[NAOMI, spoken]
I thought that went very well, except for the electrical screw-up. What did you guys think?[ALEX, spoken]
Ugh, terrible. [BETTY, spoken]
Terrific. [HARRIET]
I mean, I don't understand completely

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[HARRIET]
But he combines all these different trends

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised

[HARRIET]
You can't divide art today
Into categories neatly

[BILLY]
Oh?

[HARRIET]
What matters is the means, not the ends

[BILLY]
I'm not surprised
[HARRIET & BILLY]
That is the state of the art, my dear
That is the state of the art

[GREENBERG]
It's not enough knowing good from rotten

[REDMOND]
You're telling me

[GREENBERG]
When something new pops up every day

[REDMOND]
You're telling me

[GREENBERG]
It's only new, though, for now

[REDMOND]
Nouveau

[GREENBERG]
But yesterday's forgotten

[REDMOND]
And tomorrow is already passé
[GREENBERG]
There's no surprise

[REDMOND & GREENBERG]
That is the state of the art, my friend
That is the state of the art

[BETTY]
He's an original

[ALEX, spoken]
Was. 

[NAOMI]
I like the images

[ALEX, spoken]
Some. 

[BETTY]
Come on
You had your moment
Now it's George's turn[ALEX]
It's George's turn?
I wasn't talking turns


I'm talking art


But is it really new?





His own collaborator!





It's all promotion, but then– 
[BETTY]
Don't you think he's original?

[NAOMI]
Well, yes...

[BETTY]
You're talking crap

[NAOMI]
Well, no...

[BETTY]
It's more than novelty

[NAOMI]
Well, yes...

[BETTY]
It's just impersonal, but–[ALEX & BETTY]
That is the state of the art
Isn't it?

[NAOMI]
Well...

[BILLY]
Art isn't easy

[HARRIET]
Even when you've amassed it

[BETTY]
Fighting for prizes

[GREENBERG]
No one can be an oracle

[REDMOND]
Art isn't easy

[ALEX]
Suddenly
You're past it

[NAOMI]
All compromises

[HARRIET]
And then when it's allegorical

[REDMOND & GREENBERG]
Art isn't easy

[HARRIET & BILLY]
Art isn't easy

[ALEX & BETTY]
Art isn't easy

[ALL]
Any way you look at it

(spoken)
George!

[GEORGE]
All right, George
As long as it's your night, George
You know what's in the room, George
Another Chromolume, George
It's time to get to work

[MARIE, spoken]
George, look at all these lovely people in front of our painting. 

[GREENBERG, spoken]
George, come say hello to one of our board members. This is Harriet Pawling. 

[HARRIET, spoken]
What a pleasure. And this is my friend, Billy Webster. 

[BILLY, spoken]
What heading does your work fall under?

[GEORGE, spoken]
Most people think of it as sculpture. 

[BILLY, spoken]
So unconventional for a sculpture. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Oh. 

(sung)
Say cheese, George
And put them at their ease, George
You're up on the trapeze, George
Machines don't grow on trees, George
Start putting it together

[HARRIET, spoken]
I bet your great-grandfather would be very proud!

[MARIE, spoken]
Yes, he would have loved this evening. George and I are going back to France next month to visit the island where the painting was made and George is gonna bring the Lomochrome. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Oh, huh... Chromolume. 

(sung)
Art isn't easy
Even when you're hot

[BILLY, spoken]
Are these inventions of yours one of a kind?

[GEORGE]
Advancing art is easy

(spoken)
Yes. 

(sung)
Financing it is not

[MARIE, spoken]
They take a year to make. 

[GEORGE]
A vision's just a vision
If it's only in your head

[MARIE, spoken]
The minute he finishes one, he starts raising money for the next. 

[GEORGE]
If no one gets to see it
It's as good as dead

[MARIE, spoken]
Work, work, work. 

[GEORGE]
It has to come to light

(spoken)
I put the names of my contributors on the side of each machine. 

[MARIE, spoken]
Some very impressive people. 

[HARRIET, spoken]
Well, my family has a foundation and we are always looking for new projects. 

[GEORGE]
Bit by bit
Putting it together
Piece by piece
Only way to make a work of art
Every moment makes a contribution
Every little detail plays a part
Having just a vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution
Putting it together
That's what counts

[HARRIET, spoken]
Actually, the board of the foundation is meeting next week. 

[GEORGE]
Ounce by ounce
Putting it together

[HARRIET, spoken]
You'll come to lunch. 

[GEORGE]
Small amounts
Adding up to make a work of art
First of all, you need a good foundation
Otherwise it's risky from the start
Takes a little cocktail conversation
But without the proper preparation
Having just a vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution

The art of making art
Is putting it together
Bit by bit

[REDMOND, spoken]
We haven't met. Charles Redmond. County Museum of Texas. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Nice to meet you. 

[REDMOND, spoken]
I don't mean to bring business up during a social occasion, but I wanted you to know we're in the process of giving out some very sizable commissions...

[GEORGE]
Link by link
Making the connections
Drink by drink
Fixing and perfecting the design
Adding just a dab of politician
Always knowing where to draw the line
Lining up a prominent commission
Otherwise your perfect composition
Isn't going to get much exhibition

Art isn't easy
Every minor detail
Is a major decision
Have to keep things in scale
Have to hold to your vision
Every time I start to feel defensive
I remember lasers are expensive
What's a little cocktail conversation
If it's going to get you your foundation
Leading to a prominent commission
And an exhibition in addition?

