CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 9/22/2020

'Peter Saul: Professional Artist Correspondence, 1945–1976' is NEW from Bad Dimensions Press!

Featured image is reproduced from Peter Saul: Professional Artist Correspondence, 1945–1976, launching virtually Wednesday, September 23 (click here for details.) An excerpt from a typical letter, dated February 1967, reads, "Because as it becomes obvious to me that my work is written off as 'bad' or unimportant—and there’s no reason to believe that these highly thoughtful and intelligent people are wrong and that my work will be liked better later—then I must really get worse, less important, if I’m going to continue to pick up the small change that is reserved for 'the wrong kind of thing,' the 'side issue.' Just like the important artists have to become more important or look for a job. My progress is part personal, part practical. I’m going to get worse as fast as any of them can get better. In any case this country doesn’t deserve any further cultural embellishment because of its criminal actions—if it were in its power to have any cultural embellishment—which it’s not, except in our opinion, which is fading out as our way of life holds less and less attraction for people in the rest of the world."