E was a good sport and tagged along. We got in free; he as a student, I as a former docent. As soon as we walked through the double glass doors, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. The polished hardwood floors, tall sterile white walls, bright lights, and space... the art therapy begins.
The first few galleries we walked through showcased stuffy Victorian and Renaissance paintings and elaborate furniture. I learned a new word: garniture. Dictionary.com says it means something that garnishes (heh, duh), but an art buff will say it refers to a display of Chinese porcelain, in odd numbers, atop a cabinet or mantle. It's a European thing. Strange, no? A series of tilting helmets led us to a hallway filled with ancient relics from Asia and Africa. Ancient art is sometimes cool, but mostly creepy.
As we progressed on through the eras, back to the Renaissance and onwards to Expressionism and Surrealism, I became convinced that I will never understand art. Torn muslin, a wrangled piece of aluminium, paint splashed arbitrarily, and my favorite - an utterly blank, white, piece of canvas - these all have some abstract message behind them, from the atrocities of the Holocaust to the profoundness of life, the artwork being the physical expression of that epiphany. My 4-year old nephew could easily be the next Jackson Pollock, but his spaghetti scrawls won't be selling for millions of dollars.
Anyway... despite not being able to grasp some of the art (we are but common folk), we had a good time.
Giant dandelion: An exercise in futility
Great Love: My eyes hurt if I stare for too long
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Tried to make something fancy for dinner - rabbits with prunes. It's a popular dish among small restaurants in the French countryside, I was told. Except, since I was too lazy to pick up rabbit meat at Wholey's, I spared the bunnies for chicken and substituted the prunes with apricots (both swaps are totally acceptable, according to the recipe). So it's more like chicken with apricots... doesn't quite sound the same, but one can use some imagination. I didn't have enough of a pyromaniacal streak to do the flaming cognac bit, but nobody can tell anyway after it's soaked in red wine. Turned out well! I made sauteed potatoes and a simple romaine salad to go with it. This one's a keeper.
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I've jumped on the 'Heroes' bandwagon, and I'm officially a fan. The plot is riveting and the characters are well-cast; Hiro Nakamura is definitely my favorite. House and BSG currently take a back-seat - am I fickle or what?
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