THE DAY
So, again, not writing because the husband has reminded me that we’re on a semi-break to see a kid. (Tomorrow, we’re also traveling, so no writing to happen then either.) It is what it is.
Saw a not very stunning exhibit with a bunch of different installations that were all impressive, but not . . . I don’t know . . . not art? But what do I know? I only know what I think feels like art. The husband’s all about trying to see what the artist was trying to get at, and I can appreciate that point of view. But me . . . if it isn’t accessible and the artist has to explain things? Then the art has failed…for me. It either hits me, or it doesn’t. This is the same thing I felt in some contemporary art museum in San Francisco, I think, or somewhere else. It doesn’t matter. But if the artist has to explain what they were about, then I think the art has failed. Ditto for adding pseudo-science to make an installation or artwork more . . . worthwhile? I can’t even think of the right word, but it reminds me of a paper I once gave on chaos theory and film. For a brief time, chaos theory was the darling of film studies; people grabbed on and tried to make the theory applicable to film in an effort to legitimize film studies, and not because iteration had anything in common with film or applied at all. Anyway, as you can imagine, the paper wasn’t well-received by some folks, but some people liked it and came up after to talk about how film studies gets no respect. I understand grafting science onto a discipline to make it seem more important, but frankly, it’s like calling the German rocketeers “scientists,” when they weren’t. They were engineers; they weren’t engaged in pure science. But “scientists” sounds sexier, loftier, more legit.
Anyway, same thing with the art here. There were a few pieces with pseudo-science attached as if that would somehow make the pieces weightier and more “important” than they were.
Still, they were pretty interesting. Not that I’d have any in my home, mind you.
Anyway, we were lucky to get there when we did (right when the museum opened) because the line to get in was HORRENDOUS when we got out. Someone asked if it was worth the wait; I tried to be nice about it, but a friend with us flat-out said, “No.” I agreed, but…art is in the eye of the beholder.
Wandering away, we came on what our friend first thought was Scalia (flag-draped coffin), but I pointed out that the guy was in the ground already. So, come to find that it was for a movie shoot, Jackie, with Natalie Portman in the title role. (Smart woman–really smart–but pretty awful movies, and I don’t see her as Jackie O at all.) Anyway, got some shots and even managed one of Portman’s shoes (they had her completely encased in this bubble of black umbrellas to keep the sun off . . .who knows; it’s Hollywood).
Rest of the day spent outside, wandering around. So it was an okay day. Tomorrow will be more of the same for at least half the day; the rest is travel and then slipping back into my life.
WRITING OUT LOUD
Dark Side of the Moon
Day 1: 4326 Day 11: 2500 Day 21: 1800 Day 31: 745
Day 2: 2085 Day 12: 500 Day 22: 0 Day 32: 0
Day 3: 3011 Day 13: 1000 Day 23: 2700 Day 33: 4000
Day 4: 2652. Day 14: 3700 Day 24: 3500 Day 34: 2800
Day 5: 3210 Day 15: 5630 Day 25: 1500 Day 35: 4500
Day 6: 3450 Day 16: 1060 Day 26: 0 Day 36: 4800
Day 7: 0 Day 17: 130 Day 27: 0 Day 37: 0
Day 8: 2756 Day 18: 0 Day 28: 380 Day 38: 450
Day 9: 4580 Day 19: 3000 Day 29: 390 Day 39: 1000
Day 10: 2670 Day 20: 2600 Day 30: 380 Day 40: 2500
Day 41: 2600 Day 51: 1000 Day 63: 4800 Day 73: 1500 (edit)
*Day 42: 830 Day 52: 1600 Day 64: 3300 Day 74: 250 (sick)
Day 43: 3600 Day 53: 2600 Day 65: 2500 Day 75: 3000 (edit)
Day 44: 5000 Day 54: 3600 Day 66: 1200 (edit) Day 76: 2500 (edit)
Day 45: 2600 Day 55: 3200 Day 67: 1000 (edit) Day 77: 2500 (edit)
Day 46: 3000 Day 56: 4000 Day 68: 3000 (edit) Day 78: 2000 (edit)
Day 47: 2800 Day 57: 1200 Day 69: 1000 (edit) Day 79: 2000 (edit)
Day 48: 2500 Day 58-60: 0 Day 70: 1000 (edit) Day 80: 4300 (edit)
Day 49: 1000 Day 61: 3500 Day 71: 1500 (edit) Day 81: 1000 (edit)
Day 50: 4600 Day 62: 3000 Day 72: 2500 (edit) Day 82: 2000 (edit)
Day 83: 1500 (edit)
Day 84: 2700 (edit)
Day 85: 1500 (edit)
Day 86: 0 (travel)
Day 87: 0 (travel)
Blog Post: 720
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What I’m Watching:
Nada, not even the Oscars. I’m sorry, but Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t that great an actor, and he sure doesn’t deserve an Oscar for grunting, dunking himself into cold water, and eating raw liver. But Hollywood tends to reward suffering.
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What I’m Reading:
Pet Sematary.
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What I’m Listening to:
Nothing today.
