Chromolume #7 / Putting It Together Lyrics > Sunday in the Park With George

[[Harriet]]
I mean, I don't understand completely-

[[Billy]]
I'm not surprised.

[[Harriet]]
But he combines all these different trends.

[[Billy]]
I'm not surprised.

[[Harriet]]
You can't divide art today
Into categories neatly

[[Billy]]
Oh

[[Harriet]]
What matters is the means, not the ends

[[Billy]]
I'm not surprised

[[Both]]
That is the state of the art, my dear,
That is the state of the art.

[[Greenburg]]
It's not enough knowing good from rotten

[[Redmond]]
You're telling me-

[[Greenburg]]
When something new pops up every day

[[Redmond]]
You're telling me-

[[Greenburg]]
It's only new, though, for now-

[[Redmond]]
Nouveau

[[Greenburg]]
But yesterday's forgotten

[[Redmond]]
And tomorrow is already as pass?

[[Greenburg]]
There's no surprise

[[Both]]
That is the state of the art, my friend,
That is the state of the art

[[Betty]]
He's an original

[[Alex]]
Was

[[Naomi]]
I like the images

[[Alex]]
Some

[[Betty]]
Come on
You had your moment,
Now it's George's turn-

-------Voice Over Voice-------
[[Alex, Betty, & Naomi]]
It's George's turn?
I wasn't talking turns,
Don't you think he's original?
Well, yes...
I'm talking art.
You're talking crap.
But is it really new?
Well, no...
His own collaborator-!
It's more than novelty.
Well, yes...
It's all promotion, but then-
It's just impersonal, but-
That is the state of the art,
Isn't it? Well...
------End Voice Over Voice------

[[Billy]]
Art isn't easy-

[[Harriet]]
Even when you've amassed it-

[[Betty]]
Fighting for prizes-

[[Greenburg]]
No one can be an oracle

[[Redmond]]
Art isn't easy

[[Alex]]
Suddenly-
You're past it

[[Naomi]]
All compromises-

[[Harriet]]
And then when it's allegorical-

[[George]]
Art isn't easy-

[[All]]
Any way you look at it.

[[George]]
All right, George
As long as it's your night, George...
You know what's in the room, George.
Another Chromolume, George.
It's time to get to work...

[[Greenburg]]
George, I want you to meet one of our board members.
This is Harriet Pawling.

[[Harriet]]
What a pleasure.
And this is my friend, Billy Webster.

[[Billy]]
How do you do.

[[Greenburg]]
Well, I'll just leave you three to chat.

[[George]]
Say "cheese," George,
And put them et their ease George.
You're up on the trapeze, George.
Machines don't grow on trees, George.
Start putting it together...

[[Harriet]]
This is the third piece of yours I've seen.
They are getting so large!

[[George]]
Art isn't easy-
Even when You're hot.

[[Billy]]
Are these inventions of yours one of a kind?

[[George]]
Advancing art is easy-
Yes.
Financing it is not.
A vision's just a vision
If it's only in your heed.
If no one gets to see it,
It's as good as dead.
If has to come to light!
I put the names of my contributors on the side of each machine.

[[Harriet]]
How clever.

[[George]]
Bit by bit,
Putting it together...
Piece by Piece-
Only way to make a work of art.
Every moment makes a contribution,
Every little detail plays a part.
Having just a vision's no solution,
Everything depends on execution:
Putting it together-
That's what counts!

[[Harriet]]
The Board of the Foundation is meeting next week...

[[George]]
Ounce by ounce,
Putting it together...

[[Harriet]]
You'll come to lunch.

[[George]]
Small amounts,
Adding up to make a work of art.
First of all you need a good foundation,
Otherwise it's risky from the start.
Takes a little cocktail conversation,
But without the proper preparation,
Having just a vision's no solution,
Everything depends on execution.
The art of making art
Is putting it together
Bit by bit...

[[Redmond]]
We haven't met. Charles Redmond, County Museum of Texas.
Wanted you to know we're in the process of giving out some sizable
commissions-I hope you don't mind my bringing up business during a social occasion...

[[George]]
Link by link,
Making the connections...
Drink by drink
Fixing and perfecting the design.
Adding just a dab of politician
Lining up the funds but in addition
Lining up a prominent commission,
Otherwise your perfect composition
Isn't going to get much exhibition.
Art isn't easy.
Every minor detail
Is a major decision,
Have to keep things in scale,
Have to hold to your vision-
Every time I start to feel defensive,
I remember lasers are expensive.
What's a little cocktail conversation
If it gets the funds for your foundation,
Leading to a prominent commission,
And an exhibition in addition?

