Epstein

No, not that one. Nor even the one associated with the Beatles. This Epstein, who featured quite heavily in my life from late 2004 to July 2009, was a sculptor. He was also American and Jewish, although he became a British citizen and was ultimately recognised by the establishment, with a Knighthood, a few years before his death in 1959.

Yes, I spent some four and a half years of my life on one Jacob Epstein, and eventually completed my doctoral thesis, focusing on how he was treated (and mis-treated) by the British press.

“Yeah! And…?” I hear you cry, perfectly reasonably. I don’t need to tell/remind you that I am something of a clever clogs (haha!) – seriously, they awarded me a PhD, and I still can’t believe it – but the case of J Epstein is rather pertinent to my thinking about the current state of affairs in respect of everyone’s voice.

Essentially, in my expert opinion, JE was an artist of relative modest ability as a sculptor, with the one major exception, pictured above. The Rock Drill. Yes, he was an accomplished maker of busts (in bronze) of the rich and famous, but his carvings were primitive, albeit willfully so, probably to disguise his lack of technique with the chisel. Nevertheless, he was successful because he was an interesting figure, making often controversial work, and he maintained a strong profile in the printed media of the day, in spite of the fact that much of it was aimed at belittling the man, his race/religion, his personal life, his personal appearance, and his work.

The point is that he was successful, largely because he upset the establishment. He found a niche and exploited the same. He was noticed, not least by the aforementioned rich and famous who were vain enough to want to commission a bust. If you’re interested, these included Einstein, Churchill, Paul Robeson, Somerset Maugham, and Joseph Conrad, among many others.

Today, everyone is desperate to be noticed, but only the very lucky or the exceptionally talented succeed, even if only for their Warholian fifteen minutes. Back in the early years of the 20th Century, an immigrant Jew, making work featuring genitalia was easily able to shock and titillate the prudish British middle classes and above. Imagine how much better he’d have done with the Internet and social media. Oh, hang on. He wouldn’t. He’d have been lost in the ether, like the rest of us.

So, how do I get some attention without going to depths never before plunged? I can’t, because nobody cares now. Politicians and Royals are pilloried for lying through their teeth, but only until another story comes along to the top of the Trending tables, so it is of no consequence. They are forgotten, if not actually forgiven, and just carry on without having to account for their deceit. It’s all shit.