Inferior Quotations

Arloie Pollock: Not every one can arrange to be four-ef Jack.

IQ: I don’t understand his eruption at the dinner table. Is he glad for his brother or irritated at Arloie or upset his family’s leavin’ him or glad he’ll have the apartment to him self or who knows or what.

Jackson Pollock: How long ya here for?

Reuben Kadish: I dunno they say they’re gonna ship me out to India but who knows; what about you?

Jackson Pollock: Four-ef.

Reuben Kadish: Ooh-mm.

Jackson Pollock: Too neurotic.

Reuben Kadish: Dog.

IQ: James Johnson Sweeney (Everett Quinton) reminds me of Adam Silver.

Jackson Pollock: I like those ear rings.

Peggy Guggenheim: Thank you.

Lee Krasner: [Stares at Jackson Pollock.]

IQ: Rolls eyes.

Lee Krasner: What’s this. I see the head. the body. This isn’t Cubism Jackson because you’re not really breaking the figure down in to multiple views; you’re just showing us one side. And what is this, free association, automatism.

Jackson Pollock: I’m just painting Lee.

Lee Krasner: But what you’re doing Jackson. Don’t tell me you don’t know what you’re doing. Are you experimenting with surrealism. Is this a dreamm. Even if it’s a dream, it’s still what you see; it’s life. You’re not just randomly putting paint on the canvas; you’re painting some thing. You can’t abstract from nothing. You can only abstract from life, from nature.

Jackson Pollock: I am nature.

Lee Krasner: B’if you only work from inside your self you’ll repeat your self.

Jackson Pollock: Why’on’t you paint the fuckin’ thing.

Tony Smith: W’ll the moon shone bright on Missus Porter, an’ on ’er daughter. Wash their feet in soda water.

IQ: It wasn’t feet in the song Eliot referenced..

Jackson Pollock: What the hell’s that.

Tony Smith: Eliot. T.S. Eliot. Gentlemen!. T.S. Eliot.

William Baziotes: T.S. Eliot.

Willem de Kooning: D’you hear Gorky sold t’da Modern.

Jackson Pollock: Gorky’s a cow. Kno’they’ll forage and eat an’ come back in the stable an’ they’re still chewing. He’ll go look at a Picasso for hours, go back to his studio an’ spit it out. Fuck him.

Tony Smith: Heh heh heh.

Willem de Kooning: But he’s so good at it.

Jackson Pollock: Yeah he’s good at it but we gotta break through this shit.

Willem de Kooning: Wha’do you think of Kline?

Jackson Pollock: Kline’s a whore.

Tony Smith: H-hOgh!.

William Baziotes / Kenny Scharf: Picasso.

IQ: Artist triplet.

Jackson Pollock: A has-been.

Tony Smith: de Kooning.

Jackson Pollock: He’s alright he’s learn’n’.

Tony Smith: Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

Willem de Kooning: Wh’d’you think of Jackson Pollock.

Jackson Pollock: …

Tony Smith: Tha’s what we think.

Tony Smith: Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

IQ: His lapel keeps flappin’ in an’ out scene to scene with no explanation but oops.

Lee Krasner: We’re sorry.

Peggy Guggenheim: Sorry is not the word for it. I have weak ankles.

Jackson Pollock: My fault.

Peggy Guggenheim: My god and you’re drunk.

Jackson Pollock: [Shakes head No.]

Peggy Guggenheim: Are you drunk?

Jackson Pollock: No.

Lee Krasner: No.

Lee Krasner: What’s most impressed Jackson about the European moderns is their concept that the source of art comes from the unconscious.

Peggy Guggenheim: Yes yes I’m sure.

Jackson Pollock: [Signing the contract, then signing a painting.]

Stella Pollock: Oh my muh my my my, god is good.

Peggy Guggenheim: And then you act so baadly!! I mean you remind me of a trapped animal. Now you have to promise me do not rip up my bed room heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-Heh!

Lee Krasner: Eīther we marry or we split I think. I love you I think you’re a great artist, I wan’ you to paint.

Reuben Kadish: Who’s that girl you were so gaga over you know the one that played the banjo.

Jackson Pollock: Oh. Becky.

Jackson Pollock, Reuben Kadish: Becky Tarwater.

Reuben Kadish: God you were so crazy for her.

Jackson Pollock: I asked her to marry me.

Reuben Kadish: What’d she say.

Jackson Pollock: No.

Reuben Kadish: Huhuh.

Jackson Pollock: You know that part of our lives that’s supposed to be so special that growin’ up part. It was damn hell for me.

Reuben Kadish: I think it’s supposed to be lousy so the rest is gonna seem easier.

Jackson Pollock: Yeah only it isn’t.

Lee Krasner: We could move out he’e.

Jackson Pollock: Leave New York?

Lee Krasner: It would be good for us.

Jackson Pollock: Church wedding.

Lee Krasner: Jackson there’s no need.

Jackson Pollock: Church wedding or nothing.

Lee Krasner: No family, please.

Jackson Pollock: No family.

Lee Krasner: We’ll need a witness.

Jackson Pollock: May Rosenberg.

