DONALD ROLLER WILSON HAS A MYSTICAL WORLD SPINNING AROUND IN HIS HEAD. IT IS A WORLD REMOVED FROM THIS ONE. IT'S A TEEMING SPIRITUAL PLACE, COMPLETE WITH ITS VERY OWN CIVILIZATION, A SMALL TOWN HE IS COMPELLED TO INTRODUCE US TO, AND ACQUAINT US WITH, UNTIL THE INHABITANTS ARE AS REAL TO US AS THEY ARE TO HIM. THIS IS HIS TASK - HIS IMPERATIVE. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO BELIEVES THERE MAY BE APPROXIMATELY FOUR WAYS IN WHICH COMMUNICATION OCCURS. IN HIS OPINION, THERE IS A COMMUNION WHICH OCCURS BETWEEN ONE AND ANOTHER DURING CONVERSATION WHICH YOU MAY HAVE WITH YOURSELF WHILE ALONE. THIRDLY, THERE IS A SEXUAL COMMUNION IN WHICH WORDS ARE BYPASSED AND THE LANGUAGE BECOMES SENSUALITY. BUT, THEN, THERE IS A FOURTH MEANS OF COMMUNION THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN ONE ABSORBS AN EVER SURROUNDING FIELD OF INFORMATION, WHETHER IT BE COMPRISED OF BOOKS, PLAYS OR FILMS, PAINTINGS, WHATEVER. THE INFORMATION COMES IN, AND INITIATES INSPIRATION.

ROLLER IS ONE OF THE BLESSED CREATURES WHO MAY EXPERIENCE A "MIX" OF THESE POSSIBLE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION. FOR THE WAY HE SEEMS TO "TALK" WITH HIMSELF, IS THROUGH HIS PAINTINGS. THE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS ONGOING, IS HIS ESSENTIAL PASSION. IT'S HIS IMPERATIVE. IT IS THE COMMUNION THROUGH WHICH HE CAN MAKE HIMSELF SANE ABOUT HOW CRAZY HE CAN BE. AND THE IMAGES HE MAKES ARE LIKE MAPS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO LEAD HIM OUT OF PLACES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BECOME A WILDERNESS.

I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO WORK WORDS INTO STORIES, AND THEN INTO PICTURES, INTO "PAINTINGS". BUT, WITH ROLLER, I HAVE FOUND SOMEONE WHO TELLS STORIES WITH PICTURES. AND HE TELLS THE STORIES THROUGH THE INNOCENCE OF IMAGES CREATED FROM A COMBINATION OF VARIOUS ANIMALS AND OBJECTS - EVEN VEGETABLES - ASSEMBLED FOR JUST ONE LAST FAMILY PORTRAIT. THE EFFECT IS WHIMSEY, BUT IN ITS MOST PASSIONATE FORM. WHIMSEY TAKEN TO ITS ABSOLUTE LIMIT, UNTIL THE WORD CAN NO LONGER APPLY, AND ONLY ROLLER CAN CAPTURE IT AT ITS LAST POSSIBLE OUTPOST. HE TAKES THE EFFORT TO THE WILDERNESS WHICH LIES BEYOND WHIMSEY, AND PROVIDES US WITH THE MAPS - THE ILLUSTRATIONS - OF WHAT HE ENCOUNTERED IN SOME OF THE UNCHARTED AND UNEXPLAINED TERRITORIES THAT LAY BEYOND.

