Andrew Taylor
Empire
There’s no I in a photograph– Andrew Duncan
long days are shortening
impending September
cloud piled like cushions – bands
two aircraft same path yet apart
a third later slower a descent?
the sound of the refrigerator
a domestic soundtrack click of
coffee machine
cloud shift three distinct bands
now last of proper light on east
side hint of artificial light from
main tier radio mast like a syringe
a higher plane slower passing through?
within 10 minutes buildings are turning
more pronounced only in silhouette
the water tower before Whiteread
thought to cast in resin
bands of cloud shift again
more aircraft
lean forward in the seat to write
more comfortably
bands turn to slight swirls
what are the bubbles in hot drinks
tea or coffee called after stirring?
sudden shift in film was it the exposure
being played with in 1964?
sky looks dusk-like now
the tiers are more pronounced
if this view was replicated today
would the space around be filled
like some kind of video game?
mode of delivery HD copy on
a square screen in rural France
a far cry from the premiere in NYC
2nd cup of coffee (which is actually
6 cups according to the machine)
how does improvised writing compare
to improvised painting or piano music?
aircraft still descend behind the tower
46 seconds of improvised piano
starts the day in this house as the sun
fills the room
the spire is lit with three dots a light
aircraft passed by (here) to a lack of
aircraft on the screen
one appears lower altitude the sound
sounds wrong – a gentle fade
office window lights appear lit
what was the temperature that night?
passing plane L-R a determined trajectory
it seems to be getting darker
the pronounced lighting of the tiers & spire
starting to stand out against the grey of the sky
a shake of the camera - this is real
Mekas set the camera plumb perfectly framed
the office windows on the other buildings
are now becoming visible as well as being
more pronounced on the ESB
central band of sky seems to be getting
softer halving the frame almost lining
up with the top tiers of the building
a plane R-L
two large billboards appear lit on the building
on the left offices on the first tier visible
a camera flash from the viewing platform
then a trigger of flashes
how far do they think that the flash will reach?
to the Rockefeller Centre?
that passage to the platform
in speeding express elevators
guarded by a person in uniform
there’s something about the ticket stub too
the warning light on the spire
begins to flash beneath it are static lights
every building aside from the water tower
shows signs of habitation
another plane its lights flashing
a second string of lights appears
on the tower beneath the mast
they were probably already there
but the looming darkness brings
them out
strangely therapeutic
coffee is going cold
microlight providing the soundtrack
as a low altitude plane flies R-L
pitched perfectly against the fade
flashing lights in the building on the left
uniform how long will they beat?
almost totally dark now
a blue blackness to the cloud
it’s all black and white though
still the rumble of the refrigerator
still the flash bulbs from the viewing platform
still offices are lit
the water tower is just about visible
a Sunday meditation on time
notebook pages filling in real time (10.58 a.m.)
15 to get to almost complete darkness
only the light on the spire remains visible
the spire itself subsumed into the black
the strange comfort of glancing at the building
on the left & seeing those 3 lights flashing in unison
hand is beginning to ache
the water tower has all but disappeared
two rapid flashes from the same camera
a microlight flies over
no aircraft on the screen
a random French soundtrack
the water tower has disappeared
aside from the flashes
it seems quiet
it is quiet
it is silent
what soundtrack did the premiere audience give it
as they left in disgust in 1965? attacking Mekas &
wanting their money back lots left after an hour
$2 entry fee                                                            (comfort)
3 of the offices in the lower tier
have been vacated
low altitude plane
rice is a great food cold for breakfast
after cooking a pot 2 days earlier
“they go fast get a spare”
Kelloggs getting people to buy more
than they need
vintage plate Rockwell’s illustrations
a jet overhead in real time
too late for the USA to Italy
routes
bio orange juice really does
taste better
there are still people on the viewing deck
the flash of their cameras pulse into the black
the sun streams through the canopy
covers the table and slowly fades
is the house this quiet when it’s shuttered
& closed up?
