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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Karl Germer
[EXTRACT]
[16 July 1930]
Very glad about Nierendorf [Karl Nierendorf]. Shall send you the chosen 75 pictures, and he can chose and return rest for a London show. I, not Marie [Maria de Miramar], painted in those figures. As to the little oil, I'm just as surprised as you! I think Marie's best work excellent of its kind, but I must say I didn't expect Berlin to like it. I'll send over some of hers and you can judge.
But, my dear man, don't you see that all this proves what I have said all along till I'm tired, that NOBODY is any good at the valuation of Art. That is, any painter, however obviously bad, may suddenly be acclaimed as a master, and make a million dollars. I think the best bet is the original painter, the eccentric, one who can be fought about.
For example, to me Steiner [Hans Steiner] is a great master, and Hanni [Hanni Jaeger] little more than an amateur—with possibilities—and a good deal more than crazy. But for that reason Steiner must be accepted simply without controversy, while her work can make a fuss. Similarly, nobody will pay $10,000 for a photo of Cora [Cora Eaton], as was dome for the snap of Ruth Snyder in the [electric] Chair! You're a salesman! and can't see the points about publicity values. [ . . . ]
About my attitude to money. Ask your banker what his is. Mine is identical.
This "art" stuff is all rot.
The position is that my work is a vast asset—very undeveloped. To exploit it need capital—more and more—until I am established, and the money rolls in. We are now so far that we need thousands this year as against hundreds last year. That is not a bad sign but a good one. I always said that we needed £10,000 to put it across. If we had had that amount at once, we should be a paying concern now. (P.S. to this: Love to Cora. Explain.) As it is much money has been wasted by having to mark time. But I reckon that £6,000 now should enable us to turn the corner.
(Neither Leah [Leah Hirsig] nor Mudd [Norman Mudd] had any money; Ninette [Ninette Shumway] only a little, and she got the value of that in living without work for a number of years.) Your mathematics!! Large fortune less $10,000 = bankruptcy!!! People who sink oil wells "pour their money into a hole"—"it seems so senseless" etc. etc. They never see one penny back until the gush comes. But unless you sink deep enough, you get no gush; and you must arrange for distribution, repairing etc. as well as for derricks. Very busy looking for gush now! So tooly—oo!
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