Art and soul.

The problem with seeing a popular exhibit on its near-to-last day is that you’ll be engulfed in waves of human flesh while you’re trying to feed your spiritual side.  You inch along, craning past the rows of humanity, trying to catch a glimpse of the artistry on display.  And every once in a while you do.  But for the most part, you have to find the art where you can--which, generally, means right in front of you.

Formalism—Some dweeb is wearing a suit and tie.

Futurism - A bored husband keeps checking his watch and willing the hands to move faster.

Expressionism—Some old lady keeps scrunching up her face while she peers up at the paintings.

Cubism—Some blockhead is talking on his cell phone.

Then there’s the neck that’s right in front of you, which appears to be blotchy from overexposure to the sun; this individual has clearly begun her “red movement.” And now she’s gone, replaced by the broad shoulders of a man who is starting his own, hitherto unnamed school of art, which apparently centers around large quantities of dandruff.

On the positive side, when the surrounding text describes the primary artist as a “colourist,” this makes sounding smart much easier.  The jargon of art criticism usually gives me a headache, but who can screw up the use of a term like “colourist”?  You swing your hand at a large painting, and expound to your friend:

“Now, you’ll note the use of blue in this painting.  And why do you think there is such a use of color?”

“Because Marc Chagall was a ‘colourist.’”

“Exactly!  Now, note this painting over here.  Why the heavy use of green?”

“Because he was a greenist.”

“Don’t be flip.”

Oh for the day I may be described as “Gregist”

Posted by Daniella  on  10/30  at  10:12 PM

you are too cute, too funny.
just so you know.

Posted by sandy  on  10/31  at  05:43 AM

The ones who really got to me were the hordes with earphones, shuffling in a mass from specific canvas to specific canvas, crowded around the pieces with audio commentary and ignoring most everything else.  I was thinking it would be fun to film them in stop action and present their flocking gawking as performance art: “Marking Chagall.”

In spite of them, I still thought it was a great exhibit. 

Posted by dan  on  10/31  at  05:54 AM

A true cubist would be talking in a low voice, so the cubists in the next cube don’t overhear. Unless they have that white-noise thinger. Then, they can cube all they want.

Posted by Gopi  on  10/31  at  06:13 AM

Talk about life imitating art, yes?

Posted by lotus  on  10/31  at  06:17 AM

Dan, I thought of your post while I was at the show.  I wish I was less tired and there were 95% less people there, but it was still good.  What I liked is that I hated a lot of his stuff and loved a lot of his stuff.  He had diverse styles.

Posted by Greg  on  10/31  at  06:42 AM

A greenist. That would be The Hulk or Ralph Nader or David Brower, take your pick.

Posted by Dad  on  10/31  at  07:42 AM

Greg, you’re so right.  That stuff from the 60s and 70s with the jugglers and clowns and MIMES for god’s sake - if it hadn’t been hanging in a museum I’d have thought it had been painted for a motel.  A cheap one. 

Posted by dan  on  10/31  at  07:53 AM

tsk tsk. an art show and there was no “snobbist” sighting?

what is the world coming to?!

Posted by snowshoe  on  10/31  at  09:15 AM

Have you seen the Mona Lisa? My recollection of it is not of the painting itself, but of the five hundred Japanese tourists standing in front of it taking pictures.

What the fuck, man? It’s not even impressive if you ask me.

Posted by melly  on  10/31  at  09:48 AM

There is a Chagall exhibit here. I like most of his work.

Hmmm...so much for that Art History degree.

Posted by anna  on  10/31  at  10:37 AM

I don’t know anything about anything except that Mondrian was a putz.

Posted by EV  on  10/31  at  11:02 AM

i think you forgot the “naked tropicist” category ... oh wait, never mind, that was for the gauguin exhibit.

i like chagall ...

Posted by romy  on  10/31  at  09:29 PM

... you know he did the vitraux (stained-glass cathedral windows) for notre-dame de chartres?  i think that’s cool.

Posted by romy  on  10/31  at  09:30 PM

since when did everyone get all trendy and get domain names?  and imo, mona lisa is ugly. that makes me a monalisauglyist.

Posted by paulos  on  11/02  at  10:55 AM