I Send You This Cadmium Red: A Correspondence

by John Berger, John Christie

A book of correspondence between two highly talented friends-writer/critic/artist John Berger and filmmaker/artist John Christie-I Send You This Cadmium Red began in concept in February 1997, when Christie mused to "What could our next project be?" Berger "Just send a color..." Soon after, a painted square of cadmium red crossed the English Channel, from Christie in London to Berger in France, and an amazing conversation began. The accompanying book reveals, in the form of letters, notes, small books, and drawings, their subsequent exchange of ideas on color-an visual odyssey that ranges from Matisse's blue to the blue of Yves Klein; from industrial brown anti-rust paint to Joseph Beuys' Braunkreuz, from mysterious cave paintings to Byzantine gold leaf. Unprecedented and engaging, aesthetically stunning and intellectually enlightening, I Send You This Cadmium Red both explores new 'ways of seeing' and provides a key to understanding the work of these two artists.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, France, British Literature

240 pages, Paperback

Published December 30, 1899

About the author

John Peter Berger was an English art critic, novelist, painter and author. His novel G. won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism Ways of Seeing, written as an accompaniment to a BBC series, is often used as a college text.

Later he was self exiled to continental Europe, living between the french Alps in summer and the suburbs of Paris in winter. Since then, his production has increased considerably, including a variety of genres, from novel to social essay, or poetry. One of the most common themes that appears on his books is the dialectics established between modernity and memory and loss,

Another of his most remarkable works has been the trilogy titled Into Their Labours, that includes the books Pig Earth (1979), Once In Europa (1983) Lilac And Flag (1990). With those books, Berger makes a meditation about the way of the peasant, that changes one poverty for another in the city. This theme is also observed in his novel King, but there his focus is more in the rural diaspora and the bitter side of the urban way of life.

Reviews

[sevdah]

When artist John Christie asked his friend and acclaimed writer/critic/artist John Berger what their next project together should be, Berger simply said: Send me a colour. Christie explains how at first he said good, I'll do that, then said goodbye, and wondered wait... what does that even mean? Eventually, he sends Berger paint over paper and a letter beginning with the words "I send you this cadmium red." What follows is a correspondence between the two, an exchange of letters, colours, photography, meditations over shapes and textures - and this book is an archive of that conversation. I don't own a physical copy of it, unfortunately. If I did, I'd probably just keep it by my bed and read it every night for a month or a year.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings. The artists/writers had in mind from near the beginning, I think, that this would become an exhibit and/or book, so the spontaneity one would expect from this kind of endeavor seems overthought if not overwrought at times. But the materials they created and especially the quotes from so many interesting sources are well worth your time. There is an excellent bibliography in the back, listing the works they drew on for inspiration and quotes. In particular the quotes from Beuys and John Gage drove me to request the relevant books from the library for full reading.

[e · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am forever changed.

[Eloise Mcallister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook which had music alongside the words. Even though it was composed for this, to me it seemed really unnecessary and jarring, and tbh detracted from the words which I was really excited for. Still giving four stars but tbh the music is like minus one star

[Ms. Phinnia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a different way of looking at color, and a correspondence between two men (two friends/artists). Hard to explain beyond that - it's kind of a synaesthesia-like approach ... some of the quotes really stick with a person. "Color is troubled light."

[Brigette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book as a work of art. I waited a long time to get this now out-of-print book, a visual and written record of a correspondence between John Berger and his friend, artist John Christie, on the topic of color. If I could only have one book for the rest of eternity, this would be on my short list.

[Justin Labelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can the shape of a stain define a colour?
Can a small collection of books exploring the subjective, all too human reaction to colour inspire the reader to his/her/their own exploration of texture and tone?
Can two men called John inspire the world with their creative insights?
Is it possible or even desirable for two old white guys to flood the gates of our human senses?
Read and find out

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

prized possession is this in hardback. so divine. every time I pick it up, I get something new from it. the sunlight parallelograms, caravaggio's red (whose father is the knife), gold being body temperature. come ON. has marked my soul in some way.
10/10

[Malcontenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilla

[Rebecca Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspirational and wonderfully documented. Made me even more excited about letter writing, mail art, book art, and color.

[Peter Prokopiev · Rating 4 out of 5]

would read any scrap of paper john berger ever wrote on.

Also - this contains this gem of a sentence:
"Ah yes, I remember, the blue of blueberries is sexy."

[Curtis Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for someone interested in the art of letter writing, collaboration, writing, painting/drawing...and simply being in the world and seeing.

This book is too big to carry in your pocket--not just because of its physical size, but due to its conceptual weight and the attention it pulls away from what you're supposed to be doing. If a book can be a friend (and I think it can be) this is one of those you want to have with you, talk and listen to because it helps you see what is in front of you, what you're looking at. Friendship is like this, right? Shared seeing and presence in the world? And letter writing, sharing words and art is just another way of bringing your friend to the place you are...or the place you are, you send to your friend.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breathtaking book of correspondence between two men who were friends, and also artist/writer/ photographer/film makers. The letters back and forth were an ongoing and years-long discussion of color. Yes, color. This may not be a book for everyone, but people who enjoy the creative process and are intrigued by questions such as "What shape is yellow?" and statements like "Color is troubled light" will love it. The book includes beautiful reproductions of some the small art pieces they exchanged. Their letters reveal not only fascinating insight into two artists' minds, but also the pure loveliness of their friendship.

[Brooke Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous book.. it's an artist correspondence between two artists... and it starts with the author sending his friend a swatch of the color red. it's gorgeous, nice paper, a perfect size book! i love it, i love anything by john berger!!!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a really beautiful book to spend some time with

[Alice]

A book of letters - what could be more wonderful. A correspondence between two art lovers about what a colour is. It is filed with the illustrative letters they send to one another and their ideas and thoughts on what it takes to be a colour. It made me think of writing a letter in which I was blue and my friend Nadya was red - what would blue and red- in a world were colours have feelings and intellectual - thoughts say to one another.