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Chicken or the Egg

Saturday, May 30, 2009 @ 10:37 AM

There is a very powerful scene in the film “Henry and June" (about Henry Miller the writer, his wife June Miller, and Anais Nin the writer) where everything begins to unravel after June screams to Henry "You just want experience. You're a writer. You make love to whatever you need." From here their respectably established roles all at once are played out, stripped, swapped, dropped, exposed, switched, regained, etc, etc. Everyone is honest, lying, the victim, the manipulator, and all of these conflicting emotions are actually being felt genuinely. How is this possible? The only answer is that it just seems to be the nature of the artist and the muse relationship.

The relationships of Henry, Anais, and June is especially interesting and telling of the confusing nature of the artist-muse relationship because the two artists (writers) perceive the same muse, June, in two very different perspectives which lead to a creation of two very different literary characters. All the while Henry and Anais also are powerless to June under different circumstances leading up to and after the creative process. June's expectations and needs too vary for the two. And throughout it all there are no clear boundaries or sensibility in the dynamic that at times is explosive creatively and beautifully while at other times explosive in the ugliest ways.

June Miller

Artist and muse dynamic has always been something I’ve been intrigued by. It is an intricate and delicate relationship that never is simply what it seems to be, what it ought to be- one that inspires and one that is inspired, then both benefit, grow, and compliment one another with the most beautiful and satisfying results (consistently and continuously) may it be a piece of art work, song, poem, or a book.

The lines often are blurred. The role, also. Is it that the artist takes because he/she is in power and the muse gives because he/she gives up power. Or the artist relays because he/she is powerless while the muse is powerful and controls. Could it ever be equal? A partnership? As with most things in life balance seems to be the most difficult thing to find in this relationship. And when a product (painting, song, poem, or story) is presented is it to satisfy only the artist, only the muse, ideally both but how easily is this achieved? Is it possible? The artist is selfish to portray and steal from the muse what he/she only wishes to while the muse is vain and self-important expecting to be portrayed as his/her fantasy self. For both to be satisfied the process seems masturbatory for both parties and if both are dissatisfied, completely volatile and destructive and even worse, wasteful.

Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick

Ultimately I believe that since it is the artist who has the creative power with it, also holds the responsibility. But the artist temperament often gives little room for maintaining full control. Is it then always one the master and the other the slave where neither ever stays as one and the role changes without clear boundaries that can ever be set? At any moment the power can shift, there never seems to be stability. But this may be what drives it. Those that create and those that want to be at the heart of it, perhaps can not exist in stability or wish to.

Picasso and Dora Maar

It should be known that though June made an unforgettable impact on Henry Miller and Anais Nin both personally and creatively, eventually she no longer was their muse, yet they continued to write and thrive in their writer identity with other influences and inspiration. As with cases of many artists/writers (Picasso, Warhol, name any artist) for a period there was a muse, then the next period, another.

There are no losers or winners. However, perhaps one of us knows something the other does not. Then I wonder, is calling a love lost a muse a self-defense mechanism on the part of the artist to brush it off and declare "I only did it for my art."

To be honest I don't know which it is. Or who has the power. Sometimes I desperately wish I knew. But then I remember, who cares, go create and be thankful for everything that comes your way that touches you.

cheers,
m.

MichelleJaneLee

Recommended reads-

Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller (includes character inspired by June Miller, whom she despised the portrayal of)
Henry and June Anais Nin (diary written during the period heavily influenced/moved by June)

Labels: Anais Nin, art, artist, film, Henry Miller, literature, muse