Thursday, February 04, 2010

Duncan Fallowell and The Pedro Friedeberg Rainbow Party


I hardly ever see Molly Parkin in the flesh yet we are successfully and happily affianced. Duncan Fallowell goes one better: Mexican artist Pedro Friedeberg is one of his oldest friends - and they've never met.

Sergey Stefanovich has made a short movie of this remote friendship, showcasing a selection of Friedeberg's beautifully artworked letters to Duncan. The Pedro Friedeberg Rainbow Party is set to Rainbow Party sung by Claudia Visca (from the opera Gormenghast, music by Irmin Schmidt, libretto by Duncan Fallowell).

The letters are worthy of their own exhibition.

This new portrait of Duncan was taken by Stefanovich.

The Pedro Friedeberg Rainbow Party

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

sting in the tail of this viddy

Anonymous said...

Duncan's eyes remind of Charlotte Rampling's.

Anonymous said...

Exquisite illustrations. Must have taken days to do judging by the detail.

Surfpup said...

When's Duncan's new book coming out?

Doctor Faustus said...

Why the mask? Does DF have swine flu?

Irish Pete said...

Because it's not Duncan Fallowell on the filom

Anonymous said...

My God, yes, Charlotte Rampling's eyes. Brother and sister.

Madame Arcati said...

Really? Hairline in similar place, hair falls similarly. Discuss.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't Fallowell look handsome. A striking pose.

Do The Funky Chicken said...

This guy should be in films.

Madame Arcati said...

You said that before. tart.

Do The Funky Chicken said...

Also - this guy should be in films

Anonymous said...

he looks like a rake as I imagine one would look from a Babs Carland novel.I mean that as a compliment.

Anonymous said...

Or the blond Godfather

Anonymous said...

So, when is 'Madame' marrying Molly? Or is this a permanent engagement? And why don't you see her? Who could resist the charms of Molly?

The late Anais Nin said...

What about Duncan's letters to Friedeberg?

Anonymous said...

I saw an exhibition of Letter Art in Paris. Would love to see one here. Especially as the handwritten letter is so rare now.

Anonymous said...

The Van Gogh Letters exhib is a huge sellout. Can't get a ticket now

diana barrymore said...

Is Duncan Fallowell the man who shags Julie Christie? Or is that Duncan somebody else? Anyway he has lovely hair darling!

Not Duncan campbell said...

That's Duncan Campbell and they're now married

Anonymous said...

I can't get green latex gloves anywhere

Madame Arcati said...

I know, only red and yellow.

Latex Lover said...

Mr Fallowell, where did you buy your gloves?

Latex Lover said...

He hates lycra but loves latex. What a sensible man.

Latex Apprentice said...

Is that a latex bedspread? Would love one of those

Anonymous said...

Darlings, try Libidex.com

Anonymous said...

And the club night SNAP for lovers of latex, lycra, suspenders etc

Madame Arcati said...

Seems a bit too hygienic to me.

Anonymous said...

The other clubnight which might interest you more is FLIRTYDIRT

The Needle said...

There's SCRAPE in the Balls Pond Road for hygienists.

Madame Arcati said...

Seems a bit too unhygienic to me.

Samantha XL said...

You'll never get your rocks off at this rate, madame

Madame Arcati said...

My rocks are in the freezer for now.

Samantha XL said...

Pull em out!

Anonymous said...

Oh, those drawings are marvelous! so great, MA darling. What an awesome way of friendship; DRF shows great appreciation and sensibility keeping the letters so carefully/lovingly separated with acid free tissue (never mind the fact that they are already worth money, as they are from a recognized artist). The shoe stretcher he’s using to hold the pages apart makes me giggle.

Up to now, I’ve had only two pen-pals with whom I’ve shared drawings. One was a friend from my preteens; we both liked to write and she wasn’t very good at drawing, but tried hard and loved it when I illustrated her writings; she moved far away and we started writing to one another with the corresponding illustrations. The second, I remember fondly that when I was in my early twenties I sent a hand made card to my then boss’ baby. Of course, I knew it would mean absolutely nothing to the one year old baby; it was meant for the mother to show I cared more than to just send something commercial bought at the bookstore and so, she did appreciate it, but made sure to call me and let me know that it was her seven year old daughter that had gone wild over it, she had loved it so – after all it was a drawing of a “Care Bear” which was “the thing” among children her age in those days. Well, I thought I would then send her a much bigger drawing, this time uncolored with a little note saying that it was for her for her to paint it; she made sure I knew she looooved it by sending me back one of her creations, fully colored. From then on, every two or three weeks, I would draw another cartoon (I went down the whole spectrum of cartoons in those days) for her to paint and she would quickly reply with one of hers (the usual landscape type we draw at seven). I’m sorry to say it didn’t last very long; I soon got notice that I was admitted for college and moved on. When you’re busy keeping up with school work is hard to keep some friendships, I claim in defense. I have wondered through out the years what became of her and if our little pen-pal friendship had any impact on her life. We don’t even live in the same country anymore, I don’t think.

Somehow those Friedeberg drawings made me think he would also make great friends with Andrew Logan, wouldn’t he? Something about his interests (not just his career) makes me think they seem like kindred spirits.

Madame Arcati said...

Thanks for sharing, Blithe. Logan never responds to email or letters so far as I can tell, perhaps he's more into eyeball relationships. I find the latter primitive and largely a waste of time. Remote comms is the way. x

Anonymous said...

Why are eyeball relationships primitive?

Madame Arcati said...

Because of the need to engage in ritualised or encoded behaviours - we're just more complicated bowerbirds.

Such behaviours have their use and pay-offs of course - if you want a fuck or a job or whatever - but are best outgrown for the sake of sanity. Remote relationships are far more interesting: silence and absence preserve good feeling otherwise worn thin by familiarity.

I hope that answers it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it means you're buried alive.

Madame Arcati said...

Oh no. I was dug out of a hole and now I can breathe. Burial alive is a coffin of other people.

Anonymous said...

The music is extraordinary too!