Those with a taste for gossip and scandal will recall that ‘Composition in Green’ was the centre-piece of fierce, vindictive and very public spat. Tracy Eminem, linked by Hello! magazine to Fleydon and widely assumed to be his lover, declared her intention to ‘see that stunted sod in the courts’. Fleydon, however had no qualms about clearing the air – “Of course it was about her – anyone could see that. I just upset the young lady with my refusal to be used as a stepping stone in her career. As a far superior artist it was only natural that I presented as an essential notch on her bed-post. Or in this case stain on her bed!”.
Fleydon claims that having been stalked by Eminem and lured into her bedroom, she then made it clear that his “essential seed, my creative juices, my élan vital!” were to be used in her new artwork “My Bed and other Stubborn Stains”. Fleydon says he objected and left the room with his honour (and fluids) intact. But he couldn’t let it lie there, literally or figuratively. "I am afraid that I am not used to being used by women. My sense of honour was pricked, no doubt partly as a result of the latin blood through my mother's side. Whatever it was, I had to respond."
"Composition in Green signifies life, growth and resurgence whereas Eminem’s My Bed is, literally, a pit of chthonic mire. The Keeper (of virtue?) represents the last line of defence but also the first line of attack and I am sure the astute critic will note the phallic and impish boot tightly bound with laces. Power, restraint, life and vigour - and I am sure the motto speaks for itself. Ms Eminem please take note!”
Later that day Fleydon admitted that Tracy Eminem had taunted him about his ‘Little’ goalkeeper and laughingly referred to the work as ‘Dodgy Keeper’, However he insisted that the two artists had since resolved their differences and would be presenting the Turner prizes together later this year.
(Composition in Green has recently been purchased at auction by Proctor & Gamble and will soon feature as the new ‘face’ of Daz washing powder.)
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