ROLLER HAS A ZOO IN HIS HEAD. HE HAS TOLD ME, IN FACT, THAT WITH HIS EYES HALF OPEN, HIS EYELASHES BECOME THE BARS TO THE CAGE OF THIS CEREBRAL IMAGINARY MENAGERIE OF HIS. IN FACT, MY HOUSE - MY FATHER'S HOUSE, AND MY MOTHER'S HOUSE - HAVE BECOME THREE OF THESE ROLLER MENAGERIES. WE ALL HAVE ROLLERS, A LOT OF THEM. ONE ROOM IN MY HOUSE IS FILLED WITH CATS GAZING IN A VARIETY OF DIRECTIONS. EACH CAT IS OCCUPIED IN SOME EVENTFUL MANNER, AND ONE WIELDS A WATERMELON ON HER HEAD. AND IN MY BEDROOM THERE IS A PRECIOUS LITTLE MONKEY NAMED "BILLIE", WHO IS A COUNTERPART TO COOKIE. SHE IS A RECENT ARRIVAL WHO COMMANDS A SPOT IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND WHO IS WEARING A NIGHTIE WITH FLOWERS IN HER HAIR. THERE IS A HOUSEFLY BUZZING QUITE NEAR HER WHO JUST MIGHT RESPOND TO THE NAME "DEBBIE", IF CALLED. AND OVER THE PIANO WHICH MY FATHER USED TO HAVE, THERE IS A RATHER LARGE APE WOMAN WHO IS SPEAKING ON A BABY BOTTLE (PORTABLE PHONE?) WHO I DARE SAY MIGHT BE SPEAKING TO HER AGENT? BUT THEN SHE MAY ALSO BE PLACING A CALL TO ROLLER (HER ANGEL) WITH IMPERATIVES, WHISPERING TO HIM OVER THE WIRES. AND FORTUNATELY, OR UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE A SMALLISH LITTLE MONKEY GIRL WITH WHAT ROLLER CALLS, A "DOO-DADD", JUTTING UP FROM HER FOREHEAD. SHE'S A FREAKISH UNICORN LOST, BUT FOUND, IN THE WOODS OF ROLLER'S WORLD. AND SECOND TO LAST, BUT LASTING FOR FIFTEEN LONG YEARS - AND INSTALLED IN A RARE ROOM WHICH IS ANIMAL FREE, THERE IS A WONDERFUL PAINTING OF THE INTERIOR OF A HOTEL ROOM, SOMEWHERE. IT'S SHOWING THE LOWER HALF OF A WONDERFUL NUDE WHO IS TAKING A NAP ON THE FLOOR, WHICH IS DOTTED WITH POPCORN. AND LAST, OUT IN THE HALL, THE TINIEST OF ALL-SAVED FOR THE FAVORITE OF WALLS-A SWEATING KITCHEN MATCH, SWELTERING IN PERPETUITY AND SAVORED BY ALL WHO GATHER THERE.

ONE OF THE FEW THINGS MY FAR-FLUNG PARENTS AGREE UPON (BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE GOLDEN AGE OF SHOW BUSINESS IS WELL PAST) IS THAT DONALD ROLLER WILSON IS THE WONDERFUL ARTIST OF OUR TIME. IT'S INEVITABLE THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW THIS AT SOME POINT. HE IS A PAINTER WELL WORTH COVERING AND PLACING IN AN HONORED POSITION IN ONE'S HOLIEST OF HOMES. I WOULD ALMOST SAY THAT BECAUSE SO MANY OF ROLLER'S WORKS LINE OUR WALLS, HIS PAINTINGS HAVE BECOME THE COMMON DENOMINATION WHICH DEFINES US AS A FAMILY.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN IRRESISTIBLY DRAWN TOWARD THE PAINTINGS OF DONALD ROLLER WILSON, NOTHING ELSE WILL DO. CERTAINLY OTHER ARTISTS "CATCH MY EYE", BUT ROLLER IS THE ONE WHO NEVER LETS IT GO. HIS WORK LOOKS LESS LIKE WORK THAN IT APPEARS TO BE THE VISION THAT CAME TO HIM ONE MIDNIGHT, AND HE WAS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BUT SHARE EVERY LAST DETAIL OF IT. AN ACT BORN NOT SO MUCH OUT OF EFFORT AS OF ENERGY. THERE IS AN EXUBERANCE IN HIS WORK, OF SOMEONE COMMITTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE BEAUTY AND HUMOR AND DETAIL OF WHAT HE'S SEEN. HE SEEMS TO TRAVEL EAGERLY BACK AND FORTH FROM A WORLD OF WONDER WHERE THE CITIZENS, LARGELY CREATURES, SHARES OUR QUIRKS AND COMPULSIONS AND CRAZY RITUALS AND QUESTS. HE TAKES THE FAMILIAR AND MAKES IT NEW TO US VIA A ROUTE THAT'S AT ONCE SCENIC AND OLD FASHIONED. HE REVEALS A WORLD TO US WE MUST'VE VISITED AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE - IF ONLY WE COULD REMEMBER. ROLLER PROVIDES A STRANGE REALITY FOR US, WHICH IN OTHER HANDS, MIGHT ONLY BECOME FANTASY. I WONDER IF ROLLER COULD (IF HE CARED TO BOTHER) TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL AND MAKE BELIEVE. BUT THEN, KNOWING ROLLER, HE'D BE TOO POLITE TO TELL - AND FIRST OFF, HE'D ASK.

