GINSBERG IS GOD
I made a short film in 2002 with John Malkovich called 'Hideous Man', about some Beatnik girls waiting around in a club for their favourite poet to arrive and do a reading. I wanted the leader of the group to wear a jumper showing her devotion to literature and art, a bit like a band t-shirt. I was throwing out names like Camus, Godard, and Ginsberg with the stylist Cathy Kasterine. It was all getting a bit complicated. 'Did you ever see pictures of that t shirt people used to wear in the 70's with Clapton is God written on it?' said Cathy.
I realised the message needed to be much simpler. 'I see, Ginsberg is God,' I marvelled.' 'But what about Godard is Dog - I mean God?' my assistant insisted. 'Godard is Dog' is what is written on the back of the jumper, it perfectly describes the way artistic pronouncements can mean nothing - or everything.
The jumper was only available to buy in Japan, and in one shop in London, the legendary Zoltar the Magnificent founded by Dan Macmillan and Barnzley. Kate Moss went in and bought it, and it became a thing.