Shiny Happy Caitlar: Um, Really?

So I picked this theme because I thought, my goodness, there are so many different types of art, the must be so much to say. I mean, there's painting, sculpture, film, music, ceramic. There's even less "official" art forms like tattoo and fashion and interior design. Some may even consider athletes' bodies to be works of art on their own (I saw David Beckham when they came to play D.C. United and dayum he looks like Michaelangelo chiseled him). I had hoped to maybe comment on all of these different forms of art, but I just kept coming back to what everyone else has been more or less coming back to: painting.

I think the reason for my paint-on-the-brain is the fact that my office is full of art. Our head partner is very into art in general and especially likes discovering "new" artists. He often trades legal service for artwork from our clients and I think that's really cool. One particular piece that he received a few months back hangs in our main conference room and has quickly become his pride and joy. He raves at how genius it is, how romantic the theme is, how it's such an interesting piece. Now, I couldn't find a picture of the actual painting on the internet, but I did find something similar by the artist. It looks like this:

This one is entitled (and I am being completely serioux) "your brother is adopted/and i slept with him/so/so." Um, okay. The one in our office is not so incestuous, although there are two figures in a landscape setting, just like this one. It's called "i will hold you to the end of the earth." And the more I look at the painting above, the more I actually think it's more aesthetically pleasing the one hanging in our conference room. At least the colors are pretty in this one. The one in the office has a green and brown sky and there is not pretty water in the middle. And you may be thinking "What? What's wrong with these?" If you were to see these paintings, however, you would see that they are splattered with I can only describe as crush oreos, sand, and marshmallow sauce. Looking at them make me hungry for dirt cake. The little people are made of what looks like burlap and insulating fabric. Their eyes are those plastic craft eyes we put on puppets as kids. And the bodies of the one in my office is made of socks. Dirty. Old. Socks. You call this art?

Okay, so many of you will say, "Well why does it have to be pretty to be art? The artist meant something, it's supposed to evoke some sort of emotion or thought." I'll give you that. I'm totally for modern expression and pushing boundaries and making people think. But no matter how much of a fan of art you are, you have admit that sometimes you feel like, seriouxbeez? I could have done that. In fact, I did do that when a spilled my dirty water cup from some watercoloring I was doing on a piece of paper, saw that it looked kind of cool, hung it on my wall and called it "No Use Crying Over Spilled Water." I feel kind of bad saying these things because I don't mean to offend the artist. He's been featured in many galleries and I'm sure he's very intelligent and talented. His art just doesn't move me.

To further my point, here are a few paintings. Some of the paintings are real art done by real artists, others are created by children. You tell me if you can figure out which is which.

Okay, that's an easy one. The one on the left is a Joan Miro, a Spanish artist (who I happen to kind of like). The one on the right is some scribble by a toddler.

It's like that time I went to the County Theater in Doylestown and saw Mullholland Drive when it first came out. I have never been so consistently confused for an entire 2 hours as I was watching that movie. I couldn't even get out of my seat at the end for brain overload. I right then decided that David Lynch was insane and I had no interest in seeing any more of his movies. My friend Jesse was the brave one who just stood up from his chair and said to the crowd, most of whom were still seated like us, "What the hell was that?! Did anyone understand what just happened?!" I was sure that most of the people there felt the same way we did. But of course, there was this one guy walking up the aisle, who ever so snootily said "What do you mean? You didn't get that? It was so obvious," and just walked away. And I immediately thought, ew, that guy is just saying that to look intelligent. I doubt he knows what he's talking about. But the more I think about that night now, the more I think, well maybe David Lynch really did resonate with that guy and he wasn't just being a prick. Maybe I was the one being snobby by vowing to boycott David Lynch because I couldn't admit that I didn't understand the film (without even really thinking about it).

My point is that it's okay to not get it. Do not shy away from all art because some of it seems dumb to you. And do not feel pressured by those people who say they really liked something and oh how smart it is. Art is not intended to be understood and loved by everyone all the time. And if you do get it and love it, well that's just fabulous.

Comments

[Jerome]

Hey Caitlar, remember how you and I both have synthesia? That's sort of like art.

[Caitlar]

Of course I remember. Tis my private mental art collection.

[Lauren]

I think you might have stolen that last sentence from the end of a Sex and the City episode

[Caitlar]

Sort of. If I did, it would say: But the most exciting,challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.

[Tori]

God, I felt so empowered when Carrie said that. She really spoke to me.

[ness]

you're just fabulous :)