And is there any particular reason why we humans like to project our feelings onto animals? Just an idle curiosity on a lazy Sunday. I mentioned The Elegance of the Hedgehog before, and just recently stumbled on this lovely hedgehog poem by Paul Muldoon. I know we often like finding our 'spirit animals,' and anthropomorphizing animals like foxes (unless they're urban). I'm guessing it's because it's easier to face reality through metaphor.
Maybe it's the comfort we seek in the dead of winter, but I've been searching for poetry readings and Irish trad sessions in London. Food for the soul, or something. So far I've had more luck with the former than the latter, but Spotify keeps me pretty well covered for music.
And London keeps me on my toes with art. I finally got a chance to wander through the Rembrandt exhibit at the National Gallery yesterday; it was claustrophobically crowded but entirely worth seeing. The thematic organization felt a bit forced and odd at times - for example, I would have loved to have seen his two Lucretia paintings side by side (see link below). In one, she is holding the dagger and about to make her fatal decision, the tension and drama apparent in her arms. In the other, the deed is already done but she is still taking action, tugging a bell-pull to call her family to arms. I love the imminence of these in-between moments. Rembrandt chose not to depict the gruesomeness of either her rape or her suicide, but rather the inherent drama of what-happens-next.
Maybe it's the comfort we seek in the dead of winter, but I've been searching for poetry readings and Irish trad sessions in London. Food for the soul, or something. So far I've had more luck with the former than the latter, but Spotify keeps me pretty well covered for music.
And London keeps me on my toes with art. I finally got a chance to wander through the Rembrandt exhibit at the National Gallery yesterday; it was claustrophobically crowded but entirely worth seeing. The thematic organization felt a bit forced and odd at times - for example, I would have loved to have seen his two Lucretia paintings side by side (see link below). In one, she is holding the dagger and about to make her fatal decision, the tension and drama apparent in her arms. In the other, the deed is already done but she is still taking action, tugging a bell-pull to call her family to arms. I love the imminence of these in-between moments. Rembrandt chose not to depict the gruesomeness of either her rape or her suicide, but rather the inherent drama of what-happens-next.
The show made me think about what links my favorite artists - Rembrandt being among them - who range all over time and place. No surprise: I like people who can depict complex people. One of my new favorites from the Rembrandt show was an anonymous, portly old man who, despite the lack of backstory, conveyed such panache. I appreciate artists who play with texture and/or the depth of their subject: Van Gogh, Holbein, Velazquez, and Bernini, to name a few.
So, art, music, poetry - that's probably enough culture for today (for you, dear reader!). Back to work, jobseeking, bill paying, the usual.
Love,
Annie
So, art, music, poetry - that's probably enough culture for today (for you, dear reader!). Back to work, jobseeking, bill paying, the usual.
Love,
Annie