it feels like Sunday
you can only tell the shape
of the building by the framing
of the lit top tiers
the odd office light provides
a rough outline another plane
passes another office is lit
a burst of flashes
a slow plane L-R low
are people taking photos of each other
trying to capture the skyline?
a plane emerges from behind the tower
R-L
walking the avenue from the village
north was exhilarating strolling
which was the best way
one Sunday there was a flea market
on a vacant lot this was pre-car boot
sales & was a revelation
people really did sell their rubbish
another time drinking cold beer
at a bar at the foot of the building
that was when the city was cheap
imagine how cheap it must have been
when the camera was pointing at a lit
ESB in 1964
Andy couldn’t afford to develop
the film though
how did Mekas get by?
the sound of breathing
window is closed                                                                                           (11.42 a.m.)
Writing longhand is a different experience to typing it seems fitting the notebook paper is good quality
of course writing through stuff means you have to take eyes off the screen not that there is that much
different to see from the last time you stare into it the quietness helps somehow it helps get the pen moving
the office lights form a crescent
moon with Venus to the right
scratches on the barrel of the pen
make it even more personal
the skip plundered rug feels
good underfoot
does the eye get drawn automatically
to the centre or is other stuff happening
left & right just as interesting?
shift in the seat
taking time to just look
at the central image
opens up the finer details
such as the slowing pace
of flashes & extra offices
being lit & others turning dark
an aching hand a rest
there is always movement
this is not as static as you might think
it’s like day (night) dreaming
it’s tranquil
a light goes out time for home?
as the film was slowed down it’s hard to gauge
the time in reality
it does feel like somebody
(lots are) is working late
the crescent shape is changing
what would have been the optimum time?
1964 or later ’66 ’67?
earlier?
the turn from the 1950s to the 1960s?
what locale? the cheapest time to do
the things you wanted to do
earn some cash go to see films
go to readings see gigs just walk
around midtown waiting for the
papers to hit the newsstands
two lights remain of the lower tier
upper left
nothing is ever still nothing is ever silent
a plane flies across L-R
the low cloud gives a warmth
to the darkness
combined with the slowing
of the film                                                                                           (comfort)
immersed in this
an inevitable slowing down
3 years before arrival
strange city sounds like the police sirens
in Bad Timing
that seems appropriate
uplighters on the tiers
stronger & more obvious
is it worth noting the aircraft?
what would be the ideal soundtrack?
improvised or scored piano?
improvisation often frowned upon
no idea but in things
like time & a static though not static
shot of a building in NYC in the mid-1960s
giving oneself over to time
to create is a luxury yes
but one that costs very little
in the grand scheme of things
setting up a recording of a piano
in a Brooklyn church & going with
it will yield results
square circle triangle
no that’s not the sound of rain
just the sound of the leaves rustling
an empty line                                                                                          (12.46)
to stare at something long enough
is like walking across a meadow
back & forth repeatedly to leave
a line
that is the sound of rain
the scent of hot smoky Earl Grey
is a comfort
two pencils two pens
an empty orange juice glass
a mug two labels an empty
medication packet a post-it note
in the middle of it all a screen
filled with a non-static image
imaging the urge to pan
not for gold but the Auricon
(each reel lasting 33 minutes
they’d be on the 9th by now)                                                            (call)
light clumped right
crescent shift
intermittent flash
XTC 7” sleeve Towers of London
it’s dark & darker
shadows fall
triangles of light
top tier glamour
below the mast
it’s kicking in now
only lights either side
of the central image
hint at buildings
state of permanence
this building
in-situ 56 years on
do the others that surround
in this film?
