Detail of Card #20

"Purity looks like naiveté
when only viewed
through moneyed lenses".

Prior to the creation of The Cards, but post launching this website, I thought that, perhaps, the way to go would be to find someone in the media, who was already successful and widely respected, who could champion my cause for me.

Call me delusional, but I happen to view my thought as being extremely healthy when
considering the world we presently find ourselves living in. Honestly, from the bottom of
my heart, I care deeply about the suffering of humankind, and it’s not like I see a lot of
other artists addressing these issues.

So I chose three individuals whose work I respect, and who have addressed similar issues in an equally compassionate manner.

Two of them didn’t respond.

One did.

I understand the reality of this person’s position. It’s not like I expected him to drop
everything and make me the center of his life or anything. I’m sure that he, and all
successful people, have countless others in their lives trying to get a piece of their time and attention.

This person was very cordial and seemingly sincere. We emailed each other on a few
occasions.

Once I got screened by the person at Mary’s gallery, I thought to approach this person again. I wanted to send him The Cards, and the 12 new essays, in the hope that he would understand where it is that I am coming from, and that this is not only interesting, but kind of important.

Post 9-11, I heard and read a number of people in the media speaking about how, at times of crises, artists often rise to the occasion. New voices are heard. Personal inspirations become public solutions. I guess it was my fantasy that this person would see this potential in me. That he would become interested in me, as his work is very much about discovering the beauty in others, who are otherwise overlooked by our celebrity-driven society.

I wanted to send him The Cards and essays in the expressed hope that he might believe in me enough to call Mary (I’m sure she would take his call) and simply express his interest. Maybe mention the website, the Mary Boone Writings, and ask her opinion of them?

I’m not so unrealistic as to think that she would have an opinion, or even remember me, as I’m sure her phone is always ringing. Just, well, if he made this call, she might agree to meet with me, and be more open to listening to what I had to say.

So we went back and forth a few times by email concerning this topic, and he concluded that he couldn’t help me.

Just after that, I got an email from someone I didn’t know. This person sent me this email by mistake. Apparently the person I was emailing was forwarding my emails to a friend of his, and that I was the subject of a good joke between the two of them.

This is perfectly understandable by me, and I took zero offence, and I told the third party so(who profusely apologized). Putting myself "out there" in public as I do, I’m used to
wearing the goofy hat.

Still, it was a sobering experience.

I mean, if this person, whose entire act revolves around his sincerity and compassionate interest in others – if I’m seen as being nothing but a joke by this guy – what hope do I ever have of cutting through all the money and sophistication of Mary Boone World.

Tim Folzenlogen
March 30, 2002