- The Lenkiewicz Book Project
- Introduction
- Biography
- Book For Sale
- Lenkiewicz: The Artist
- Early Work
- Themed Projects
- Project 1: Vagrancy
- Project 1a: Vagrancy
- Project 2: Death and the Maiden
- Project 3: Mental Handicap
- Project 4: Love and Romance
- Project 5: Love and Mediocrity
- Project 6: Paintings Designed to Make Money
- Project 7: Gossip on The Barbican
- Project 8: Jealousy
- Project 9: Orgasm
- Project 10: Self Portrait
- Project 11: Old Age
- Project 12: Suicide
- Project 13: Still Lives
- Project 14: The Painter With Mary
- Project 15: Death
- Project 16: Sexual Behaviour
- Project 17: Observations on Local Education
- Project 18: The Painter With Women
- Project 19: Landscape
- Project 20: Addictive Behaviour
- Project 21: Paintings Painted Blind - On The Theme Of Tobit
- Project 22: Still Lives II
- Project 23: Time
- Project 24: The Harrowing of Hell
- Non-Project Work
- Style and Technique
- Influences
- Exhibitions
- Murals
- Studios
- Popular Sitters
- Lenkiewicz: The Book Collector
- Lenkiewicz: The Philanthropist
- Lenkiewicz: The Writer
- Personal Memoirs
- a childs-eye view of lenkiewicz
- Miscellaneous
Project 6: Paintings Designed to Make Money
The following brief explanation was contained in the booklet produced to accompany a Retrospective of Lenkiewicz's work in 1997.
"It is curious to note to what an extent memory is unfaithful, even for the most important periods of one's life. It is this indeed, that explains the delightful fantasy of history." Marcel Duchamp.
This collection parodied some attitudes towards 'Art'. The 'Diogenes Con Show' displayed 35 studies of 'Diogenes' all of which were titled: This study took 27 minutes, This study took 43 minutes etc. From early portrayals of St. Jerome to today's Father Christmas Cards, the be-whiskered, harmless philosopher-rogue has always been a money-spinner. Even Rembrandt painted such images for Russian and European collectors as a sure income.
'Diogenes' was a well known tramp who lived in a barrel at Chelson Meadow. Lenkiewicz wrote that one clear distinction between the 'image' of 'Diogenes'/philosopher-rogue and 'Diogenes'/Edwin Mackenzie in the real world, is that the 'image' of him is far more acceptable in the average household, than the man himself. Ethics and aesthetics was an issue again.
The second part of Project 6, called 'The Masterpiece Museum', considered another aspect of salesmanship/art. Lenkiewicz wrote:
"The innuendo of the 'masterpiece' is that it's creator has transcended both himself and Society; that it is in some sense, prophecy. If the item has been purchased, then we are reminded of a slave-trader wily enough to buy 'good stock'. Such images develop like institutions or minor religions imbued with qualities that we conspire with. The 'masterpiece' can be seen as an abstracted extension of the 'hero', and its function in Society operates as an amulet or talisman. "
The Exhibition was presented as though the painter had been dead for some years. Lenkiewicz wrote:
"There are many similar personalities in the colourful pageant of (provincial) 'art-heroes'. Few share the distinction of achieving so complete an obscurity in so short a space of time."
A cabinet containing various artefacts of the 'deceased' painter stood by the entrance. Of special interest was the article 'The Uses of Bad Art ' by Geoffrey Grigson, with the note: "It is said that the painter died with this paper clutched to his heart."