humans are making the movements
visible like in the village lights that
turn off at 11.00 p.m. weekdays midnight
weekends
signs of life amidst the static are most welcome
telephones like the payphone
in the factory are as welcome
in the 21st century
it’s something to do with the human voice
rather like the office light viewed from the
distance it’s proof of existence as is electricity
platform beneath the mast lit
like a pedestal puts into mind
for some reason
Marilyn & Billy Wilder
perhaps it’s stature & iconography
grain of film despite this being
the HD version the warmth of
the grain is obvious HD grain
less lights in the tower now
no recognisable pattern
trio of lights turn on in a row
same floor
perhaps a party or late night meeting
somebody returning after an evening
out bedding down like Frank Quietly
in Glasgow
4 hours are better than none
wake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee
an instant lifting of the spirits after sleep
still the odd camera flash
less frequent now
the lights on the deck are on
less movement
air rights before the WTC
would this have been the target?
a turn of the page
signs on the east side
less occupancy though
where’s the manual?
the box can be discarded
there isn’t a manual for watching an 8 hour silent film
flash on the east side
traffic on the river to focus on
upward spots of light
like the Wordsworthian notion
of spots of time
this is one long spot of time slowed & considered
not seen a plane
for a while
the rain has passed
quiet again
it’s probably not been raining
for hours
little movement save for the tip
of the antenna & the trio of lights
bottom left
pace of things despite the bustle
of the mid-60’s I bet it was still slower
than today
All the News that’s Fit to Print
more all the news that’s available in a click
superhighway like the express elevator
need = supply = time
if scored this could be a melancholic refrain
perhaps it would’ve been best to have done
this in as real time as possible
8.06 p.m. – 2.42 a.m. but the film is slowed
at this point there is just over 3 hours
left to view
maybe the viewing deck has been cleared
no – there’s just been a flash
& another
a sense of expectation
waiting for something
the angle is interesting it does capture 2 sides of the building the left-hand side
is at an angle the near side is more full-on
less happening in the corners
what would they have brought?
voices & discussions
glances & eating
did they look away from the view
that was being filmed?
who was first to visit the bathroom?
what did Mekas’s girlfriend make of it?
did Gerard write some poems?
writing through can be physically tiring
as well as mentally challenging
akin to being on the 41st floor that night
for 6 ½ hours
making things new
allowing what’s already there to be brought
into sharper focus
the everyday isn’t mundane
it is magical
stop & think about what is
around us when we look out
of the window
(if we have a window) it’s obviously
not always perfect
wear a maskCoca-Cola goût original
same formula as the bottles
printed in the 1960s
refreshing & uplifting
a light lunch
garlic paté on crackers
fizz of carbonated beverage
being poured into a glass
with Paddy Irish whiskey branding
on it
how to practice furniture writing
perhaps follow the mode
of furniture filmmaking such as this
is this the equivalent?
a plane
then another
pass by
the whirr of a solid state computer drive
this as riley would state
is an art
additions to the workspace
3 glasses
1 mug
& a plate
the drive has quietened
first plane synced with a plane
going overhead – impressive timing!                                                            (15.05)
still flash bulbs are going off
the sound of bamboo chimes
through an opened window
was that a reflection or a dip
in the film quality?
still flashes appear from the deck
albeit at a slower rate
post-lunch slump despite
the caffeinated cold drink
good job this isn’t being screened in a cinema
oblivious to the goings on in the wider world
shouldn’t that kind of be the point of Sundays?
there is only 1 supermarket open on a Sunday
8-1 the queue is usually long outside the boulangerie
the temptation to
rewind
did that light go out
& back on again
or did it just stay on?
it’s odd looking at image(s)
of night when it’s 3.20
in the afternoon
bottom right where the water tank
was (is) is like looking across a bay
to land pockets of light at a distance
bottom left still shows the pulse
of the trio of lights but there is less
from the building itself
a random large flash from the deck
not a case of poetry of the everyday
but poetry born out of the extraordinary experience
this is not a regular Sunday
more floors seem occupied
not a scattering of lights on
but more in clusters
not like looking at the stars
from the courtyard on a clear
night when the scale of things
really does become apparent
red of the can stands out
there’s a sheen to it
(just over 2 to go)
refrigeration hum from the kitchen
the daily papers would be readying to go to print the early editions at least ready for dispatch
across the five boroughs & the local drops in the city all night diners in view of the building
would be serving coffee & post-bar food patrol cars on the odd corner the San Remo would
possibly be in full swing ideally a starting or ending point
stare at a certain point fixate
deliberate the next line will
come the pace immaterial
there is always time
have they closed the deck?
