The Deep End, with Casper

In this installment of The Deep End, Beth delves into the mind of Casper Laven, in an interesting discussion of art, classics and familial annecdotes.  

"What sort of art do you like?"

"Art?"

"Yeah!"

I sit next to Caspar Laven in QSA 1. I probably shouldn't be conducting an interview in a study space, but sometimes journalistic inspiration strikes.

"Hold on, before we talk art, how would you describe yourself in a sort of elevator pitch/Gumtree ad style?"

"17-year-old, aspirational classicist... loves... philosophy and challenging questions. Avid chess follower... I don't know... partial to a few drinks!"

"I want to talk about the classics bit. How come [you're into classics]?"

"Right, let's think. I guess it started when I was 8 or 9 and my mum bought an adapted version of the Greek myths for me to read - I can find the author if you want?"

"you're alright."

"Robert Graves."

We laugh.

"Does that mean you personal statement is gonna start...?"

"No, it will not! Do you remember the Magdalen [Oxford college] outreach officer told us how 35 people or so had applied with the same line about science kits staining pyjamas? Right, okay, I then, as a joke, looked at Latin online and liked imagining the grammar as a sort of puzzle to be undone."

"How come... As a joke?"

"I don't know, I guess I have a weird sense of humour! I liked languages, I was already studying Spanish and French and intended to study German soon. So, it just seemed natural and funny to see where these languages came from and see how one language could be adulterated to form dozens of modern languages. And then the Greek progressed from there."

"Are you interested in philosophy of language?"

"I see how it could be interesting but I prefer things like epistemology."

Small Beth interjection here, Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge and knowing. Caspar continues...

"By the way, I should say that I haven't had a coffee this morning for the first time in over a year."

Caspar explains that he drinks Greek coffee most days.

"Favourite brand?"

"I don't actually know. My parents have a tin. I find it's easier to serve coffee from a tin than a packet."

"That seems reasonable. Is that enough to get to know you?"

"I guess that's what most people know me for."

"Coffee and all?"

"Coffee and all."

"Any art recommendations then?"

"Alright, my favourite sculptor-"

"Oh sculptors! I like that"

"Lehmbruck. I actually have quite a nice story for this"

I prompt him.

"When my grandfather was still studying in Germany during WWII, he had become fascinated by this sculptor. He lived in Hamburg, which the allies were bombing massively and he had to move something like five times, and one of the consequences of this bombing is that street auctions would appear for the property that had been salvaged from these ruined buildings. One day, his mother came back to where they were staying and told him that she'd seen a Lehmbruck for sale, and my grandfather didn't believe her, at first, but he humoured her and went to the auction and it turned out she was correct! There was this Lehmbruck, which wasn't a large sculpture - maybe a foot or so - but the auctioneer didn't realise that this was a Lehmbruck. He wasn't (at that time) a particularly well-known artist and the auctioneer wasn't familiar with his work. He was selling the sculpture for something like twenty marks or so. My grandfather, being completely broke, ended up going round to all his friends asking if they could spare a mark or two so that he could work up twenty marks, but by the end he didn't have quite enough - fifteen or something - but still he persisted and went to the auction to try to buy it; the sculpture was of a semi-nude woman and he was a 17-year-old boy so the auctioneer teased him mercilessly in front of the crowd but, eventually, they let up and sold it to him for whatever he had. He's had it ever since, until recently, and now it sits in my house."

"That's a good story."

"Yeah."

"Good?"

"Yep. It is quite a nice sculpture."