I went to the Corcoran gallery the other day and first went to the exhibit "American Evolution" and my friend Logan and I debated over the worthiness of landscapes and impressionism as well as commented on the beautiful flow of the paint on that woman's neck. Art was something beautiful and for this exhibit slightly tinged with social commentary.by the way the Corcoran gallery has the nicest public restrooms I've ever seen
But the next exhibit was one called "Access to Life" - a photographic exploration of people in 8 different countries and how having/ or not having anti-retroviral drugs has affected them
. Logan and I didn't really talk in this exhibit. I didn't know what to say, didn't know what to write as I saw a man's progression into death photographically captured and even a woman's progression back to life couldn't propel me enough to speak.I remember a conversation that I had with a friend recently about whether art and creation was everything in life. The moments where our desire to create diminishes and when it is augmented. I think we realized that art can destroy as fast as it can create and can remove us from life as quick as it can link us.
When Carol Emerson came and spoke freshmen year about Dostoevsky and Tolstoy she said "the moment of creation is selfish." I don't think she mean that it creation or expressionism is wicked, but I think the thought did go into my thoughts of creation and life work. Is creation and expression the end goal? Is this just another false dichotomy?
Well I just will pause this thought with a quote from the classic anthem Dead Poets Society "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
picture 1: Albert Bierstadt : The Last Buffalo
Picture 2: Vietnam, 2007 © Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos
2 comments:
thelma, first - what a lovely, perfect quote from the dead poets society. i feel like that has become the new anthem for life.
second - "I remember a conversation that I had with a friend recently about whether art and creation was everything in life. The moments where our desire to create diminishes and when it is augmented. I think we realized that art can destroy as fast as it can create and can remove us from life as quick as it can link us."
i'm so intrigued by this paragraph, and wish i could have a long conversation with you about this. do you believe that art and creation are inextricably linked?
oh! this is amazing. i love that old french man, those images, the expression of life and passion makes me all the more glad that i know you. thank you.
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