AT THE BEGINNING OF 1980, OR THEREABOUTS, AN ACTRESS FRIEND OF MINE, CANDY CLARK, AND I WERE SITTING IN MY LOG CABIN IN LAUREL CANYON AND SHE CAME UPON A COLOR BROCHURE I HAD OF ROLLER'S EARLY WORKS - SOMETHING WHICH PAUL SIMON AND I HAD RECEIVED WITH AN EARLIER PURCHASE OF OUR FIRST DONALD ROLLER WILSON PAINTING, ACQUIRED IN SANTA FE. SHE WAS SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE WORK, THAT BEFORE WE KNEW IT, WE HAD CALLED INFORMATION IN FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, AND GOTTEN ROLLER'S NUMBER. DESPITE THE TIME DIFFERENCE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AWAKENING HIM AND, IN THE PROCESS, ALIENATION FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY FUTURE ACQUISITION OF A PAINTING, WE DIALED HIS NUMBER, AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO FLY TO ARKANSAS THE FOLLOWING DAY! THESE MAY SEEM LIKE EXTREME LENGTHS TO GO TO BUY ART - BUT SOMETHING IN ROLLER'S WORK TOLD US THAT OUR CALL, AND IMMINENT ARRIVAL, WOULD MAKE ABSOLUTE SENSE TO HIM. THAT HE WELCOMED TWO PERFECT STRANGERS IS IN KEEPING WITH HIS CHILDLIKE SPONTANEITY AND HIS APPRECIATION OF THE ABSURD. THAT WE REQUIRED HIS WORK IN OUR HOMES, SOMEHOW INDICATED TO HIM THAT WE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE HOUSE GUESTS IN HIS. WE WOUND UP STAYING WITH ROLLER FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND BOUGHT SEVERAL PAINTINGS, TOO.

ROLLER BELIEVES THAT PEOPLE HAVE ANGELS WORKING THROUGH THEM - I BELIEVE PEOPLE HAVE IMPERATIVES; A PRIMARY ONE BEING THE ONE WE CANNOT ESCAPE DEALING WITH - THE ONE WITH WHICH WE HAVE TO INTERACT. FOR ME THEN, ROLLER IS AN ANGEL WITH IMPERATIVES, AND AN ANGEL WITH WHOM I LOVE TO INTERACT. AN ANGEL IS DESCRIBED IN THE DICTIONARY AS A MESSENGER, AN ORDER OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS, SUPERIOR TO MAN IN POWER AND INTELLIGENCE, WHO, ACCORDING TO THE JEWISH, CHRISTIAN, MOHAMMEDAN AND OTHER THEOLOGIES, ARE ATTENDANTS AND MESSENGERS OF THE DEITY. LOVELY, BRIGHT, INNOCENT OR GRACIOUS BEINGS.

THIS, TO ME, DESCRIBES AT LEAST ASPECTS OF ROLLER, WHOSE HANDS WHEN IN POSSESSION OF A PAINTBRUSH, ACT AS HIS CELESTIALESQUE WINGS. HE IS AN ANGEL OF THE CANVAS, OF HIS INEXACT ART FORM, OF HIS MOONLIT MESSAGE TO US ALL. HIS WORLD OF SERAPHIC WONDER IS HEAVEN TO ME. IF I SOUND TOO DEVOUT, I CAN'T HELP IT. HIS VISIONS ARE WINDOWS TO WONDER FOR ME. WHY MINCE WORDS. IF GOD IS "INTO THE DETAILS OF THINGS", SO IS ROLLER. HE SAYS HE RECEIVES INFORMATION THROUGH AS ASPARAGUS STALK. I BELIEVE HE PROBABLY DOES. FURTHERMORE, I THINK HE THEN HAS HIS CREATURES DELIVER THE MESSAGE.

ROLLER MAKES VERY LITTLE ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE SOME GRAND SORT OF SCHEME. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PART OF WHAT HE IS ENGAGED IN IS UNBURDENING HIMSELF OF A LOAD THAT'S TWO PARTS LUMINOUS AND ONE PART LIGHT. FOR HIS IS A WORLD WITH MORE MEANING THAN SENSE - ASIDE FROM THAT OF INNOCENCE AND INEFFABLE JOY. HIS ISN'T A WORLD OF METAPHOR OR EUPHEMISM, AND IF THERE IS A MESSAGE, (AND THERE IS) IT'S PROBABLY THE ONE WE HEAR AFTER THE BEEP.