[ALL]
Art isn't easy

[ALEX & BETTY]
Trying to make connections

[ALL]
Who understands it?

[HARRIET & BILLY]
Difficult to evaluate

[ALL]
Art isn't easy

[GREENBERG & REDMOND]
Trying to form collections

[ALL]
Always in transit

[NAOMI]
And then when you have to collaborate

[ALL]
Art isn't easy
Any way you look at it

[MARIE, spoken]
George, you have to meet Mr. Randolph!

[RANDOLPH, spoken]
Lee Randolph. I handle public relations for the museum. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
How do you do. 

[RANDOLPH, spoken]
There's a lot of opportunity for some nice press here...

[GEORGE]
Dot by dot
Building up the image
Shot by shot
Keeping at a distance doesn't pay
Still, if you remember your objective
Not give all your privacy away
A little bit of hype can be effective
Long as you can keep it in perspective
After all, without some recognition
No one's going to give you a commission
Which will cause a crack in the foundation
You'll have wasted all that conversation

[DENNIS, spoken]
I am really sorry, George. I spoke with Naomi in great detail about how much electricity her synthesizer was gonna use. I computed the exact voltage–

[GEORGE, spoken]
Dennis, it's okay. Now go get yourself a drink, Dennis. Mingle. 

[DENNIS, spoken]
George, I have one more thing I wanted to talk to you about. I was gonna wait– no, I'll wait

[GEORGE, spoken]
What?

[DENNIS, spoken]
I'm quitting. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Quitting?

[DENNIS, spoken]
I'm going back to NASA. There is just too much pressure in this line of work. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Dennis, don't make any rash decisions. Just take it easy, sleep on it, and we'll talk about it tomorrow. 

[DENNIS, spoken]
Okay, George. 

[GEORGE]
Art isn't easy

[BETTY, spoken]
Hey, it's the brains. 

[GEORGE]
Even when you're smart

[ALEX, spoken]
Little technical screw-up tonight, Dennis?

[GEORGE]
You think it's all together
And something falls apart

[BETTY, spoken]
I love the new machine, George. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Oh, thank you. That means a lot to me. 

[ALEX, spoken]
We saw you talking to Redmond from Texas. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Yeah. 

[BETTY, spoken]
Did you get one of the commisions?

[GEORGE, spoken]
We talked about it. You guys?

[ALEX, spoken]
Her. My stuff is a little too inaccessible. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Oh, I love you work, Alex. I'll put in a good word for you. 

[ALEX, spoken]
He knows my work!

[GEORGE, spoken]
Well, it's all politics, Alex. Maybe if you just lightened up a little. 

[BETTY, spoken]
Texas would be fun!

[GEORGE]
Art isn't easy
Overnight you're a trend
You're the right combination
Then the trend's at an end
You're suddenly last year's sensation
So you should support the competition
Try to set aside your own ambition
Even while you jockey for position

If you feel a sense of coalition
Then you never really stand alone
If you want your work to reach fruition
What you need's a link with your tradition
And of course a prominent commission
Plus a little formal recognition
So that you can go on exhibit
So that your work can go on exhibition

[BLAIR, spoken]
There's the man of the hour!

[GEORGE, spoken]
Blair. Hello. I read your piece on neo-expressionism. 

[BLAIR, spoken]
Good for you! Now, I had no idea you might be related to 19th century France. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Well, it's a cloudy ancentral line at best. 

[BLAIR, spoken]
I'm dying to meet your grandmother. It was fun seeing the two of you onstage with your invention. It added a certain humanity to the proceedings. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
Humanity?

[BLAIR, spoken]
George. Chromolume #7?

[GEORGE]
Be nice, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
I was hoping it would be a series of three. Four at the most. 

[GEORGE]
You have to pay a price, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
I have touted your work from the beginning, you know that. 

[GEORGE]
They like to give advice, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
You were really on to something with these light machines– once. 

[GEORGE]
Don't think about it twice, George

[BLAIR, spoken]
Now they're just becoming more and more about less and less. 

[GEORGE, spoken]
I disagree. 

[BLAIR, spoken]
Don't get me wrong. You're a talented guy. But there are new discoveries to be made, George. 

[GEORGE]
Be new, George
They'll tell you 'til they're blue, George
You're new or else you're through, George
And even if it's true, George
You do what you can do

Bit by bit
Putting it together
Piece by piece
Working out the vision night and day
All it takes is time and perseverance
With a little luck along the way
Putting in a personal appearance
Gathering supporters and adherents

[HARRIET]
But he combines all these different trends

[GEORGE]
Mapping out the right configuration
Starting with a suitable foundation

[BETTY]
He's an original

[ALEX]
Was...[GEORGE]
Lining up a prominent commission
And an exhibition in addition
Here a little dab of politician
There a little touch of publication











'Til you have a balanced composition





Everything depends on preparation
Even if you do have the suspicion
That it's taking all your concentration 



[BETTY]
I like those images

[ALEX]
Some

[BETTY]
They're just his personal response

[ALEX]
To what?

[BETTY]
The painting!

[ALEX]
Bullshit. Anyway, the painting's overrated...

[BETTY]
Overrated? It's a masterpiece!

[ALEX]
A masterpiece? Historically important maybe–[GEORGE]
The art of making art

[ALL]
That is the state of the art

[GEORGE]
Is putting it together

[ALL]
And art isn't easy

[GEORGE]
Bit by bit
Link by link
Drink by drink
Mink by mink

[ALL]
And that
Is the state
Of the art