Top Five...

...things I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this weekend.

5. Vincent Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat" (1885)

Don't look at my other ear.

This piece is cool because Vinnie painted a potato-peelin' peasant on the other side of the canvas.

4. John Singer Sargent's "Madame X" (1883-4)

This was originally painted with one of Madame X's shoulder straps falling down, but "the man" made poor John repaint it. Fortunately, this sexy lady still caused a scandal at the Paris Salon.

3. Jackson Pollock's "Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)" (1950)

Don't try this at home.

I had a very interesting conversation about Pollock with a co-worker today. We were discussing the need to view modern and "non-modern" art in different ways.

For example - the viewer appreciates the skill and technique of a Renaissance master, but understands that the artist was commissioned and under strict guidelines, probably painting religious figures or nobility and therefore - maybe - lacking a little self-expression.

Likewise, the viewer appreciates the self-expression and artistic statement of the modern artist, whether or not he/she has the same level of specific technique that the old masters did (we're looking at you, Pollock).

It's easy to say that Pollock's no big deal - "I could paint that." But Pollock painted it first, and in 1950, no less. Did you do that??

2. Edgar Degas' "The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer" (1880)

Degas was apparently so invested in capturing this dancer's likeness that he sculpted her nude. Dude, she's FOURTEEN!

UPDATE: check out this New York Times article about Degas at the Met.

1. Alexander Calder's "Mobile" (1942)


Alexander Calder invented the mobile. He INVENTED it. Sleepy babies everywhere owe Calder a huge debt of gratitude for inventing a wire with little pieces attached to it that hangs from the ceiling.