A 1968 PERFORMANCE PIECE
Most of this is from my Notebook #7, 1969. Here are more pictures of all of THE FOOL.
THE FOOL I created in May of 1968 and performed it and on February 14th, Valentine's of '69 I Finished the "Earth," (and "Moon") a Valentine for Lenore Goodell.
Originally (in'68) I used a globe-world I found in Gen. Kenner Hertford’s study, and a golf ball for the Moon. Then I thought I’d make it out of wood, a rough-hewn wooden ball – then, with all these leather scraps I got from Steve Katona, started cutting them & sewing pieces together with embroidery thread . DMC-25 of Ann Quin & Lenore & my peyote messages day. I filled the “Earth” with dirt from around Peyote Rock.* I went all around getting plants, dirt, rocks – filling it. Infinite regression – am I God creating the “Earth”?
16th and 17th – I worked on the “Moon “– Moon in Aquarius (where mine is) & then Pisces. Went to the pyramid-mountain in back of the house, this became the Pyramid of the Moon. Took many pebbles to fill the Moon. Plants. Painted much of it with white watercolor. Seeds, little ant pebbles, lichens, dirt, dead branches, an almond, abalone shell with MOON written on it, licorice root, ginger, etc.
SUN:(in the FOOL performance is) the dragon candle holder (which was the gift of Robert White & friend).
EARTH: damp dirt from the sacred spring (Ojo del Orno on property), topsoil & twigs around the old grape vines, topsoil around the far out apricot tree where, tied around the trunk I found a church program – the 4 gospel writers, tore off a piece of the program and pushed it into the center of the “Earth.” Dirt from the meeting of two tiny runoffs. Chamisa, apricot seeds, juniper berries, piñon needles. Dirt from around cane chollas, dirt & small pebbles from Peyote Rock – all around there, innermost recesses under the rocks, etc. Dirt from around the (huge) cottonwood tree in the arroyo. Leaves from around the prayer stones on the West side of the arroyo. Followed the arroyo up towards the old shelter cliff. Many things from the arroyo where a steep arroyo met it. Both feminine? & I masculine?
Many spices – seeds – sage especially. Before closing it up.
Today (Tues) – opened up “Earth” & put in dirt/pebbles from around the apricot tree where Jeff Sheppard & I discovered the miracle of fruit blossoms!!! “Earth” needed some tightening up, some tightening of overall sag & stiches etc.
* Peyote Rock was a large rock promentary right outside my back door from which the view of the distant Rio Grande valley and volcanic mesas was extraordinary. Of course the General and his wife Annie (for whom I was caretaker of their place) who were heavy Vodka drinkers, called it Cocktail Rock. But we re-christened it.
Larry Goodell, Placitas, New Mexico
