The Innate Human Urge to Live
Anton spent the last 10 days or so of his life at Neringah Hospice in Wahroonga, Sydney. Just after he was moved there from Ryde Hospital he asked that one of his wall hangings be brought and hung in his room. He just wanted one of them. I set it up for him and he gave me precise instructions about how to hang it. He was 88 years of age.
Anton Murre had a very strong will to live. He refused to give up his struggle with the genetic disease called Waldenstrom's Syndrome until he finally had to accept that nothing more could be done for him. This was after an intensely distressing period spent at Ryde Hospital during which he alternated between resignation and frustration. While there one night he even tried to go home despite his debilitated physical condition. He was intercepted heading down the corridor towards the exit just in time! I am in tears as I remember and I write this.
Anton in early 2012
There were times in the last 4 weeks of his life that Anton expressed his rage at the fate he really did know lay in wait for him. At one time he said to me: "It's hard to die you know!" All I could say was that I didn't know how I was going to cope with it when it was my time to die. He raged at his children (all of whom- Michael, Kathie, Louise and James) were with him constantly during this tragic time. He called us "gutless" and other equally bad things for not seeing that he could go home and resume his life. After one such time when I attempted to help him accept that this simply was not possible he told me to go away. I did knowing that this was not a personal attack and the next day he rang me and apologised. See, Anton had lived a life of vigour, creativity and intense fascination with everything around him and so his realisation that it was coming to an end was devastating for him. In the end despite bouts of panic and an obvious deep depression he died peacefully on August 22, 2012.
This video is an attempt to present a series of pictures chosen by Anton in June 2012 to represent his long and eventful life-
The Life of Anton Murre in Pictures
What happens to the human consciousness after death? I remain open to answers while respecting the scientific views of people like Stephen Hawkings and others. Whatever the answer I accept Hawkings' statement that to be grateful for life is a worthy way to see meaning where there ultimately may not be any. Anton also kept an open mind and especially enjoyed his conversations with Jenny, the chaplain at Willandra Village where he lived for about 4 years. Although his children often laughed about the fact that Jenny was also a very attractive woman! Anton had a great appreciation for the beauty of a woman. Does human art indicate that there is a meaning to it all? I hope that it does, I hold a trust that all this beauty that surrounds us and that we create is not just an accident of evolution. Now, please do not think that Anton was some kind of saint- he would be revulsed by such thoughts- he was a man of his times and he had many faults. But he was also a great man who created great art and this will be widely recognised in time.
The Beautiful Lady- from Anton's Notebooks.
The Objective Co-relative- T. S. Eliot
Here beginneth a treatise on what makes some art "great".
I refer to the theories of the English poet and literary critic T. S. Eliot-
At this point I do not intend to continue with a detailed analysis of this theory- but please use the links if you wish to examine it.
There are many more like these to study.
Suffice it to say that I hold that unless a work of art exemplifies this principle it is not "great". It is more the pity that in 2013 the concept of OBJECTIVITY is very undervalued but may we wait to continue on this later.
Anton Murre was a Great Artist.
You be the judge-
"My Life is My Art"
At Rest
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