The Glimpse by Lis Bensley
Lis Bensley, author of the thoughtful and provocative The Glimpse (Troubador Publishing), no doubt would be flattered to have a primary theme of her work compared to this description of James Joyce’s A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man: “the essential search for voice and meaning that every nascent artist must face in order to blossom fully into themselves.”
Just as any writer would sell her creative soul to be mentioned in the same breath of an iconic author, so too would any wannabe painter trade in everything for even the lightest comparative brush with a great artist.
The Glimpse tells the story of Liza Baker’s struggle during the ’50s and ’60s for stardom in the competitive world of art. It segues purposefully through her occupational decisions and descriptions about tension and flatness, depth and perspective; to the chatty bars and artist hangouts of New York City where late-night colleagues congregate to unwind, be seen and grasp a contact or idea; to the apartments and bedrooms of friends, lovers and one-night diversions to let off pressure perhaps more so than pursuing that special relationship.
POWERFUL CREATIVE DRIVE
Liza is driven. So driven, in fact, that near the end of the novel, one of her artist friends needs to ask, as if it isn’t clear as daylight, “What are you really looking for, Liza?” On the surface, maybe it’s just a dealer willing to take a chance on her work, showcase her in his gallery and provide a possible meal ticket to sales, success and critical acclaim.
Early on, she gains entry into the exclusive class of master instructor Hans Hofmann. When all her sweat finally gleans from him a simple “yes” of approval, “it was at that moment that Liza was sure her life had begun.”
Ok, not so sure. Life is not that simple, certainly not Liza’s. In fact, through one of her apparently less memorable sexual escapades, she gets pregnant and, on her way to the abortion, makes the U-turn decision to keep the baby.
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
Rouge, her daughter, possesses all the core requirements of a teenager — moody, defiant, difficult, awkward, confused and curious. And she has a mother who disappears for hours on end to the studio to pursue her craft. Rouge is the love of Liza’s life — but that is not so apparent judging from her priorities and actions.
When Ben, another Liza one-night stand, meets Rouge, a bond is created. He is a photographer who encourages Rouge’s creative pursuits in this field, for which she has talent and aptitude. Ben keeps in touch with Rouge, supporting her work and helping her develop her film in his darkroom (if you remember those days).
Two important themes develop: Ben’s arousal of sexual awareness in an immature Rouge, even though his actions do nothing to promote them, and a mother and daughter both pursuing creative endeavors at different levels and a sense of tension that there may be something competitive and jealous firing up in Liza.
AN EMOTIONAL STUDY OF A SINGLE MOTHER
The Glimpse is an emotional and at times disturbing study of a single mother trying to come to terms with her career, her family, station in life and self-image.
And a glimpse of what, you may ask? One of the artists Liza aspires to be like tells her, “Content is a glimpse of something. The trick is to slip into this and paint it. Not the glimpse, but the emotion of it.”
This book provides great imagery and scenery of its time and venues, and a fascinating look into the mind and thought process of an artist. If it’s a gripping, deeply moving, contemplative, well-written narrative that you’re after, look no further.
