Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The origins of "Slipping Glimpser"

De Kooning Slipping Glimpser



Source: Smithsonian Institution Archives


For those who might wonder about the title of this blog, Slipping Glimpser, this is the full quote from the artist Willem de Kooning:

You know, the real world, this so-called world, is just something you put up with like everybody else. I’m in my element when I’m a little bit out of this world: then I’m in the real world – I’m on the beam. Because when I’m falling, I’m doing alright. When I’m slipping, I say, ‘Hey, this is interesting.’ It’s when I’m standing upright that bothers me… As a matter of fact, I’m really slipping most of the time. I’m like a slipping glimpser.

And if you'd like to read more about him: https://allthatsinteresting.com/willem-de-kooning-slipping-glimpser.

Because when I'm falling, I'm doing alright. When I'm slipping, I say, "Hey, this is interesting."