Robert Morgan, an 82-year-old American painter in Venice, reflects on his life and notable connections, including his friendship with Joseph Brodsky and Peggy Guggenheim. His most significant, albeit lesser-known encounter was with John Lennon, whom he lived beside in New York. On the day Lennon was murdered, Morgan chose not to take a photo despite having the opportunity. He felt it was inappropriate to capture a dying man. Instead, he opted to create a painting, which remains unsold in his studio. Despite societal pressures for documentation, he has no regrets about his choice.
I saw John, still alive, moving on the ground, but I realized I couldn't take that photo of someone who was dying—it didn't feel right, he recalls.
Morgan, who gave his testimony in the latest documentary about the musician, Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade, released in April in the U.K., is aware that in today's world, where everything is recorded, photographed, and documented, his decision is particularly odd.
I've never regretted it, he insists. And in fact, he never sold the painting. It still sits in his studio in Venice, in the Dorsoduro district.
It was the decent thing to do, they tell me, although he admits that others then add he would have made a fortune.
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