I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

That's the one, Athena. Such tension and emotion in static figures. Astonishing.



Yes, I am taking my tax forms and magic decoder ring with me!

Hi Julianna.....nice to meet you.  I think you'll like it here. 

Enjoyful.....your are oh so funny.  I wouldn't mind being one of those Obamabots either.

Jackie

E, I need to check my DH's cochlear implant. Medicare paid for it and gosh knows what's in that chip!

I recommend a hat made of tinfold.  Keeps the government from monitoring brain waves.

E- best of luck.

Welcome Julianna, I'd love to hear more about the museums you've seen.

I'm enjoying the art history lesson.  I have to admit that I've never gotten cubism.  Athena your definition is the best that I've read, but I still feel very unsettled, eyes don't know where to focus, a starting to feel nauseous kind of sensation - I guess cubism isn't for me.

I think that's right notself. It's only a matter of time. 

RR - In the 20th century, with all of its turmoils, art ceased to become something intended to reflect or to please. It became increasingly intellectul or else/and abstract. Finally, you reach conceptual art which requires so much explanation of artisitic intent that it can no longer stand on its own. One day when I have time I will present what, IMHO, is that particular hall of shame.

Much of 20th century art is increasingly meant to engage thought and to reflect something beyond the immediate object represented on a canvas. The same is true of the literature, the music and at times the architecture. It is, expecially in the early twentieth century, meant to be jarring, shocking, atonal, etc... This is a result of the disillusionment brought by war, by the breakdown of traditional society and by the advent of mass media (I am not a Warhol fan).

So your unsettling experience with cubism --like mine-- is very much intended by the artists.

Athena, oh well then, I guess I get it!

Speaking of paintings and books, I just finished "Girl With a Pearl Earring". 

Mary

If you finish the Outlander series written to date and still need a fix, Gabaldon has written some smaller books focussing on another character in the series, Lord John.  The series isn't finished yet, as I understand it.  If you like that series, there is another of similar ilk by Sara Donati.

Darned boring universal health care! When I go to get my shoulder x-rayed and assessed by the orthopedic guy tomorrow, I just bring my health card and will pay not a cent. No special chips unless I am just too naive.

River Rat, My favorite art museums are the Institute of Art, Chicago and the National Gallery in London.  I've been there twice- daVinci's "The Virgin and Child" is mesmerizing.  Even though it is 600 years old, it still looks  so amazing.  There is a small museum in the Columbia Gorge called Maryhill.  They have Rodin sculptures which are amazing.  Boise, Idaho has a nice art museum, too. I am so grateful to forward-thinking people who established museums and for those who purchase art and then arrange for everyone to see it.  

Evening all, away for a few days at a wonderful history conference and come back to find pages of interesting things. Even in this part of the world we have some wonderful art and artists. Have a few pieces in the house traditional and local works. We have several pieces by a local artist Peter Siddell. Really enjoyed visiting the art galleries in Melbourne and Adelaide on our recent visit to Australia. Also our city gallery had the Degas to Dali exhibition earlier this year which I loved - it was made more interesting in the fact I had seen most of the works in the Scottish National Gallery. Must go and see the 'Little Miracles' collection which is religious art.

It is getting late here but have a friend arriving soon so will head out to the airport to clooect her - we are going to have a quilt week trying to get some of my patchwork completed.

Meant to say I loved the talk on the Tudors. That is actually the one period I have studied in depth. Have a thing about Elizabeth, who I think was an abused child especially in her early teens by Thomas Parr but also about James VI and I. Wrote thesis on him and the impact of his childhood on his life and by the way he wasn't gay.

  I also am a fan of the Art Institute in Chicago, but it's been a lot of years. Also like MoMA in New York and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.   I'm going to the Barnes this week with my cousin, this discussion has been a nice prepartion for the trip.

On a completely different topic - well, not completely since there's been some talk about books and you know writers, mostly interested in our own work - I'd entered a contest for thriller/mystery writers last summer with the book I'd tried to sell through an agent in 2006.  The winning prize was a publishing contract.  Well, I didn't win - didn't even place in top ten - but I did get notes from the readers back on Saturday.  The judges had some quibbles with a plot mechanism in the first chapter, which probably accounts for why I didn't win, but the other comments were pretty good.  Dialogue; very well done.  Plot: an intriguing premise.  Characters: well-drawn and likeable. Effective highlighting of suspense.  Pacing: exceptionally well-done.  Good voice, fluent writing.  Grammar and mechanics: exceptionally well done.   So, i would have preferred winning, but this certainly made my ego feel a lot better.  My DH suggested I self-publish, but the old novel's now become a prequel to the novel I'm currently furiously writing, so I'm holding off until I see what happens with the new one.  As I'm sure I've mentioned numerous times, my goal is to finish the current novel by mid-February.  I'm on page 101, so around a quarter done.

I'm another fan of the Art Institute of Chicago.  I saw the most wonderful Monet exhibit there decades ago.

Alexandria58, it sounds like you got wonderful feedback on your novel.  It sounds like you're on track to finish the second one on schedule.  If it's difficult to get an agent or publish you might consider e-publishing the first novel to build a base for publishing the second.

Forgot to say hi to Alyson and Alexandria....good points about the book.  I also like the fact of e-publishing as a base for your next book, and the next, and the next after that. 

Jackie