Philippe De Jonckheere, image for "Orties", silver gelatin print, 8X10 inches, Sarrewerden, 1994.
... ( ... )... When Barbara
and I went to visit her friend Madeleine in Alsace, East of France, not
far from the german border, Barbara was staying at Madeleine's, while
Barbara had reserved a hotel room in the next town for me, not that she
wanted to get rid of me, but because there hardly was any room in Madeleine's
small tower for everyone to sleep. Every morning, I would drive to Sarrewerden,
to one of the last remaining towers of the Sarrewerden casttle, Madeleine's
tower, and would try to wake myself up by listening to loud tapes, Exile
on the main street of the Stones I think it was. On the last day Barbara
and I had decided to leave early in the morning so as I started the engine,
the tape player blaring. I maneuvered and then turned down the volume,
apologizing for the tape that was playing,a dn telling her that I had
prepared other tapes for our trip featuring John
Cage, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane or Erik Satie, a program
I thought was more appropriate for the travel in company of an artist
like Barbara. But Barbara said: "I don't mind, you know, I watch
television in the darkroom while I process film tanks!"
That was a lesson: Barbara is just an everyday person. With amazing talent.
