Just read some great prose written by the great Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick’s. It made me think of so many things: a story about my parents, a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine – it made me peaceful.
I had forgotten to know my artist friends… look at them, listen to them, read them… sometimes you just get caught up with living day to day and forget about art even when it’s hanging on the walls in your house, on your bookshelves, in your heart… some times you need to read a poem or a piece of prose just to remind yourself that there are greater forces out there that are more important than your bills. your loneliness, your job or your malcontent…Go drink in some art as soon as possible: It’s a nice escape.
I think, breathe, and feel art everyday. I long to have more time to create more art. in the meantime, I encourage my students to think outside the fricking box. It is appalling how un-creative this generation is becoming. More automated and less imagination. It truly scares me.
Have you noticed the hornet’s nest Roger Ebert stirred up by declaring that Video games are not art? He got over 2200 comments on that blog post and most disagreed strongly – calling him old, out of touch – even an idiot! I am flabbergasted!
My parents pulled me out of school to drive to Toronto to see Mikhail Baryshnikov and we attended art gallery openings and I grew up being dragged into museums. When my dad found new jazz artists he liked,(Miles,Louie Armstrong, Jaco,Santana) we were forced to listen to it. I remember him bellowing, “this is culture, goddammit,listen!!!”
Yeah, Ebert is right on–this current generation is out of touch with what is beauty.
“this is culture, goddammit,listen!!!” Love that! I bet you are very grateful to dad for that! My mom also believed in instilling an appreciation for arts & culture when I was a child – museums, music, plays, dancing lessons, literature… I am so grateful or that. It truly helped shape my life.