The Russian Poet's bench... an explanation

I didn't describe the bench in the post below well, so here is a better explanation about the pun on the Make Love bench. My thanks to Michael for this...


Voznesensky’s bench

In the big 1992 Videomy volume I showed you, there is a copy of the bench picture large enough to pick out all the words.

Up the left-hand side of the picture are the words:

Скамейка. 1992 г.
A Bench. Cardboard, gouache, one Rouble note*.

To the left of the green channel as we look at it:

СКАМЕЙКА SKAMEIKA BENCH
МЕККА MEKKA MECCA
КАМЕЯ KAMEYA CAMEO

МЕЙКЛАВКА MEIKLAVKA [speaks for itself!]
MAKE LOVE MAKE LOVE [ ,, ]


ВОДОПАД VODOPAD WATERFALL

To the right of the green channel as we look at it (words in vertical column):

ДЕРЕВЯННАЯ ВОДА DEREVYANNAYA VODA WOODEN WATER

…………………………………………………………………………………………

On the opposite page to the bench picture there is an enlarged copy of the bottom right-hand corner of the picture. Down the LH side is the word ВОДА. To the right of that is a half-smoked cigarette with “Mar[borough - presumably]” upside-down on the white part. The leaf in the top RH corner has a photo of part of a one-rouble note (*).

Bottom RH corner, scratched in white block capitals: ЛАРИСА Х LARISA X

At the bottom, in the middle, is a poem. I will work on the translation, and send it to you – some time!

MP

The Russian Poet's bench...

Recently we had a Russian poet staying with us. Actually, as it turned out Michael was neither Russian or had ever claimed he was a poet, but he did know a lot about Andrey Voznesensky, and, as if we didn't like him enough already, in the course of the lecture he was here to give about Voznesensky, he showed a slide of this bench, made by the poet.



And here's a link to an interview with Voznesensky which takes place, appropriately, on a park bench.