Reiko Hiramatsu(RE): I want to walk and move around the world like you and your family. But its hard for me because of my petty life

Irving Stettner(IR): I just follow my fate. I like Japan. It's good country for artists. Have you ever been to france or any europe?

RE: Never been there.

IR: Never been to France? You should go. Every artists should go there. Much more than the States. Japanese feel at home in France. Because their sensibility and politeness is very similar to Japanese. I had a big revolution in France. France shakes me my whole life. I went right after when I was 24 years old. I am very interesting about Hokusai. He is also great walker like Basho. Hokusai lived 748 places. He has 748 addresses. A lot of poets love travel. One reason is that they like nature. They get inspired by nature. They get stimulated by travelling to places.

RE: You look younger than your age. I think a secret of the reason is that you have a young Japanese wife and 9 yrs daughter.

IR: Rafkadio Hahn said that the best thing Japan gets is to know Japanese woman. Now it is a SONY's video and TV or so. Japanese woman has curious mask. They have the unique smile. It works very much for male. Japanese man go one attract. Japanese woman go different directions. Its more flexible and dynamic. But they put down it in Japan. They make household dradge and stay home.
As for me, I don't think the artist should get married. I am a bad husband.

RE: Why did you begin to self-publish the 'STROKER'? It has been published for about 30 years since 1974.

IR: We worked the poetry reading every friday night in East Village. When no one was coming to the reading, I thought poetry is more universal. So I made a magazine and made other people would read the poems. People told me to continue. So I kept going. They has a very playful spirit. Dada's spirit. The idea of Playfulness is Divine. Most people forget about it and they go to work. Children like the play. Because they have that spirit. Maybe some people say artists have to stay young for keeping that spirit. Playing is also experiment to make discoveries. You can't say for sure exactly the creative process. Its a mysterious act. When you take a picture, I can tell you 'press this botton' or 'press that botton' and you have the picture. But creation is not machine. Creation is a mysterious act. Just like life. Thats why the artist loves to paint. The artist loves to touch the sense of mystery. Certain people had it very strongly like Whittman, Greco, William Break. No one can teach that mysterious creative process. Find yourself. And never stop to find them. Thats why shools are false. You can't go to school for becoming an artist.

RE: Could I have some advise to understand 'Dadaism'?

IR: Well...I think Japanese don't understand Dadaism and Surealism. My defenitions of Dadaism and Surealism; a creative explorations of the unconscious, untuitions, playfulness, feelings, imagination, the heart and soul. and if lucky, the creative unconscions leads to cosmic consciousness!
Again I repeat the creative process is a mystery. You can't explain it I guess. The only thing that you ask me is that just have the following your dreams. Hitch your wagon to a star! You have to hitch the car to a star. Honda or Toyota would be fine.

RE: What is your dream?

IR: My dream? Painting.

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