I remember taking a course entitled, something like, "Visual Arts Appreciation" in college. It was an "Art History Lite" general education course, taught by Professor Michael Fox (yes, I still remember) for first-year students, primarily. I loved the course! I remember vividly when Professor Fox showed the class a number of paintings of shoes, by Van Gogh. Some of the shoes were quite worn, with thin. soles and holes in the leather. Professor Fox suggested that these shoes captured the intimacy of normal life, and represented the humanity of the individual who had donned the shoes. I think that sentiment can probably also be captured in the "over-clothing" that painters, sculptors and other artists wear when they create their artworks.
At the end of what has been a trying year for me, I am ready to look forward to a new -- and hopefully better -- year ahead. And in that spirit, it is time (actually past the time) for me to don a new pair of "studio pants" (lined, canvas Carhartts). I've been wearing the old pair for over 10 years, and it shows. But, if acrylic medium-covered, paint-splotched, hole-y material could talk, there would be lots of good creativity stories to be told by these pants. The big question is this: "Should I simply throw them away; or save them as a nostalgic artifact?"
No comments:
Post a Comment