Murphy broke the silence. “Did you ever hear this theory that Eno has? About the farmers and the cowboys? There’s two types of artists—there’s the farmers and the cowboys.

The farmers, like in his studio for example”—he said, gesturing to the screen—“he’s mostly kind of doing the same thing, refining and refining and refining the same thing. And the cowboys, who go off, they’re like prospectors, that go off and do mad work.

Eno puts himself in the second bracket, ’cause he’s such an innovator, with the music and the production and all of that. Or somebody like Bowie, constantly, constantly reinventing. Neither one is better, it’s just a different way of making work.”

Which do you fall into? I asked. “Definitely the cowboy, I think. But there are actors that just play similar parts, versions of themselves all the time. Again, I don’t think either one is better.”

Do you think that sometimes an actor falls into the other category by accident when their public persona intersects with—or eclipses—the work? I asked. “Perhaps. Yeah. I’m sure that’s the case. Yeah.”

He sat back and sunk into the film again. Giggling at some of the things that Bacon said and did. “There’s a few things he says that I always think apply to our work. ‘The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.’ ” Provocative movies. Provocative performances. No easy answers—but perhaps a few new questions.

Don’t give it all away. Don’t even give most of it away. Retrench. Be clear. With yourself, but not necessarily with others. Let the fame wave pass. Live by the sea.

He said it again: “Deepen the mystery. That’s it, isn’t it?”

On the need to be useful

Art vs. Commerce