<em>I'd like to preserve something</em>, 1969
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I'd like to preserve something, 1969

Record number
cm000066
Title

I'd like to preserve something

Date
1969
Medium
conté
Support
paper
Dimensions
1498 x 552 mm
Inscriptions

Can you hear me ST Francis? - Peter Hooper (conté crayon, b.l.-b.c.); Colin McCahon Aug 21 '69 (conté crayon, b.r.)

Credit line
on loan from a private collection
Accession number
L1998/28/34
Extended inscriptions

I'd like to preserve something / stand back a bit / make a kind of / invisible fence about / some form of life / so it could flourish | in its / own way / Unknowing nor needing / to be grateful
the trouble is / none of the invisible fences / is strong enough / to keep out Man
I mean why / should snails suffer? / why should we shatter / the world / like a snail-shell / under our feet? / I'm going to | put all the snails
I can find / in the grass / after all / what say do they get / in the use | of / nuclear deterrents?
I want to Assisi one.

Exhibition history

1969 Written paintings and drawings: Colin McCahon
Barry Lett Galleries
Auckland
6/10/1969 - 17/10/1969

Notes

The text is from Peter Hooper's poem 'Can you hear me Saint Francis?', from Journey towards an elegy and other poems (Nag's Head Press, Christchurch, 1969).