Maximum Aardvark

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I'm Cultured

I never went to an art museum as a kid: the first time I went to the Met was in 6th grade, and I didn't go back until last winter. Consequently, I never had much interest in art, and I really never understood it.

I'm trying to change this. Amanda and I went to the National Gallery of Art in DC yesterday, and I had a great time. One of the first gallerys we went in held a bunch of Monets, and I was able to point to things and say "I've seen that before!" Then I looked sheepishly around at the people looking at me and figured that I should keep my voice down.

Impressionist paintings are really things that you can't fully appreciate unless you're there in person, so yesterday was the first day that I really appreciated any. Come to think of it, I couldn't imagine fully appreciating anything I saw yesterday without being there, even Hoping to Tempt Destiny, She Asks Him to Look for Lice.

The modern art wing was what really blew me away. One of Amanda's favorite artists is Mark Rothko, and there's a big mural exhibition of his on permanent display. Looking at them online evokes the thought of "Oh, I could paint that!" It's wholly different in person.

I took a picture of a Jackson Pollock painting, and it's now my desktop background.

One of the coolest rooms was dedicated entirely to the work of Alexander Calder. I think I could probably have sat in there for several hours and been perfectly happy.

Permalink November 02, 2003 - 06:57 PM

Comments and Trackbacks

  1. I live 15 minutes from D.C., and I STILL haven’t seen most of the art museums. I’m an uncultured ass, I guess.

    Posted by Steve — November 4, 2003 08:40 AM — Permalink

  2. My friends and I have taken to visiting the Museum of Fine Art whenever we’re bored. There’s this one painting that cracks me up every time. It’s a 17th century portrait of a bishop or a cardinal or something, with the robes and the hat and whatnot, and he’s turning the page of a Bible with one hand, and with the other hand he’s giving the gun. I swear to god. Hilarious.

    Posted by Jess — November 4, 2003 07:30 PM — Permalink

  3. Giving the gun? Is that some sort of Bostonism? Have you been New Anglicized?

    Posted by AJ Schuster — November 4, 2003 08:33 PM — Permalink

  4. Does “giving the gun” involve touching himself inappropriately? That would be pretty funny.

    Posted by Steve — November 5, 2003 12:28 PM — Permalink

  5. You guys are goofs. Giving the gun is when you make a gun with your pointer finger and thumb. You know, like posing for a picture. “Aaaaaay!”

    http://www.techno-monks.com/misc/serious-pose-on-black-bkgnd-color-image-760×758.jpg

    Go there and check out what the guy on the right is doing. It’s kind of like that, kind of.

    Posted by Jess — November 5, 2003 01:58 PM — Permalink