Saturday 9 October 2021

But Is It Art?

Today I shall be at an online conference all day - for Thrive, the support group for those of us married to Baptist Ministers. It includes spouses of students, chaplains, retired pastors, missionaries...and those who are widowed too. It happens in alternate years, and I missed the 2019 Conference because of Bob's TIA. So I am really looking forward to this one, and reconnecting with friends- even if it is on Zoom.

There are optional workshops, and I have chosen an art based one. My paints etc are all ready. I have no idea what will happen - I am a crafter rather than an artist...we will see.

When I was at the Tate with Liz the other week, I took a picture of this - it is an installation by Peter Fischli and David Weiss, part of "Untitled" - which is "A witty recreation of everyday objects in polyurethane sculpture"

And there was me thinking it was two old tyres on a stack of pallets with some scrap wood beside it. I don't get modern art.

The Very Nice Men who put up Bob's Lathe Palace had some wood left over, which they said they'd leave behind if he could use it. [yes please!] Bob reconfigured his temporary woodstore, and wrapped it in tarps and empty builders' bags, as rain was forecast. I thought this could definitely be considered a work of art. It reminded me of the Dancing Dragons from Chinese New Year, so I added a few features.




I spent Thursday, a sunny day, working on the front path. 
My other art installation is called "I need to make my Christmas cake" - a witty reminder that all the time I was mixing cement and sand, I kept thinking of flour and brown sugar and I want to get some festive baking underway soon.  

The past fortnight has been surprisingly busy - I'm grateful to the Thrive Committee for organising our Conference, it will be a good opportunity to reflect, and take stock of things - next week we will have been retired six months! It's been a wonderful time [mostly] 

and the adventure certainly continues...


9 comments:

  1. Ha, ha, I like the wood pile dragon! You have been busy! I think retirement suits you! :)

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  2. The wood pile Drago is SO witty! You really made me smile!

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  3. That 'art installation' is exactly as you describe it ' two old tyres on a stack of pallets with some scrap wood beside it'!
    I don't know whether I just 'don't get' modern art, or if some people are just being 'mugged off' by so called artists!
    There are some amazing modern sculptures I am keen on, but a pile of tyres and scrap wood is not one of them!
    Your dragon, however, has beautiful eyelashes and a rather attractive toothy grin!
    As for paintings, I'm very traditional, four of my favourite paintings being The Last Muster; Hubert von Herkomer, The Black Brunswicker; John Everett Millais, A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery; Joseph Wright, and Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante; Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.
    There are so many paintings which fill me with joy, it's very hard to choose favourites. I have a few originals by fairly well known 'younger' artists, bought when they were starting out, so bought very reasonably. I did have a chance to acquire a Jack Vettriano many years ago, but didn't have the cash available, and I couldn't even dream of being able to afford it now!

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  4. Thanks for the comments. I love the Black Brunswicker, and was thrilled to see it in the Lady Lever Gallery at Port Sunlight a few years ago. Joseph Wright's science pictures are stunning too. I'm not that keen on Vettriano. Bob is busily destroying my dragon now as he needs some of the wood!

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  5. I live about a twenty minute drive away from the Lady Lever Gallery, so it's a regular haunt of ours. I have often moved a chair across, and sat staring at The Black Brunswicker for ages, I can gaze at it for a long time! Five years ago my husband bought a large print of it and had it framed for my birthday. Now that we've moved from our big house to our small bungalow, it looks even more impressive, even though it does take up a lot of wall space!
    We love to have a wander around the Lady Lever, then pop downstairs to the Café for a piece of cake and a coffee, they do a decent Flat White!
    Our Grandson was introduced to the gallery at the age of six weeks, and now that he's five, he loves visiting with us, especially when he gets a glass of milk and a cake too!
    It's a tad mean of Bob to destroy your dragon, although he does have a good excuse! x

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  6. Your dragon is great! Do you remember that, ages ago, John and Yoko Lennon gave some kind of art show and someone tried to buy a table/workbench where they had been painting etc.? Someone assumed it was a piece of modern art.

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  7. I think your 'art installation' would command a good price.

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    1. The timber underneath the tarps is certainly worth something - the price of wood has doubled in the past eighteen months!

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  8. I'm not surprised that the artists responsible for the modern creation with two old tires didn't know what to call it. I think "untitled" is a copout. If the visitors to the Tate were asked to name it, perhaps "Words Fail Me" would be a good choice!
    Love your "dragon".

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