MODERN ART: Caro & Fuller Saga III - The Letters / by Laurence Fuller

https://laurencefuller.squarespace.com/peter-fuller-art-critic "Art, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" As Peter Fuller, one of the most controversial art critics of all time, prepares for fatherhood by going through psychoanalysis to overcome his demons, escaping the shadow of his evangelical father. The art world of the 70s and 80s was moving so fast with the advent of modern technology, Peter and his childhood friend Michael are forging a name for themselves, the two develop a friendship with the Revolutionary art critic John Berger, which changed the course of all their lives and sent ripples throughout the art world which are still being felt today. Peter's life was tragically cut short by a car crash in 1990, but his spirit lives on and his son survived the crash to tell the tale. 
MODERN ART chronicles a life- long rivalry between two mavericks of the London art world instigated by the rebellious art critic Peter Fuller, as he cuts his path from the swinging sixties through the collapse of modern art in Thatcher-era Britain, escalating to a crescendo that reveals the purpose of beauty and the preciousness of life. This Award Winning screenplay was adapted from Peter’s writings by his son.

In September 2020 MODERN ART won Best Adapted Screenplay at Burbank International Film Festival - an incredible honor to have Shane Black one of the most successful screenwriters of all time, present me with this award: 

http://www.laurencefuller.art/peter-fuller-art-critic

As well as Best Screenplay Award at Bristol Independent Film Festival - 1st Place at Page Turner Screenplay Awards: Adaptation and selected to participate in ScreenCraft Drama, Script Summit, and Scriptation Showcase. These new wins add to our list of 25 competition placements so far this year, with the majority being Finalist or higher. See the full list here: MODERN ART

These letter correspondences with Caro were some of the more interesting and quirky documents I found during my research for MODERN ART, it’s a great example of why Peter was so effective in challenging these underlying values in the art world and in our culture and if not converting people, then further informing and affirming their own perspectives. In short what makes him so interesting to watch as a character.

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MODERN ART: Caro & Fuller Saga III - The Letters
Caro & Fuller Saga II - The Interview
Caro & Fuller Saga II - The Interview

In 1978 my father had his first interview with Anthony Caro, first published in Art Monthly and later in his book Beyond The Crisis In Art. It really does hold up as a fascinating look at both Caro as an artist and Fuller as a critic, the successes and failings of both within their respective mediums and of the limitations of those mediums. The differences between words and images or objects are revealed with all their vulnerabilities and triumphs. Caro's Modernism is put to the test and my father's Romanticism laid bare. The grey area, where they discuss a thing put out into the world and its consequences are fascinating. Should an artist be answerable for the larger questions about the society which he may well be affecting in one way or another, or are they separate because of the signification being a different response for each individual?

The Caro & Fuller Saga i
The Caro & Fuller Saga i

In light of major Caro retrospective currently on at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, I decided to take a look at the fascinating Saga which unfolded between the sculptor and my father, the art critic Peter Fuller, which lasted throughout both their careers and found itself at the core of the cultural debates of the twentieth century, shedding light on where we find ourselves today. Below is the first article I'd like to post on the subject, this will be followed by a number of interviews and correspondences in the final weeks of the Caro retrospective.

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