I love this. You can get up close (within reason) and see the pastel’s details, the chalk-like smears and the delicate smudging. It’s actually a very transformative piece to look at.
Month: January 2020
Monday
If you ever try to tell me that Christian art is more beautiful than other religious art, I will remind you that in different parts of SLAM, this exists on the same floor as a statue of the baby Jesus that looks like Robin the Frog from the Muppets. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Sunday
I’m pretty sure that the hallmarks of prehistoric art are pretty much 1) draw/paint/sculpt an animal, 2) draw/paint/sculpt a human being, 3) draw/paint/sculpt something to represent the god(s) of your choice (which can tie back to either #1 or #2). Landscapes didn’t come around till much later, but that’s another kettle of fish.
Saturday
This is an amazing piece of cultural Japanese history and we’re lucky that it’s survived, seeing as how floods and earthquakes and fires and wars and things. And that we know who it represents and why he is so important historically – especially in context today – makes it even more important now.
Friday
I love the cross-cultural confluence of Chinese-Tibetan-Indian styles in this statuette. You can clearly tell which culture influenced which portion.
Thursday
I just don’t even know where to begin with this one: it’s the epitome of high Bhuddist art without even trying, and yet, there are better, finer examples elsewhere. But… look at it. It’s perfect.
Wednesday
I always end up in front of this particular dish because it is just visually arresting. It just sucks you in and holds you tight and shakes you a little (for your lunch money, maybe? for your immortal soul?).
Tuesday
While this platter doesn’t look like much and seems rather plain, it is actually a testament to patience and perseverance on a number of levels. The craftsmanship is flawless, especially when you get close enough to the glass to be able to see that the glue lines are basically invisible (meaning they were sanded away to flush with the wood itself), and the entire effect appears as wood grain or even as age rings, rather than a disjointed affectation. The overall effect is that you are looking at something natural rather than something manufactured.
Monday
You guys. You guys. These lines, these colors: I will go to my grave believing that these two pieces were designed to work together, despite them clearly being separate entities made at separate times in different places. Just look at the way the colors and lines and planes interact with one another: there is no way that it is mere coincidence that they came to be in the same collection together. This is cosmic karma in action.
Sunday
This piece is quintessential art nouveau style, and yet, it speaks in a more traditional style of woodworking, as well. The craftsmanship is incredibly detailed and beautiful, and you can just stare at the screen for the longest time, finding new things in the details of the piece every time you look at it.