almost reach for the rewind
your battery is running low you may wish to plug in
the red light is lit
gaps appearing between lines
this is not a prose poem
they have probably cleared the deck
elevators loaded
why not the flat iron?
the scene where Jimmy & Kim
& he throws his hat from the roof
on Christmas morning into the snow!
it’s about perspectives & framing
not the obsession with word counts
a day is wasted if there
is a preoccupation with numbers
move the box keep the manual
fallen vine stalk in the gap
between tiles
notification                                                                                           (comfort)
instant coffee has a unique aroma
no planes
the eye fixes on the most lit
part
of the frame
it is drawn to light
as it notices
also when something is switched
off it is easy to lose yourself
in deliberation
& the sound of your own breath
searching for life on that deck
underneath it is obvious that
rooms are occupied or did
somebody just leave a light on?
a plane!
passing through
aside from the four lights blinking
at times it does feel static
a close up: 44 windows lit
41 windows lit
miscount?
the quiet broken by the noise of the breeze that makes its way through the slightly opened window
by writing through
full attention is not
given to the film
on the screen
by taking a comfort
break the gaze
is also broken & the
page isn’t being filled
This medicine may make you sleepy if this happens do not drive or use tools or machines do not drink alcohol
45 windows lit
the observation deck is not closed
architecture that is built to last is a wonder as long as fastidious councils behave themselves the sad loss
of F.A.T.’s Pavilion in Liverpool comes to mind or will alsop’s 4th grace ‘the cloud’ that was laughed at
that is the sound of rain
that slows to quiet
to pick up again
fixate on a window
to see if the light
within goes out
this one is on the left
possibly the west facing
side it seems to have been
lit for a while certainly
since the sun went down
it’s bright
shift focus
a yellow wall beyond the screen
a postcard of ‘sunflowers’
‘The Entry of Christ into Liverpool’
en Marx & the authors of Lowdeine Chronicles
two Parisian cats
nature makes its music
in the dead of night
creatures roam & seek
the grapes
tempted to count
the lit windows
when the red light
goes off
the power can be disconnected
one last line on p.61 to fill
under the hour a new page
settled in allowing the day
to do its thing the crows to
make their racket                                                                                          (notification)
at 18 frames per second
a projected screeningof the film would end
about now 7 hours and 10 minutes
(my version has another 49 minutes
& 44 seconds to run)
what would be the point of the 46 minute edit?
a plane
a light in an office turns on
(home safe & dry)
‘Jacqueline’ by Durutti Column
playing somewhere or it should be
cold coffee tastes better than cold tea
(notification)
The New York Times
tired eyes means
that certain office
lights appear
to be flickering
they are not
rain on the Velux taps a tune                                                             (7h32)
the image turns dark
after 7hrs 32 minutes
the image looks like
a partially decorated
Christmas tree
the plinth to the
radio mast remains lit
this feels climactic like
the crystal ball at the Floyd
gig at Earls Court gig in 1994
opening during the solo
in ‘Comfortably Numb’
there was an expectation
of cheering
the invite shows a still
a light to the right
of the building
can only be the blurred
light of a plane
difficult there is still
light within machinery
will still be working
the guards will still
be walking the front doors
locked
fast plane
55 windows lit
fading in fading out
are we near to the final reel?
we are on the final reel
a writing through of Andy Warhol and John Palmer’s 1964 film Empire.
written between 9.45 a.m. and 5.45 p.m. on Sunday 30th August 2020
during a screening of Empire, a film directed by Andy Warhol and John Palmer that was shot in June 1964.
Andrew Taylor
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