Writer Paul Mennes on artistic fame, nihilism and Andy Warhol
In his latest novel, Flemish author Paul Mennes transforms his 2011 writer’s residency in the US into a dark but thoroughly entertaining exploration of modern life
Pop art paradise
Initially, Mennes (pictured) intended to work on another book during his time in Pittsburgh. “But when I got there, I felt that what was happening around me was a lot more interesting than the book I was working on, so I decided to start over,” he says. “There was just too much going on: the Warhol museum was close by, they were shooting a Hollywood movie, my neighbours were people who had had to flee their country because of their work… I would have been crazy not to use all this material."
Niets bijzonders (Nothing Special) then is the story a writer in Pittsburgh to work on his new novel, a hospitalised man who thinks he is the late Andy Warhol and the former inhabitants of The Factory, Warhol’s famous New York studio. All these stories are intertwined, which creates an interesting twist on the concept of 15 minutes of fame, so that Niets bijzonders is definitely not as banal as the title suggests.
Mennes’ novel is a collage of Facebook conversations, hospital records and the poetic ponderings of a (Mennes-like) author looking for inspiration. It also includes short monologues from former Factory stars and has Warhol wake up in present-day Pittsburgh, his hometown.
“Collage gives me the opportunity to try out different techniques, to try and give every character or scene their own voice and atmosphere,” he says. “The 21st century is very fragmented, so I try to represent that in my writing. It’s inevitable.”
Artistic reparations
Solitude and ennui are the common denominator among Niets bijzonders’ cast of disconnected characters, who all revolve around Warhol in one way or another. “Warhol is someone whose presence is very tangible in ads, art, etc,” says Mennes, “but initially I wasn’t really interested until I went to the Warhol: A Factory exhibition in Brussels in 1999. Suddenly, I was captivated.”
You often read stories about how Warhol destroyed people, but I don’t agree
Mennes brings the pioneering pop art figure to life with warmth and sympathy – a strategic move, he explains. “I intended to write a reparation for Warhol because you often read stories about how he destroyed people, and I don’t agree. The Warhol superstars who died an early and nasty death had problems before meeting Warhol.”
But Warhol isn’t the only character whose trials are alternated with that of the other central protagonist, writer Kasper Lazarus. Real-life Factory stars like Nico, Freddy Herko, Ondine, Edie and Candy also make appearances. “It was a little unnerving to inhabit these characters,” Mennes admits. “Some you sympathise with, like Nico. Others, like Ondine or Edie, less so.”
Multimedia and visual culture are important markers in both Warhol and Mennes’ oeuvres. They have the effect of creating a contemporary feel now but will also account for a dated one in the future. “Everything fades away and changes,” Mennes responds. “Few authors are still read 10 years after their death. I personally don’t care what happens to my work after I’m gone.” This 2011 snapshot in the form of a book is transient, he explains, just like The Factory was.
The title of Mennes’ new novel refers to a quote by Warhol – “The great unfulfilled ambition of my life: my own regular TV show. I’m going to call it Nothing Special.” The title offers a reminder that although technology has evolved since the 1960s, humans haven’t.
“I write about what I see, and nihilism, decay and pretence are themes that are all around us, even now,” says Mennes. “It’s not a happy world, but that doesn’t mean I can’t write a funny book about it. It’s my goal to write entertaining novels about serious subjects.”
Niets bijzonders is a stylistic masterpiece, a web of cultural references as well as an intentionally chaotic and charismatic work that focuses on the temporality and emptiness of fame and the loneliness buried deep inside.
It is also an interesting look at Warhol’s eclectic and experimental oeuvre. In the end, Niets bijzonders is an ironic look at the present-day world by an author who is known for his visual flair and heightened sense of reality.
Photo by Laura Mustio
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