#charleskrafft

[trevorjamesfoster]

View this post on Instagram

Hand sculpted and painted at Villa Delirium Studios with Chalie Krafft. #charleskrafft #porcelain #sculpture #delft #skull #skullart #blueandwhite #streetart #sculpt #fineart #contemporaryart #contemporarysculpture #porcelainart #ceramic #ceramicart

[schindermania]

There’s bad dates, and then there’s bad dates, and then there’s this...

i went on a date tonight that went so badly, there should be a new word for dates like that. we’d chatted a bunch on the phone, had great interactions, but i had no preparation for this evening. he was two hours late (texted, called, blamed it on waze, but still), i was late for something i needed to take care of (we were going to art walk and he knew i had to drop something off and pick up some art from a show that came down) and the people i was supposed to meet had left, which i didn’t bitch about at all (and i’m super annoyed that i have to go back downtown this weekend, now). so, we walked around galleries, talked about art... i introduced him to everyone i knew. i was charming. he was not particularly on best behavior, but he was funny and not un-charming.

well, we got started so late that by the time we were done looking at shit it was 11pm, and we had said we’d get a bite before or after (that’s when he was supposed to pick me up at 6pm, not 8pm), so i asked what he was hungry for and he said, “ice cream? i ate in the car coming to meet you.” great. thanks. i explained that i needed actual food, because i hadn’t eaten since lunch, so we went to a place that’s 24 hours, because he was driving like a sightseeing grandma, and didn’t give a shit that it was late, i was hungry, and that our options were limited by time and getting more so the longer it took to get anywhere.

went to fred 62 and had a fine time. joking around, eating. i knew i wasn’t into him, but he was kind of fun in a quirky weird way, i figured he was just as nervous as i was (i really do want to give people the benefit of the doubt), and who knew, maybe he’d be a nice new pal. we’d had an okay time (everything aside) and our prior conversations had been great.

and then we got on the subject of charles krafft.

i’m not even sure how we got there. we were talking about art, and looking at work online, and krafft came up and how his work is really offensive to me now that i know he’s a holocaust denier and that he’s been laughing at his jewish collectors for years. well! my date got very antagonistic and challenging and asked how i knew for a fact the artist was an antisemite. and if i believed he was talented before, how could i just decide to believe that he was making hate speech now? and what were my sources? and it was so crazy!

i tried to explain that there’d been a huge piece in the new yorker, and he just kept saying that i didn’t know the guy personally and what were my sources. and i explained that i’d done more research since the article came out and it was a well known, but not (until the new yorker piece) really talked about thing that kraftt is a known holocaust denier and antisemite.

the conversation was going nowhere good, and i really didn’t understand why we were having this fight, i just felt really attacked and upset, so i said, “i think we shouldn’t have this discussion.” he got up all huffy and said he was going to the bathroom and that i had “hurt his feelings by refusing to have a discussion or hear his point of view.“

while he was gone i sat there gob smacked. the waitress commiserated for a moment, he returned and was ready to leave. as we walked back to the car i said that we’d mostly had a nice night and we had a disagreement, it happens. he was rude and said, “i had a so-so night with a bad end.” and then he bitched that he’d never been on a date with anyone so judgemental, opinionalted, and adamant in their opinions. i amost got out and took an uber (irony of their name not lost on me), i wish i had.

i tried to explain that there are certain subjects that i’m absolutely adamant about, the holocaust being one of them. he then somehow dragged feminism into it, comparing jews bringing up the holocaust to women playing the “feminism card.” i should have just let him rant and gotten home, i don’t know what i said, i just know i tried to be reasonable and he was a dick.

when we got to my place he pulled up across the steet from my building and i said, “hey look, it wasn’t a match. it happens.” and he said, “i’m just sad.” which seemed really human. i said,”it’s too bad, but it happens.” and he said, “no i’m sorry i drove up.” 

i shut the door, he drove away. i have never, ever had anyone do that. even the worst date, that got to the stage of knowing where i live, has waited for me to go inside safely, even if we never wanted to see each other again.

i have no idea what that was about, but it was super crazy and super volitile and really came from nowhere. i know there was no chemestry between us and i totally dodged a bullet, but i was so so angry and upset when i came in. he picked a fight with me about the holocaust!!! what the hell??