Tag Archives: personal

Prelude to an Artist

“The Three Trees” by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1643) @ Through Vincent’s Eyes I’ve heard it said that Prince is the guitarist’s guitarist, Tom Waits is the songwriter’s songwriter, and Bowie is the rock star’s rock star. Oh, and Vonnegut is the writer’s writer — that much I can personally affirm. It should come asContinueContinue reading “Prelude to an Artist”

The Opposite of Art

“Fifty Days at Iliam: Shield of Achilles” by Cy Twombly @ Philadelphia Museum of Art I just … I don’t … this can’t … Ugh. I have no words for what this is … or rather, what this isn’t. Hard to believe it made it into the museum, harder still to believe this series gotContinueContinue reading “The Opposite of Art”

The Great Gray Midpoint

Even winter — the hardest season, the most implacable — dreams, as February creeps on, of the flame that will presently melt it away. Everything tires with time, and starts to seek some opposition, to save it from itself.Clive Barker Never been much of a fan of calendar months dictating behavior. I don’t make NewContinueContinue reading “The Great Gray Midpoint”

The Longest Month

at the momentall that wasis now remnants on the ground under the snow the flowers unprunedand the earth under gloomas the pavement moves(yet somehow we are unmoved)at the momentwe are groundedand boarded and stowed awayso we can stare at the unfinished businessof the other elevenand wonder what the remaining ten will doto rebuild or furtherContinueContinue reading “The Longest Month”

Go Ask Alice

“Self-Portrait with Rabbit” by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson (1959) @ Columbus Museum of Art No less instructive is the story, ‘Pooh Goes Visiting,’ in which Rabbit, having deceitfully offered Pooh admittance to sample his overstocked larder, artfully traps his victim in the doorway and exploits him as an unsalaried towel rack for an entire week.FrederickContinueContinue reading “Go Ask Alice”

Nothing Sure, Yet Much Unhappily

“Ophelia (The Suicide)” by Constantin Meunier (1860-70) @ Through Vincent’s Eyes exhibit “It’s bound to end up with me jumping in the water.” Prophetic words from Clasina Maria “Sien” Hoornik, a prostitute, seamstress, model and mistress of Vincent van Gogh’s — and the only woman to move in with him (along with her 5 year-oldContinueContinue reading “Nothing Sure, Yet Much Unhappily”

Till Human Voices Wake Us

Portion of “Mermaid” by Edvard Munch (1896) @ Philadelphia Museum of Art If you’re ever looking to pass the time with a super nerdy debate — and the old standards of politics, sex, and religion just aren’t doing it for you — I highly recommend bringing up The Little Mermaid. This coming from a girlContinueContinue reading “Till Human Voices Wake Us”

Dread of West, Love of East

“Sudden Evening Shower at Ohashi Bridge” by Ando Hiroshige (1857) @ Through Vincent’s Eyes exhibit Among the many, many, many things to love about the Through Vincent’s Eyes exhibit in Columbus, arguably nothing was as striking as how the galleries were organized. Cue groans and rolling eyes from the oft overlooked curators out there. ToContinueContinue reading “Dread of West, Love of East”

Gogh East, Young Man

“Great Wave Off Kanagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai (1823-31) @ Through Vincent’s Eyes exhibit I’ll admit, I had a printed tapestry of this piece hanging on a wall in my first apartment with my then-husband, about twenty years ago — but it was only very recently that I noticed the boats. Not so for Van GoghContinueContinue reading “Gogh East, Young Man”