Lee Krasner: An’ Harold.

Jackson Pollock: No Harold.

Lee Krasner: What church. Hahhahaha!

Jackson Pollock: That’s a good question.

General Store Person: Oh you don’t have to pay me now what’s your name?

Jackson Pollock: Jackson Pollock.

Jackson Pollock: Let’s make a baby.

Lee Krasner: No.

Clem Greenberg: You’re retreating in to imagery again Jackson. Paint is paint. Surface is surface. That’s all they should be.

Clem Greenberg: I don’t think you have color yet like Picasso I think you’re much better off when you keep your color quiet.

Lee Krasner: You’ve done it Pollock. You’ve cracked it wide open.

IQ: Moments like these.

IQ: Why’s the camera dip while he’s lyin’ on his belly on the case o’broken beer bottles on the street. A pretty unrecreatable scene otherwise I guess is one reason to keep it.

Life Interviewer: How do you respond to some of your critics. They have said a mop of tangled hair, a child’s contour map of the battle of Gettysburg, cathartic disintegration, degenerate, wha’do you say to that?

Jackson Pollock: You forgot baked macaroni.

Life Interviewer: Hahaha well.

Jackson Pollock: Well if people would just.. leave most of their stuff at home an’ just look at the paintings I don’t think they’d have any trouble enjoying them it’s like.. looking at a.. bed of flowers you don’t. tear your hair out over what it means.

Life Interviewer: How do you know when you’re finished with a painting.

Jackson Pollock: How do you know when you’re finished making love.

Jackson Pollock: And I don’t use.. I don’t use the accident, ’cause I deny the accident.

Jackson Pollock: I miss you you son of a bitch. I miss you it’s just not the same.

Sande Pollock: Nothin’ was ever the same to begin with.

Hans Namuth: Okay we’re rollin’ now come back in. Don’t stop. That’s good. Stop! stop. Go to the chair, si’down. Put your shoes on. Your head’s t’low; lift it up. Don’t talk we see your mouth movin’; y-you’re sposeda be alone. Cut. We gotta do it again. Y’can’t talk.

Hans Namuth: Cut. Jackson, cut. Cut.! We ran out of film.

Lee Krasner: Just tell ’im you don’t wanna do it.

Jackson Pollock: I can’t. Not polite.

Lee Krasner: It’s been a month.

Jackson Pollock: He wants to get it right. ’s not just that any way. I feel like ah phony.

Lee Krasner: You’re a great painter Pollock; just paint.

Jackson Pollock: He wants to shoot through glass so he can see my face.

Clem Greenberg: You’re the star.

Jackson Pollock: Feel like a clam without a shell.

Clem Greenberg: Fuck’m. Fuck ’im it’s not for you. I think it’s gonna be your best show ever Jackson. Every thing works. Big pictures. Smaller ones. Phenomenal. B’I don’t think it’s gonna sell though.

Jackson Pollock: …

Clem Greenberg: Take care o’your self.

Jackson Pollock: Will do.

Hans Namuth: Yeah. Light’s gone. That’s it Jackson. Heh, we’re done. It’s great; it’s marvelous.

Lee Krasner: Jackson please.

Jackson Pollock: Damn it Hans we need this. Come in here. Here this one’s for you. First drink I’ve had in two years.

Hans Namuth: Don’t.. be a fool Jackson.

Jackson Pollock: I’m not the phony you’re the phony.

IQ: Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Jackson Pollock: Should I do it now Hans.

Clem Greenberg: Every thing’s gorgeous. Gorgeous isn’ good enough.

Jackson Pollock: Every body should do what the hell they wanna do.

Ruth Kligman: If you could be any body.. who ever lived.. in the history of the whole world.. who would you be.

Jackson Pollock: You.

IQ: So boring.

Phone: [Rings.]

Jackson Pollock: I better get that.

Jackson Pollock: [Picks up phone.] Hello.

Lee Krasner: I think I left my passport at the house. I suppose I’ll have to wait, ’til the next sailing. Jackson. Pollock. Oh, h-here it is I found it, buried in my purse.

IQ: Sad.

Jackson Pollock: [Hangs up.]

I owe the woman some thing. I’d be dead without her.

Ruth Kligman: But I’m the one who loves you Jackson.

IQ: Blech.

Lee Krasner: The roses were the most beautiful deep red. I miss you and wish you were sharing this with me. It’d be wonderful to get a note from you. Painting here is unbelievably bad. How are you Jackson. Kiss Gyp for me. Love Lee.

IQ: Lovely.!

Old Gyp: [Kisses Jackson.]

IQ: Eerie, the sound of the bottle cap being pried off and then the road noise.

Veterinarian: What’ve you got there Mister Pollock?

IQ: Father and son.

Ruth Kligman: Whatcha doin’ for tonight?

Jackson Pollock: I’m invited to Ossorio’s for.. musicale or somethin’-or-other benefit.

Ruth Kligman: That could be fun let’s go.

Jackson Pollock: I don’t wanna see all those people.

Jackson Pollock: Leave the dishes.

Edith Metzger: Nooooo.