foundation
Leading to a prominent commission
And an exhibition in addition?

[ALL]
Art isn't easy—

[ALEX & BETTY]
Trying to make connections

[ALL]
Who understands it?

[HARRIET & BILLY]
Difficult to evaluate

[ALL]
Art isn't easy

[GREENBERG & REDMOND]
Trying to form collections

[ALL]
Always in transit

[NAOMI]
And then when you have to collaborate—!

[ALL]
Art isn't easy
Any way you look at it!

[RANDOLPH, spoken]
George, hello. Lee Randolph. I handle the public relations for the museum.

[GEORGE]
Dot by dot
Building up the image

[RANDOLPH, spoken]
There's a lot of opportunity for some fine press here.

[GEORGE]
Shot by shot—
Keeping at a distance doesn't pay
Still, if you remember your objective
Not give all your privacy away
A little bit of hype can be effective
Long as you can keep it in perspective
After all, without some recognition
No one's going to give you a commission

Art isn't easy
Overnight you're a trend
You're the right combination
Then the trend's at an end
You're suddenly last year's sensation

If you feel a sense of coalition
Then you never really stand alone
If you want your work to reach fruition
What you need's a link with your tradition
And of course a prominent commission
Plus a little formal recognition
So that you can go on exhibit—
So that your work can go on exhibition

[BLAIR, spoken]
There's the man of the hour.

[GEORGE, spoken]
Blair! Hello. I read your piece on neo-expressionism—

[BLAIR, spoken]
Good for you!

[GEORGE, spoken]
Well, what did you think?

[BLAIR, spoken]
George. Chromolume number seven?

[GEORGE]
Be nice, George...

[BLAIR, spoken]
I was hoping it would be a series of three—four at the most.

[GEORGE]
You have to pay a price, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
I've touted your work from the beginning, you know that.

[GEORGE]
They like to give advice, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
You were really onto something with these light machines—once.

[GEORGE]
Don't think about it twice, George...

[BLAIR, spoken]
Now they're just becoming more and more about less and less.

[GEORGE, spoken]
I disagree.

[BLAIR, spoken]
Now don't get me wrong. You're a talented guy. But I think you're capable of far more.

[GEORGE]
"Be new," George
They tell you till they're blue, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
Not that you couldn't succeed by doing Chromolume after Chromolume—but there are new discoveries to be made, George.

[GEORGE]
"You're new or else you're through, George"
And even if it's true, George
You do what you can do...

Bit by bit
Putting it together
Piece by piece
Working out the vision night and day
All it takes is time and perseverance
With a little luck along the way
Putting in a personal appearance
Gathering supporters and adherents—

[HARRIET]
But he combines all these different trends—

[GEORGE]
Mapping out the right configuration
Starting with a suitable foundation—

[BETTY]
He's an original—

[ALEX, spoken]
Was.

[GEORGE]
Lining up a prominent commission
And an exhibition in addition—
Here a little dab of politician

[BETTY]
I like those images

[GEORGE]
There a little touch of publication

[ALEX]
Some

[BETTY]
They're just his personal response

[ALEX]
To what?

[BETTY]
The painting!

[GEORGE]
Till you have a balanced composition

[ALEX]
Bullshit. Anyway, the painting's overrated—

[GREENBERG]
It's only new, though, for now

[BETTY]
Overrated? It's a masterpiece!

[GEORGE]
Everything depends on preparation

[REDMOND]
Nouveau

[ALEX]
A masterpiece? Historically important, maybe—

[GREENBERG & REDMOND]
And yesterday's forgotten

[BETTY]
Oh, now you're judging Seurat, are you?

[GEORGE]
Even if you do have the suspicion

[ALEX]
All it is is pleasant, just like George's work

[BETTY]
It's just your jealousy of George's work

[HARRIET]
You can't divide art today

[REDMOND]
And you can't tell good from rotten and—

[ALEX]
No nuance, no resonance, no relevance—

[BETTY]
There's nuance, and there's resonance, there's relevance—

[GEORGE]
That it's taking all your concentration

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[OTHERS]
Most art today

[GREENBERG & REDMOND]
Today it's all a matter of promotion

[ALEX]
There's not much point in arguing

[HARRIET]
Go with it

[BETTY]
No point in arguing

[OTHERS]
Is a matter of promotion, but then—

[GEORGE]
The art of making art

[ALEX]
Besides it's all promotion, but then—

[BETTY]
You say it's all promotion, but then—

[HARRIET and BILLY]
What will they think of next?

[ALL BUT GEORGE]
That is the state of the art

[GEORGE]
Is putting it together

[ALL BUT GEORGE]
And art isn't easy...

[GEORGE]
Bit by bit
Link by link
Drink by drink
Mink by mink

[ALL]
And that
Is the state of the—
Art!