Do remember the moment when you first fell in love with art?
I do.
I would have been around eight years old and my parents took me to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
My Mom had to finally pull me away from the paintings of Claude Monet as I was truly mesmerized, having never seen something that spoke so clearly to my young romantic self. The one who would hide in her oak panelled closet to read for hours, believe in ghosts and create imaginary worlds.
I was still unformed and uninformed.
What I liked was because…well, just that. Chords were struck, simple internal music.
Slowly, I taught myself about painting and sculpture but with it came the pressure of snobbery. “Oh, I can’t possibly enjoy *fill in the blank*.” I would waiver, then abandon. Monet, Erté and Maxfield Parrish to name a few, all deemed entirely too commercial by the New York Citified version of me.
And yet the other evening, it was Mr. Parrish that came to mind as I strolled outside of Les Baux with Remi and Ben. His colors entirely lit the hills on fire without the slightest hint of menace. Or getting burnt. And so his sweet stories of possibility wrapped around me. I let them.
How grateful I am to have doubled back in some way, almost to where I started. To see, to appreciate, to wonder without caring why.
Do you remember your first brush with art? What did it give you?
Wishing you all a very fine weekend…
I'm embarrassed (maybe) to admit I didn't even scroll down to see you talking about art … I just took that first sentence and ran. It was a great writing exercise.
But, yes, my first experience of art — well, there were two at the same time. About age 5, I discovered the encyclopedia entry for "theatre" which also had a mini-play in it about a haunted castle and I would read that entry over and over again. And then around the same time I found my great aunt's Underwood typewriter tucked away behind the desk in our toyroom and I was enthralled. And then I had the privilege of seeing Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof in London, no less. Those are my art touch points.
I finally found a picture of us. Enjoy!
——— http://misspinktwins.blogspot.com/2013/01/then-and-now.html ——–
My darling walker-of-Ben friend Heather posted a fascinating query a few days ago: have you changed much over the years and how much of your past has stayed with you?
I'll admit, the query was partially responsible for derailing my write-every-day resolution. I had to really stop and think. (I also had to teach six classes in 36 hours and get a website to go live.)
Ironically, I have also been staring at probably the only picture I have of us two, taken circa May 20th, 1989. I threw a 25th birthday party for myself. I had finally been able to afford my own apartment in posh Park Slope, above Al's Toyland on 7th Avenue and 4th (a rent controlled one bedroom at the low, low price of $436.03) and was studying for the Series 7 and have finally found a really, really great boyfriend named Jim.
I think the biggest difference two decades has brought is that I am much more of a fretter than I was back then. I demanded to take the Series 7 and when I finally got Bear Stearns to pay for the classes … I do remember, vividly, that first night thinking "Whoopsy, in over my head here." I was the only girl in the room. And the terminology was so entirely over my head. And the instructor kept using football analogies. I was brassy and raised my hand and demanded a shopping analogy, I insisted he make the class relevant to me, too. He pshawed my request at first. But I kept asking until I received. To this day, the only way I understand puts and calls is with his great shoe shopping analogy.
Could not agree with you more, D!! 🙂
Oh Loree, you make me want to visit Malte so badly!! We BOTH live in amazing places…Wishing you a wonderful New Year too…
Oh, I totally agree! A much more elegant style! But then, so were a lot of different artists' works from that period. Some of the black and white photographs of 1950s models striking graceful poses in Dior's New Line collection. And going back further to Schiaparelli and Jacques Fath and even more so, Madame Vionnet's designs of bias cut silk satin or chiffon. Some are just achingly beautiful! Would love to have lived in that time! Deborah
Ah, who knows which piece of art first made me fall in love. Perhaps it was the simple spiral motifs on one of our neolithic temples. Whatever it was, I admire art in all forms although I especially love the Impressionists. I am no art snob. It if moves me, then I appreciate and like it. Have a wonderful new year Heather.
Are you kidding? That is a great story!! Although it made me nearly choke on my coffee that you were only 6 when you heard "Rock Lobster"…And don't you miss when vintage stores were actually fun like Love Saves the Day? Sigh. Music influenced me huuuugely growing up too.
And we are just staying in as we always do–all invitations are refused! Every year it is the same: we cook something adventurous, it takes hours, we talk and clink glasses and dance around the living room. 🙂
Gros Bisous, Ella and a verrry Happy New Year to you too!!
Now it makes more sense to me, Judith, your link to the art world. And what wonderful memories you evoked.. I remember your wonderful piece on David but will look forward to discovering it again.
Ahhh, I obviously feel the same, Amelia. 🙂 When Remi first suggested we stop by Arles on a whim, all I knew of this little town was its link to Van Gogh. None of the Roman monuments meant anything to me…And I just reorganized our massive cd selection last night and there are many, many genres present!
Cheers right back at you, Deborah! Wasn't it Antonio Lopez that worked with Karl Lagerfeld in the beginning of his career? I am more old-school in my choice: Rene Gruau! 🙂
I do believe you should–and take it around to local schools to say "be warned"!