[“A work of art which is really a machine for dominating human beings” – Susan Sontag] WE are ITS work of art. > [Click Random Post above – re-astonish yourself] … [Read more...]
“What the Wall Thinks About the Picture” / Memorable Fancies #1698
8 December, 2016 by Leave a Comment
[“We stand round blankly as walls.” – Sylvia Plath] Someone hangs a picture on me. From where I am, behind it, I can’t see what it’s a picture of, can’t see what the museum visitors are staring at, frowning at, consulting their guidebooks, dismissing with a shrug. It’s driving me crazy. [Click ‘Random Post’ above – be astonished] … [Read more...]
“The Hazards of Art” / Memorable Fancies #1147
20 March, 2015 by Leave a Comment
My friend showed me through the bazaar, helped me with a language I couldn’t even pronounce. Turning a corner, we came across an artist displaying caricatures of The Leader. “This would be a cute gift to take home,” I said, moving toward the booth. “No!” whispered my friend, tugging urgently at my sleeve. “It’s a setup. Anyone associated with such a drawing will be arrested, questioned, probably tortured. Everyone knows this but tourists like you.” “But wouldn’t the … [Read more...]
“Portraits” / Memorable Fancies #1106
6 February, 2015 by Leave a Comment
In our new portrait gallery, we’ve discovered that the paintings need people. Visitors are recruited to stand in front of each piece for a certain length of time, that the oils do not despair and fade. Even so small a thing as an occasional nod may brighten a painting’s hue for a few moments, or so it’s been reported. There’s a sign above the door: “I am not here for your amusement; you are here for mine.” – after Marina Warner <END> Buy it on Amazon: For Anacreon, … [Read more...]
“The Piper” / Memorable Fancies #183
7 December, 2012 by Leave a Comment
[“What happens when a new work of art is created is something that happens simultaneously to all the works of art which preceded it.” – Eliot] I saw that the New Masters Gallery was resplendent with freshly painted ceilings and newly washed windows. Droplights had been dusted for the first time in years. All this was in preparation for the opening of recent oils by Nicholas Hamelin, a hitherto unknown artist, “whose art is a new voice in the world of art,” as the publicity postcards ineptly … [Read more...]
“The Rembrandt” / A Memorable Fancy #027
4 October, 2011 by Leave a Comment
On a hunch, Harold bought an old painting at an auction. He scraped off the top layer of oil, hoping to find a Rembrandt underneath. There was no Rembrandt underneath. The Rembrandt was what he scraped off. … [Read more...]
Memorable Fancies 