Today I was thinking of one of my favorite quotations about art and these works came to mind: "A painting in a museum probably hears more foolish remarks than anything else in the world." -Edmond and Jules De Goncourt
The image above is a work by Norman Rockwell, The Art Critic, from The Saturday Evening Post, 1955. I love using this image when I lecture on graphic design and illustration. I think it makes me laugh so much because he is examining Dutch works and the woman in the painting is giving him a very cheeky look, while the men behind him are staring at him with utter disdain. Just imagine the things paintings would express to us and tell us if they were able to communicate what they really thought about all the nonsense that comes out of people's mouths. I try to remind myself of this when I visit museums and galleries. There are many occasions when I have went with friends, relatives, or colleagues to a museum/gallery and gone on and on with how much I know about the works. I often think, gosh, if these paintings could laugh at me and correct me I bet they would!
This then reminds me of two other works I adore by the sculptor Duane Hanson. If you have not heard of him or seen his work, you would serve yourself well to look him up and check out his creations. I think many people have probably "seen" his works and not realized it.
The artwork below is the Shoppers created in 1976 and at the O.K. Harris Gallery in NYC. Duane Hansen "tricks" people into thinking these sculptures are actual people and it is just wonderful to see people's reactions when they discover they are not people but actually works of art. To get this life-like quality he makes his castings using fiberglass and other media.
May inspiration and creativity be with you!
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