[[All]]
Art isn't easy-

[[Alex and Betty]]
Trying to make connections-

[[All]]
Who understands it-?

[[Harriet and Billy]]
Difficult to evaluate-

[[All]]
Art isn't easy-

[[Greenburg and Redmond]]
Trying to form collections-

[[All]]
Always in transit-

[[Naomi]]
And then when you have to collaborate!

[[All]]
Art isn't easy,
Any way you look at it...

[[Randolph]]
George, hello. Lee Randolph. I handle the public relations for the museum.
There's a lot of opportunity for some nice press here...

[[George]]
Dot by dot,
Building up the image.
Shot by shot,
Keeping at a distance doesn't pay.
Still, if you remember your objective,
Not give all your privacy away,
A little bit of hype can be effective,
Long as you can keep it in perspective.
After all, without some recognition
No one's going to give you a commission.
Art isn't easy.
Overnight you're a trend,
You're the right combination-
Then the trend's at an end,
You're suddenly last year's sensation.
If you feel a sense of coalition,
Then you never really stand alone.
If you want your work to reach fruition,
What you need's a link with your tradition,
And of course a prominent commission,
Plus a little formal recognition,
So that you can go on exhibit-
So that your work can go on exhibition-

[[Blair]]
There's the man of the hour.

[[George]]
Blair! Hello. I read your piece on Neo-Expressionism-

[[Blair]]
Good for you.

[[George]]
Well, what did you think?

[[Blair]]
George. Chromolume number 7?

[[George]]
Be nice, George...

[[Blair]]
I was hoping it would be a series of three - four at the most.

-------Voice Over Voice-------
[[George]]
You have to pay a price, George...
They like to give advice, George
Don't think about it twice George...
I disagree

[[Blair]]
I have touted your work from
the beginning, you know that.
You were really on to something
with these light machine-once.
Now they're just becoming more
and more about less and less.
------End Voice Over Voice------

[[Blair]]
Now don't get me wrong. You're a talented guy.
But I think you are capable of far more.
Not that you couldn't succeed by
doing Chromolume after Chromolume - but there are new discoveries to be made, George.

[[George]]
Be new, George.
They tell you till they're blue, George:
You're new or else you're through, George,
And even if it's true, George-
You do what you can do...
Bit by bit,
Putting it together.
Piece by piece.
Working out the vision night and day.
All it takes is time and perseverance,
With a little luck along the way,
Putting in a personal appearance,
Gathering supporters and adherents...

[[Harriet]]
But he combines all these different trends...

[[George]]
Mapping out the right configuration,
Starting with a suitable foundation...

[[Betty]]
He's an original...

[[Alex]]
Was...

[[George]]
Lining up a prominent commission-
And an exhibition in addition-
Here a little dab of politician-

There a little touch of publication-
Till you have a balanced composition-
Everything depends on preparation-
Even if you do have the suspicion
That it's taking all your concentration-

-------Voice Over Voice-------
[[Betty and Alex]]
I like those images.
Some
They're just his personal response.
To what?
The painting!
Bullshit. Anyway, the painting's
overrated...
Overrated? It's a masterpiece!
A masterpiece? Historically
important maybe-
Oh, now you're judging Seurat,
are you?
All it is is pleasant, just like
George's work:
It's just your jealousy of
George's work:
No nuance, no response, no relevance-
There's nuance, and there's response,
there's relevance-
There's not much point in arguing.
Besides, it's all promotion, but then-
There's not much point in arguing.
You say it's all promotion, but then-
------End Voice Over Voice------

[[Greenburg]]
It's only new, though. for now,
And yesterday's forgotten.
Today it's all a matter of promotion,
But then-

[[Redmond]]
Nouveau.
And yesterday's forgotten.
Today it's all a matter of promotion,
But then-

[[Harriet]]
You can't divide art today.
Go with it.
What will they think of next?

[[Billy]]
I'm not surprised.
What will they think of next?

[[Others]]
Most art today
Is a matter of promotion, but then-

[[All]]
That is the state of the art,
And art isn't easy...
And that
Is the state
Of the Art!

[[George]]
The art of making art
Is putting it together-
Bit by bit-
Link by link-
Drink by drink-
Mink by mink-
And that
Is the state
Of the
Art!
Last Update: December, 23rd 2013