‘West awoke late in the East day’[1].
From “Mappamondo”, by Massimo Bucchi[2].
In the picture, my working copy in the Studio.
Dreaming is an alibi ?
In “Mappamondo” by Massimo Bucchi I’ve found that yes, dreaming is one’s own, very personal ‘map of the world’. Which however we better not remove when, awake, each of us tries to save oneself as best as one can from global pedagogism.
The comforting alibi of our dreams is surely a defense, but naive and then pregnable, except for a job that is not common at all, whose precious efficacy remains individual, that is not transferable to third parties.
‘West awoke late in the East day’ is a very nice aphorism coined by Massimo Bucchi, that got me thinking – in these weeks of pandemic isolations due the contagion from the unknown Coronavirus where East assured themselves a leading role : just like in our nocturnal dreams, the-totem-of-guard- is there, though completely asleep.
And describing it is possible – Massimo Bucchi confirms – but replacing it with a softer representation, otherwise our dream stops to be that wonderful world where we can take refuge to forget. Or from which we daily escape trivializing it upon waking, that is promoting it to an Ideal : because even the ‘soft’ representations can find us unprepared, but in the same time, and naively, arrogant.
In short : caring, or distracting oneself ? It is a crossroads for everyone, not avoidable.
How Massimo Bucchi came to conceive so precociously ‘West awoke late the East day’ we are not given to know, also because an artist usually stops looking for the reasons of his own thinking, in order to go on creating : and the creativity itself, which even requires talent and application, eludes verbalization that however never rejects a further, perhaps more fruitful, talking about.
Here we can observe having fun that an ancient compass is all that remains vital next to the monumental, sleeping stone lion, whose enormous paw released cannot cause fear, at least while he sleeps.
And this is how the finished work reaches the public, gratified with no work and no profit, whether it’s sculpture, music, or graphics : since satire is just one part of that universe – accessible to few – that remains humour, only human capacity to be able to sum up in very few words an innocent judgement which conscience doesn’t have time to gather, and it is immediately said.
‘Celui-qui-me-fait-guerRire’ is an aphorism of mine – no longer unconscious then - in recognizing Freud’ valuable insight about humour. So that, what is conscience then ?
That stable lump which discards laughter.
Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio - March 31, 2020
TutorSalus.net - Freudian journalism
I will resume April 13, Monday.
[1] It is the title for one of the sketches by Massimo Bucchi as published in the collection “Mappamondo”, 2016 / Publish.: “il Saggiatore”.
[2] Massimo Bucchi was born in Rome in 1941. He started as a reporter of crime news, and then dedicated himself to graphics as an ‘art director’. His passion for humour, cultivated since he was a boy will lead him to invest his talent in different and prestigious collaborations to which he is gradually called, and also in the film industry : his contributions of many years for “la Repubblica” certainly stand out, in addition to many awards received. He also cared interesting exhibitions of his own works.