Degenerate Works of Antoine Mori

In a small room, in a small house, in a small town, in a less than distant country, lived and worked a man, near the end of the nineteenth century, who smiles to have been forgotten by history.  

He was short.  A delicate wisp of stache hung from an unmistakably french nose.  His manner curt and polite.  He admitted that names confused him, but that you might call him Antoine Mori, if you wished.

Widely regarded by friends and fellows as an affable, decent man, committed patriot, and merciful elder, no more than a few knew of what they would come to identify as Mori's "most unfortunate streak of debilitating eccentricity".  

In a tale now largely inflated to the point of questionable veracity, Antoine's sister Adele recounted in her famous 1893 journal an uneasy altercation with the artist at (       ).  "He beheld, nearly motionless, fixed, for days on end, the left wing of Hans Memling's St. John Altarpiece,  attempting, as he described, to intuitively calculate the distance between the foreground headless John and the background Christ in the clouds.  He took the painting as authoritative, given what he described as 'the dialectic of such a marvelous color scheme,' and he was certain that the space betwixt the two aforementioned figures was constructed of divine and significant proportion."

"I am interested in documenting the final approach of ideas before they enter existence", the artist claimed, continuing, "however, it seems there is every good reason to do everything, and no good reason to do anything.  I suppose we ought to shrug our shoulders."

Experts of varying stature have attributed to Mori such honorific titles as "pioneer of metaphysical photography", "prophetic scribe of transcendental arena", "forerunner to Redon and Appolinaire," "forgotten cousin of Emerson," and "angelic taxidermist".  While undoubtedly well intentioned, praise of this nature has only served to inflate the legacy of Antoine Mori, furthering the systematic obliteration of all exoteric links to the man behind the persona.  

Now, as humanity has invested nearly a decade into the new millenium, the valiant efforts of Interdimensional Booking and Management have, through extensive litigation with the rightfully concerned occultist moderators of theosophic property, secured the rights to a small collection of original drawings, photographs, and constructions from the formidable estate of Antoine Mori.  

"We at Interdimensional (Booking and Management) are delighted to finally present the workings of this truly original mind" exclaims co-founder Christopher Armstrong.  "The parties involved have acted very graciously in granting us this fantastic opportunity".

Armstrong explains that various representatives of esoteric organizations who have chosen to remain anonymous have expressed a great deal of concern regarding the public dissemination of Mori's intellectual property, foundational as it has become to a sacred theology affirmed by a growing number of highly exclusive and surprisingly influential communities.  "We have thankfully been able to strike a very fine balance in our intended presentation of Mori's work.  Interdimensional feels that the artist's work can stand alone on its aesthetic merits.  We do not intend to share any of Mori's private explications, personal writings, or theological considerations, as such actions could potentially jeopardize the position of his admirable followers."  

Critics of Interdimensional Booking and Management question the paradoxical nature inherent to the display of Mori's work in galleries.  Quoting from an an increasingly obscure early twentieth century edition of the artist's selected journal writings, posthomously and perhaps inappropriately titled The Excrement of the Subtle Body, they note Mori's apprehension towards art: 

"I am not an entertainer, and my work will not attract or charm - 

     it shall be accepted on authority and judged according to its transparency.

     My work is both a preparation for, and a reminder of

           that ineffable community to come."

and later,

"I most enjoy those moments when a Reality Far More Subtle

       allows me inside to record all I choose,

              annointed, I am, as metaphysical notary.

 I most loathe those pharisees who 

      equate this Occupation with art,

      dismiss this Occupation as frivolous, 

              or go to bed with the lesser vices of

                     economy, competition, and comfort,

                            as if the Lord does not provide."  

Acknowledging these concerns, Armstrong admits "we cannot say with any amount of certainty that Antoine Mori will find the same amount of reverence in the public eye as he has commanded from those of us privy to his work for so long.  It will be an interesting run.  We would like to think that members of the Art Community could benefit from Mori's ideas, but anything is possible.  Maybe our critics are right."  He concludes, "...but I honestly think that Mori would have wanted it this way.  I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."