Art-ness

Yesterday was spent fantastically with 4 friends at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. I'm no artist, but I definitely have a taste in art... I'll leave it up to you to decide whether it's a good taste or not. =P I don't really understand modern art, and in most cases think it's quite stupid. There was a special gallery on display for this one modern photographer. One piece was a photograph of an egg on a block of wood. Apparently it was supposed to represent the fragility of life, while displaying a typically domestic object in a non-domestic environment. Pardon my French, but I think some people just try to make up symbols to make a shite photograph meaningful. There's my little rant about that part of the museum. =P

On the other hand, my favourite gallery was the "Impressionist". I just love the variety and colours, and yes, symbols. A lot of those paintings actually do have symbols and meanings within them, purposefully painted by the artist. But I think the *most* meaningful paintings were from the 17th ish century, like "Allegory", painted around 1670. Every single detail and character depicted holds symbolic meaning. Because I'm not an artist, usually I can't look at the painting and appreciate it for it's "paint" value, because I don't know how much or how little work went into it, but my favourite paintings in the museum again and again ended up holding a meaning or a plot from myths or biblical stories. The best of the day, though, wasn't even a painting. It was a gold-gilded wall clock. I'm not sure why it fascinated me so much, but I just loved the message it had. The symbols came together to give the message "Love conquers Time" (death and progression of minutes). Which is so true. You'll see it below, and I'll explain a little more. Plus it was just a gorgeous piece of ornament. I would love it in my house. ^^

Here are some of my favourites that I managed to get pictures of (props to Genna for the use of her camera):


The Woman represents Justice, the Lion is an attribute of Fortitude and Prudence, and the little winged dude with the chain shows Temperance. All of these together are the four cardinal virtues.



When Mary Magdalene first discovered the empty tomb, she thought that Jesus' body had been stolen. This depicts the exact moment that Mary Magdalene realizes that Christ is risen from the dead. She is facing her Lord. The gold in cloak shows the radiance of her risen Lord.




Van Gogh's Irises are just classic. I don't think there's that much symbolism, but I just love the colours.. and the fact that he painted it when he was recovering from mental illness. He was a strange fellow, but produced excellent art. I would've loved to see Starry Night much more, but I'm satisfied with Irises.




I don't remember the exact story behind this, but I know the fair-haired boy is leaving for an extensive amount of time.. or maybe it was infinitely. Mh. I must remember. Anyway, I just love the colours in this one, and the expressions.




Mh, even though it doesn't look like it, there is hope in this painting. This is how the museum described it: "His head bowed, a man walks alone in the silvery, cold moonlit night while contemplating a megalithic tomb and its implicit message of death. It is winter, and all around him nature is dying. Leafless trees loom behind like specters, but a grove of verdant oaks rises through the mist in the background with the promise of life. The waxing moon, high in the sky, also acts as a counterbalance to death, symbolizing Christ and the promise of rebirth." I love. :)




Here's the clock of fascination. :) You can't see the detail that well in the picture, so I encourage you to visit the Getty for yourself, eh? On the top, above the clock-piece, are two Cherubs, who have just stolen the two tools of Chronos, the Greek god of time; the scythe and the hourglass. Chronos is seen below the clock-piece, being beaten down by his own tools: a globe, a protractor, and a pair of compasses. The message is clear: "Love Conquers Time".



Allegory of Fortune. This one was great, not only because of the symbols, but also the story behind it (just disregard the maybe-scandalous nature of the lady =P). This is what the museum had to say about it:

"Found at a flea market and purchased for a modest sum by an anonymous buyer, the unwrapped, seven-foot Allegory of Fortune was strapped to the roof of a car and brought to Christie's auction house in New York City. There experts recognized it as an important, long-lost allegorical scene by the Ferrarese master Dosso Dossi.

While the painting's precise meaning remains a mystery, Dosso's message seems to be that prosperity in life is transitory and dependent on luck. The nude woman represents Fortune, or Lady Luck. She holds a cornucopia, flaunting the bounty that she could bring, but sits on a bubble because her favors are often fleeting. The billowing drapery is a reminder that she is changeable like the wind. Her single shoe symbolizes her ability to bring not only fortune but also misfortune.

The man on the left personifies chance. He looks over at Fortune and holds up a stack of lottery tickets, which he is about to place inside a golden urn, a timely reference to the civic lotteries that had just become popular in Italy. The tickets may also refer to the painting's probable patron, Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua. One of her emblems was a bundle of lots, denoting her personal experience with fluctuating fortune."

---

It's lookin' like a beautiful da-ay. :)