The Diary of Queen Mothy |
An Artsy Soap Box written @ 9:30 PM on May 02, 2004 So I was working on a painting in the studio last night after the play (The Imaginary Invalid was hilarious; good job, Christine), right? Okay. I mean, it was pretty late, around midnight or so. I decided that was the only time I could work in the studio due to the lighting on my final project-- without disturbing other people. With that said, I encountered a first in my college career: one of the guys who has a studio nearby mine brought his girlfriend into the room and began... well... it's more fun to leave that up to the imagination. And they thought I couldn't hear them due to my headphones. Pah! *** Today on campus the powers that be had a huge arts exhibition. Why? To convince the rich yuppies from Cincinnati to give us money. A bunch of us from the art department got together and created this huge copy of Michelangelo's Pieta using sidewalk chalk. It looked peachy, considering all we used was Crayola brand chalk. It was so chilly outside, though, that in twenty minutes I was numb from the elbow down. When I took my breaks to shake out my muscles, I observed the yuppies coming in. Oh yes, it was just like watching a movie. You had your typical old rich folk, the gentleman dressed up in the classy suit and tie with his wife like a bauble on his arm. You had the young vixens with the breast implants and the too-short-for-this-weather black skirts and heels that no reasonable woman could walk in-- and let's not forget about the Gucci purses. You had the CEOs and top executives coming in with their Infinities and Lexuses and shiny SUVs, wearing white polo shirts and sports jackets. Then the crones would follow with their leopard furs wrapped around their necks and vintage hats perched like birds on their heads. My favorite type of Cincinnati rich folk are the young, arrogant heirs of law firms with their swinging walk, shiny, Top Gun-esque sun glasses, and greasy blonde hair slicked back behind their ears... popping gum ever so annoying and passing a mere curious glance at your labors. Manicured nails. Bleached teeth. And all these people are going to be voting for Bush. *sigh* Then again you have your wealthy philanthropists, and God knows we starving artists love having patrons. In fact, here's some food for thought: the cardinal that commissioned Michelangelo to do the Pieta wrote in his contract that he wanted the best sculpture ever to be made. And Mike the Great was paid well, both in fortune and in reputation. I suppose the day struck me as being a little ironic: picture a group of proud artists standing on their heads, juggling, and reproducing the Pieta on a sidewalk for a group of rich Republicans who would either toss a quarter our way or snub their noses. Which is the greater sacrifice? Money? Or dignity? At the same time, why begrudge students of potential scholarships? I tell you, the whole art market and the "way things are done" need to change. People, allow me to step up on my soap box for a moment and say one thing: THE ARTS ARE NOT A LUXURY. *** Tomorrow is the theatre formal, where I will don my lovely costume and strut about like a happy peacock. Jessica is comin' to do my hair! Wahoo! :)
A Bit of History ~ And Onward! L'Amour Toujours! - August 08, 2005 |
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