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Tony Clark Report

COCTEAU:PrideandthePopulous
Oneofthemostfamousandrespectedartistofthe20thCentury,JeanCocteaulivedhislife andlovedwithpride.Hislegacyandpopularityisbestinterpretedthroughhisdiverse worksinopera,ballet,theater,film,visualartsandliteraturewerehispurepoetryscantin sexualcontent,butrichinauniversalityofpassion,tragedy,pathos,compassion,insight, innovation,styleandemotionarealwaysinevidence. Cocteaurevealedhisprivatelifethrough hisworksandlivedopenlyasagayman.As ateenager,Jeanwentagrandballwhere SarahBernhardtsaid,Youngmangohome andwashallthatmakeupoffyourface.He greatlyadmiredthisiconofthe19thCentury, buthesetthestageforthe20thCentury througharebellionofartisticsimplicity.
Inhisfilm,TheBloodofaPoet,oneseesayoungboywho isavictimofbullyingbylittlethugswhohithiminthe headwithasnowballthathadastoneinit.Thebloodthat flowedfromhiswoundwassymbolicofCocteauswriting latertobepublishedinTheDifficultyofBeing.Thisblood washislineofpoetrythathetiedandretiedagain,in differentways,tocreatemoremanifestationsofhisPoesie Plastique. DuringWorldWarI,Cocteauwasnotconsidered physicallyfittoserveinthemilitary.Hepublisheda seriesofwarjournals:LeMotTheWord,asawarningtothe FrenchtonotallowtheGermanstodevourtheFrench spiritatthebirthoftheNazireignofterror.Additionally, hetookactionthatherecountedinhisautobiographical book,turnedmovie,ThomastheImposter. CocteauwentbehindenemylinesontheBelgiumFront. Insteadofkilling,hewaswashingthewoundsofthe Marines.HereturnedtoParisandformedhisown ambulanceservicetobringthewoundedbackhome.He

hadPaulPoiretcreatehispersonalblueuniformandElsa Schiaparellihelpunderwritethisendeavor.HesaidIam theliethatalwaystellsthetruth.Hepretendedtobea soldierinorderto servethatwhichhe believedtobe correctbecausehe feltitwastheright thingtodo.No wasnotanoption forhim. Headmiredthe beautyinmenand women.Hecreated aballet,TheBlue GodforVaslav Nijinskywhomhe consideredagood friendandthegod ofdance.Whenhe finishedhisballet, Phedra,hewanted acrossbetween GarboandDietrich todancetherole.HesetitontheBlackPearloftheBallets RussesTamaraToumanova. CocteauwasknownasJeantheBirdman.Healways discoveredtalentsortheywereattractedtohim.Hewas accusedofjumpingfromlimbtolimb.
Portrait of Jean Cocteau by Federico de Madrazo.
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Ceiling of the Salle de Marriage, Menton, France

HesaidYes,itistrue,butitisalwaysinmyown tree.Hebroughtmanymainstreamartistssuch Picasso,Bakst,Fini,ManRay,Daliandmany otherstothetheatretorealizehisproductions. Twoofthemostimportantproductionswere hisoperawithStravinskyOedipusRexandthe balletParadewithmusicbyLesSix.Asthere spokesman,hewasconsideredLeSeptThe Seventh. CocteaustronglyidentifiedwithOrpheus TheFirstPrinceofPoetryandaccordingto AlbrechtDurerthefirsthomosexual. Accordingtolegendthefurieshadhim decapitatedandhisheadflowingonhislyre founditsfinalrestingplaceontheisleof Lesbos,andallthetimeitwassinging. CocteaudiscoveredJeanMaraiswhowasa goodactor,butCocteaumadehimaliving legend.Maraiswasthenaturalchoicetoplay theprotagonistinhisfilmOrpheuswhich wasbasedonhisbookofthesametitle. Maraiswasthegreatloveofhislife.Inhis lastfilm,TheTestamentof Orpheus,hecreatedthefirstliving willtobefilmed.Hebrought togetherglimpsesofhisgreat dramaticworksandpeoplethatheloved togetherinhisfinalstatement. ItwasonlyfittingthatMaraisbethe onetoplayinthemostclassically romanticofallhisfilms,Beautyandthe Beast.Itwillbescreenedinthelibrarys theateronThursday,June14.Thisisone creationfromalifetimebodyofwork thatportrayedloveanditscomplexities whichwasalmostalwaysheterosexual, butitisthesameinanyprofound relationshipintheGLTBCommunity becauseIadvocateLoveknowsnogender. CocteaufeltthattheGreekshad portrayedeveryhumanemotionand situation.Hetooktheseasthecorner stonesuponwhichhebuilthisentire literaryandartisticworldthatheshared duringhislifetime.Cocteaulovedand sharedlustwithmen.Hestatedthat Friendshipalwayslastslongerthanlove. YouwillhaveachancetoseeCocteau andColetteattheGrandVefour,aworld premiercontemporaryplayaboutan eternalfriendshipthathesharedwith Colette,oneofleadingfemalefiguresof

the20thCenturyintheLibrarysTheater Saturday,June23. LaunchingPrideMonth,theCityofWest HollywoodisfeaturingThePoeticExpressions ofJeanCocteau.Theretrospectiveart exhibitionwillbedisplayedontwofloorsofthe WestHollywoodLibraryat625NorthSan VincenteBlvd.inWestHollywood,California. ThepremierewillbeFriday,June1at7:00 pmwithatourledbyme,andtheexhibition willrunthroughJuly31,2012. Onthelibrarysfirstflooryoumayviewthat whichCocteauwantedtoleaveashisvisual legacy.Thislithographicsuitereflectsthe themes,passionsandstyleofCocteauslife. Manyoftheseworksmaybefoundasmuralsin sixchapelshecreatedandintheSalleDe MarriageinMenton,Francewherehetattooed thewalls.Heisfurtherimmortalizedbythe newJeanCocteauMuseumwhichIopenedin heartofMenton,FranceNovember6,2011.
ByTonyClark,ChevalierdanslOrdredesArtsetdesLettres.

"Remembrance of 1945" dedicated to and portrait of Jean Marais

arttoartpalettejournal.comTheTonyClarkReportMayJune2012