|
dripping some paint I think that I might have been as tired as my grandma by the time that I got home yesterday. A five and a half hour visit did leave me feeling a little drained and I was asleep within an hour of being home. ... Maybe in keeping with the American outcast theme, I watched the Ed Harris film Pollock this morning. and I can say that I am now I'm two for two with my movies in the yes category. With my art background I knew about his paintings, but the man was more of a mystery to me and after seeing the film he still is in some ways. It wasn't a made for television movie where art seems to come from some psychological disorder nor was it a straightforward biography. Oh, the film acknowledges that he had problems, but it doesn't focus completely on that issue. It doesn't deconstruct him. Ed Harris really did get down the technique of dripping the paint and it impressed me. Both the energy and concentration were clearly there and I hope that it got some people thinking about Pollock again although I doubt that many people in mainstream America even saw the film. Abstract Expressionism is not something that comes up in casual conversation. On a lesser note it was odd seeing Stephanie Seymour, a former Victoria's Secret model and the woman that Axl Rose slapped around in the November Rain video years ago, playing the role of Helen Frankenthaler. How she managed to appear in a small arthouse film as a famous painter is beyond me. What was even more odd to me was seeing Val Kilmer portray Willem de Kooning. ... The weather forecast said that there would be strong winds for most of the day and that was definitely true. I noticed it on my ride to the east side and truly felt it when I was walking on campus. There may have been blue sky with bright sunlight, but the wind was what really caught my attention. Wide leg and bell bottom jeans were billowing everywhere I looked. There was also a slight lean in the way that people walked. ... Class is still going well and the professor continues to amaze me with his knowledge. He has yet to say how many languages that he knows, but I suspect that it must be somewhere over a dozen if not more than that amount. So far he has given us examples of Old English (which I believe is what the elves spoke in the The Lord of the Rings movie since Tolkien was a linguistics professor afterall) some African languages and a smattering of what is spoken in Nepal. Linguistics might not be for everyone, but I think that he makes it very interesting. He manages to take a very complex if not dry topic and makes it very down to earth and practical. However, I get the impression that not everyone feels the same way as I do. This can be seen and heard during the final minutes of class. Suddenly books can be heard being shoved into backpacks and notebooks are closed. People are ready to leave even if he hasn't finished talking. That must be the hardest part of teaching, when the students don't seem to care about what you are saying to them. ... I've noticed a pattern in Jonathan Carroll's novels. The male hero always seems to meet a slightly eccentric woman that completely captures his attention and they quickly get involved. In the beginning everything is fine, but then something very odd happens and he starts to trust her less and less as her past comes to the surface. Then by the end of the book she is the worst thing that ever happened to him, which makes me wonder why so many women write glowing online reviews of his books. Maybe I am missing something or I am overreacting when I shouldn't be. ... Maybe my hormones got the better of me, but I had to say something. Yes, I spoke with yet another girl in my class. She was wearing this flax colored sweater that had a chunky turtleneck topping it off. In my mind the sweater was made for her and I'm not just talking about the curve element either. It framed her face and body perfectly and seeing her from the side she reminded me of Lara from Doctor Zhivago. After stealing a glance here and there through class, I had to let her know how I felt. So as class was ending I made my way down to where she was sitting and said, "That sweater looks good on you." With a slight blush and a look of mild surprise she said, "Thanks." Just those few words made my day and maybe they made hers. I don't know. Maybe I'll know more when I see her on Thursday. ... According to the Chinese calendar we are now in the Year of the Horse. Happy New Year.
|