The last few weeks I have started
and discarded a number of topics for this blog. My thoughts have been scattered
in so many directions: the current status of the public arts, the classes I am
teaching, the collages I have been working on, new artists discovered and old
favorites revealed to new viewers. It’s been a matter of which topic to address
and when? What will my readers find most interesting?
So, I have decided to feed you a
smorgasbord of thoughts going into this week, accompanied by some images.
FIRST, THE
LIFE OF THE IMAGINATION
Recently I showed a work of art
that I particularly enjoy to my art history classes at Wright State. The Garden of Earthly Delights (1515) by
the Dutch artist Hieronymous Bosch is a singularly unique piece of work for
that time period. It’s not singular to Bosch’s personal style, but when one
first sees this remarkable triptych (a triptych is a three-part hinged
altarpiece) it’s easy to think that the artist who made it must surely have
been a contemporary of Salvador Dali. It looks so surrealistic. 2016 was the
500th year anniversary of Bosch’s death and celebrations and
exhibits and special events took place in his hometown of den Bosch,
Netherlands, and at the Prado Museum in Madrid, which is home to The Garden of Earthly Delights.
My students were really intrigued by the strange imagery in
the triptych, the interpretation of much of it, the unknown meaning of other
parts, and the visual imagery of one’s journey from Adam and Eve’s paradise
through a life lived without thought to moral character, and the hellish
aftermath of living such a life. If you have never viewed The Garden of Earthly Delights, it’s worth your time. Check the
following websites: https://www.bosch500.nl/en; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zC3UuGxitU;
www.npr.org/.../hieronymus-bosch-died-500-years-ago-but-his-art-will-still-creep-you-...
SECONDLY,
WHAT WE STAND TO LOSE
The very soul of our cultural lives
is threatened these days. I try to concentrate on art in these posts, and stay
non-political. However, these are puzzling and frightening times for the arts
and I am worried. Worried. Worried. Worried. It’s not just the arts that
concern me, however, it’s a plethora of quality of life issues that affect our
country. The list is long, so let’s approach it in alphabetical order. From the
Washington Post, the LA Times and others, here is the list as I know it
currently:
African
Development Foundation
Appalachian
Regional Commission
Chemical
Safety Board
Corporation
for National and Community Service
Corporation
for Public Broadcasting
Delta
Regional Authority
Denali
Commission
Institute
of Museum and Library Services
Inter-American
Foundation
U.S.
Trade and Development Agency
Legal
Services Corporation
National
Endowment for the Arts
National
Endowment for the Humanities
Neighborhood
Reinvestment Corporation
Northern
Border Regional Commission
Overseas
Private Investment Corporation
United
States Institute of Peace
United
States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars
Ironically, I visited the
LBJ Library and Museum this weekend in Austin. Guess who spearheaded many of
these agencies and signed them into life? That’s right, Lyndon B. Johnson.
Below is a photo I took of a Johnson quote:
I would note that today
the first sentence may also apply to the scientists. They are in danger of
losing the penthouse. We all may be headed for the basement. I hope not.
A NEW
ARTIST DISCOVERED
Lastly, and on a more upbeat
note, I discovered a new artist this week: Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt
Hundertwasser (1928-2000), an Austrian born artist and architect who moved to
New Zealand. Take a look at his work!
Have a great week.
