Diana Anastasia Inmaculada
The Artist (November 2021)
Prose and digital film

The Artist was written during the lockdown of 2019 and I finished shooting the footage for the film the year after, in 2020.

The photographs were shot over several years, between London, Ibiza and Italy. In 2020, the sunrises in Ibiza I thought depicted the artist’s sentiment quite vividly.

TRANSCRIPT

The artist needs our support
because he is our eyes
our heart
our interpreter

The artist is exposed
he must be..
protected

The artist needs to be consoled.

First of all
He must get enough sleep
and be given something nice to eat
not just anything
something catchy, like a dessert
like an art-heist-movie cafe Ferrero
with chocolate sauce and whipped cream
on a glass dish
one that makes a nice ting sound
when you hit it with a spoon

The artist must be held
he must be kept cosy and warm
have somewhere nice to sit in
like a flower
a Rosa Centifolia perhaps
one with soft, silky, fragrant petals
that’s
easy to lie on

the artist must be dressed
in elegant clothes
Nappa gloves and long coats
sometimes white
sometimes leather
black, red
dangerous colours
fuchsia

anything that can reveal
his authority

he must wear Better Shoes
so he can walk
on water
fire
rainy clouds
and every terrain
that the artist typically walks on
every situation
that he will encounter
being an artist

Soft linen grey rainy clouds though
not too dark
just so they dim the room 
just a little
enough to watch a film
or talk

The artist must stay up late if he wants
when he has stuff to do
or maybe he 
wants to watch the stars
maybe he can hear constellations
maybe he can read your future
never underestimate the artist

in the morning the artist likes to wake up early in the morning
sometimes
with the sunlight in his arms
and little birds hopping along his room
chirping

He’s out of bed then
holding a half-moon black porcelain cup
of cappuccino
outside a cafe somewhere
In Portofino

Held by the biscuit smells
the pink roses, the moon at 4pm
an artist must be held

If the artist wants to swim, he must swim
however far the sea
He can’t sleep when he must swim

The artist must think, he must think
He’s a busy person
when he is in contemplation

He must watch the horizon as he does that

If the edge of the Earth can’t be seen
well, the artist must go see it
So if he doesn’t drive himself, he must be escorted 
by someone he likes
to see it
So he can think.
and then he must be left alone
the artist likes to be left alone

Gazing over the edge of the sun, once he has arrived, 
with, our without help
the artist can watch the blooming garden, if there’s a garden
and if there’s not, a garden shall be installed
if the artist needs one to watch

It depends what the artist requires
the artist promises to observe all social rules and protocols
However sometimes the artist can’t
and in those times, an exception will be made

Friends of the artist will learn
that the artist must be saved
The artist finds
extreme inspiration in love
and sex
and where there’s love to be found
he will find it
of course abiding to social protocols
or not
Always

Because the artist will lead us all to heaven
He must be granted safety
and given comforts of every kind
Enough attention
and enough space
every respect
Mentorship and direction
Friends
Action and freedom
protection
and of course exception

The artist must be protected
at all costs