Gaynor’s daughter LittleLegs has provided an excellent rendition of this Little Grapefruit tale:
Gaynor contacted me yesterday (in a short Instagram post), with a glowing reaction to Ariadne’s blog on The Museum of The KLF. You will recall Gaynor’s two parter Grey is the colour of hope from earlier this month.
Well here is Gaynor’s fuller response. A beautifully imagined dreamscape, riffing on Ariadne’s post, inspired by Little Grapefruit and Vienna, but very much Gaynor’s own.
Over to you Gaynor…
How had I stumbled into Little Grapefruit’s opulent abode?
I had been traipsing alone around Vienna, feeling a little melancholy. It was a Wednesday afternoon, a bit drizzly.
I was walking almost on autopilot. No direction, no purpose…
I stumbled on the Hundertwasserhaus which was a building of sheer beauty, glowing with colour like a patchwork on this otherwise gloomy day. I marvelled at the blue, orange, yellow and pink paint and tiles.
I felt the sensation of not being alone, stood in front of this building. I looked slyly to each side of me so as not to draw attention to myself – but no one was there. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. I looked up, wondering if someone was looking out of the window above. Tree tenants perhaps? Then, without thinking, I looked down towards my feet (more to admire my trabs really).
And I saw her: the tiniest perfectly round little grapefruit you ever did see. She had a smooth shiny rind. Grapefruit blinked up at me for a while (I knew she was a friendly Grapefruit – don’t ask me how). She rolled along waiting for me to follow – she trundled, and I trotted.
We passed a beach populated by iron men and a necropolis full of memorials, finally stopping outside Wigan Casino.
Little Grapefruit’s house was on the other side of the road. There was no mistaking it.
It was beautiful, with a gigantic almost spiritual golden dome perched between two huge concrete blocks and a vast front door overlooked by three medusa heads guarding the door. There were two planters with the number 23 painted on. To the right of the door were nearly identical walls forming the front of the building. On both were huge black letters: MU MU (not in a typeface I recognised).
She led me in. I looked around admiring the sensuous artwork of Gustav Klimt.
Grapefruit’s carpets were lavish – probably best for rolling about on I thought.
I knew I had to leave. I felt it was time, so I tipped my hat and waved farewell. I turned to exit via the front door, expecting to see Wigan Casino. Instead, I walked out of a blue metal graffitied shipping container full of smoke and the deafening racket of Chinooks and sirens were blaring and the sound of Amber Rudd trying to reclaim chaos battered my ears. I legged it.
GAYNOR
30 December 2023
GANTOB blog 