Long Gone Ray

Lately I have been given to watching documentaries on artists, having an abundance of time on my hands. I saw one to day that was quite sad in the end. It was about Ray Johnson, a contemporary of Warhol's and who was into performance art. The film I saw was entitled “How to Draw a Bunny,” and charted the course of Ray's life right up until the long swim he took, never to return.

I didn't think much of the artwork he did produces, mostly off-beat collage and stylized bunny heads with other artist names on them. He lived in a time when culture was flourishing, the Beats ruled and art was in full bloom. He was fortunate to be part of the scene, but apparently in the end it wasn't enough. He was alone at the end, had chatted on the phone with his friends and colleagues, little did they know he was hinting that the show was about to end. He'd even told one friend he was about to create his greatest work, and wouldn't give any clues.

The it was over. No more drawings of bunnies, or beating cardboard boxes at readings, or anymore Ray Johnson. He lives on to a degree in his work and I guess that is all anyone can hope for.