Not Just Art 3

Cheryl always has a facinating insight worth listening to. Here she responds to the invitation to search out three significant artworks she finds great meaning in ...

There are so many others, but these are the three that came first to mind. Who knows why they’ve stuck in my mind, but I won’t think about it too much… one’s reaction to art shouldn’t be analysed!

Rembrandt “Two scholars disputing”…

I love the man’s eyes in this. Rembrandt makes his people so evocative – so human – like you want to sit in a room with them, and be inspired by them. Where most scholars disputing just look obnoxious, these two look wise.

Henry Moore, “Rocking Chair”…

http://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/record.asp?Artist=Henry%20Moore&hasImage=1&ViewMode=&Record=19

This is in the sculpture garden at the Hirshhorn Gallery in Washington. We sat and looked at it for hours. I’m not sure why I love it, but it kept drawing me back. Maybe it was because it says something about the give and take of relationships and families… holding each other in balance and tension…

Sam Taylor-Wood “Still Life”…

I saw this in the Tate Modern in London. They don’t have pictures, due to copyright restrictions, but you’ll be able to imagine it.

It’s a time-lapse video sequence of a bowl of fruit decomposing. The video screen is flanked by two 17^th century Dutch still life’s (much like this: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/ast/norton.jpg), and at first glance it looks to simply be a photo of a similar scene. Gradually, though the fruit begins decomposing, a fly buzzes around it, and over 10 minutes or so the whole thing degenerates into this festering mess... and all the time, the oil paintings on either side stay perfect and pristine, being shown up for what they really are… It was absolutely compelling.