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A Trompe L'oeil Casablanca: Sotto in su


"It's important to understand that. It doesn't do just to go back and say, well, 'George Bush was president and that is why everything is screwed up,' because that is simply not true."

-- Dick Cheney
15 March 2009

 

Trompe L'oeil: from the French, to deceive the eye. An art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist.

Sotto in su: from the Italian, seen from below. A type of trompe l'oeil where the elements above the viewer are rendered as if viewed from true vanishing point perspective.

 

 

A Trompe L'oeil Casablanca: Sotto in su

by

Justice Putnam

 

The bombs and rockets are exploding from the Mid East to Western Somoa, from Timbuktu and all along the North Africa Coast. Cities are sunk and bridges are falling as The American walks across the marbled expanse of his nightclub in a trompe l'oeil Casablanca. Not taking the time to survey the room, he strides past the piano player and approaches the woman he knew would be there.

"Ilsa," The American began, "you said we'd always have Paris. Well, here's looking at you kid."

Not waiting to hear Ilsa's explanation, The American turned and approached the Old European and U.S. Congressional delegations at the other end of the room.

"You're either with me" The American taunted, " or you're against me. If you're against me, you'll get nothing. If with me, you'll get what I tell you what you'll get."

"But that's preposterous!" the delegations shouted.

"Pre... pre.... Damn you!" The American shouted, "then you'll get plenty of nothing and nothing is plenty for you!"

Suddenly, all eyes in the room cast upward at the sound of a plane flying overhead. The little man in the corner selling Articles of Demarcation grabbed his papers and bolted out the door. The U.S. Congressional delegations hid under their tables as the piano player nodded at Ilsa and played a familiar melody. The puppet government functionary sidled up to The American and they both walked out the service entrance.

The little man with the Articles of Demarcation approached The American and the puppet government functionary from around a dark corner. He handed out the papers and all three smiled at each other.

"I think," The American said to the little man and the puppet government functionary, "this is going to be a continuation of a very profitable relationship."

A fog of dust and rock arose as they strode past the ruins they created.

 

© 2007 by Justice Putnam
and Mechanisches Strophe-Verlagswesen

 


16 Comments

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Warrior myths die hard, whether 3rd Reich or Rambo.

More pleasant to think about the fine sounds one can make with a Stratocaster---I have white 80s Japanese Fender in my living room, as good as the one I bought new in 71. Kind of miss the Travis Bean, though, even if I don't play anymore.

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I miss my Strat and my "Good and Plenty" pink, black and white swirled Vesta; both stolen before a gig in Orange County during the early 90's; the world has been in worse ruins ever since...

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Never shoulda sold that Guild Bluesbird...original P-90's and all...

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it's sad...

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Let's just not talk about the blonde Fender Bassman with Altec 417's.

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Or the Super Reverb.

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It comforts me to know that we have Justice here at TPM Cafe. That's a start. But a pretty good one! I hope you are an omen for the future, Justice.

And I wonder if cheney thinks torture is just trompe l'oeil ginned up by such as we.

You are a genius.

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I just observe and then record what I've observed...

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In creative and ingenious ways. Yes, you take the stuff of living and you turn it into art. And you do it brilliantly!

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(blushes) thanks!

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That sob cheney is on cnn tonight. the lying.......

Ah forget it.

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didn't mean to upset you... ;-)

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Too bad Peter Lorre is dead. He would be perfect to play Cheney in a horror movie.

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Perfect for the part!

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Vincent Price as Rove. Karloff as Rumsfeld (maybe not, since Condi Rice was the Bride of Frankenstein, right?).

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Hee Hee!

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Justice Putnam

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  • Website: www.dailykos.com/user/justiceputnam/diary
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Bio

First a road manager and back-up singer for the rock group, Cottonmouth in the mid-70's, Justice Putnam then re-emerged with the Laguna Beach Free Poets briefly, part of the Los Angeles Art/ Performance/ Poetry/ Dance/ Punk movement during the early 80's. He then performed solo shows and also as a member of Meta-4; then later with the likes of Jimmy McAllister of Rabbit Choir and Chris Watkins of Preacher Boy and the Natural Blues at such venues as Gorky's in Los Angeles, Beyond Baroque in Santa Monica, Cafe du Nord and Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco, Freight and Salvage and The Bison Brewing Company in Berkeley, The Sweetwater in Mill Valley; and also at music festivals in California, Oregon, France, Belgium and Germany. His poetry and prose has been published in Elektrum Magazine, Vol. No. Magazine, American Poetry Anthology, Literatus World Review, Berkeley Daily Planet, San Francisco Chronicle and other academic, small press, print and online journals. A scholar-athlete in his youth, Justice Putnam worked as an orderly, an emergency room technician, a Roustabout and a Production Operator at an oil refinery. He taught History and English in private schools briefly, while coaching football and track. He has been a professional chef and restaurant owner, a surfer, deep-sea fisherman and a Grinder on a racing yacht. He was the co-host with the chanson francaise impresario, Simon Dray, on his "Fm/French Connection Bistro Radio" broadcast from KUSF 90.3 in San Francisco for a number of years. Currently, Justice was empaneled with Nykk Fell of Galaxxy Chamber every second and fourth Wednesdays from 6pm- 7pm on SF/Comcast Channel 29 in San Francisco, California; discussing the events of the day with Richard Rants on his live call-in television show. If not in San Francisco, stream live on the web at accesssf.org, choose Livestream 1 to view and participate. Some old shows are also archived at Richard's website: www.richardrants.com. Residing in the SF Bay Area, Justice has also traveled around the world with a keen interest in literature, music, photography, art and culinary culture; living briefly in France, Italy, Japan and Mexico.

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