Wednesday, June 22, 2011

your first art

 little rikrak's first art love: column by ulysse comtois
..............

what was the first piece of ART you really remember seeing in life?
how does it affect your artistic sensibilities, ideas, inspirations and creativity today?

this week is little rikrak's birthday.
among his many fabulous traits (i'm biased - what can i say?) is his sincere love of,  and joy for, art & design. i see it in the way he looks at shapes and spaces; how he excitedly talks about lines and curves / shadows and light; how he handmakes with great enthusiasm, and vigour. 

i also admire his wise appreciation of handmaking and art at such a young age. 
i was thinking last night about the first art i really remember him adoring: i think it would whole-heartedly be the "column" by Ulysse Comtois : it's a brilliant piece  - a lightweight aluminum sculpture of 67 movable plates.  everytime he sees it his eyes are WILDLY WIDE - interactive art at its best!

the first time i really remember feeling moved by a piece of art was my recollection of seeing lawren harris' *mt. lefroy* at the amazing mcmichael gallery. i was about 8.

infact, i'll confess, that piece of art stands out to me because i detested it so much. i so passionately despised the dark lines,  menacing light and surrealist imagery. perhaps it is so vivid of a memory for me as i realized in that moment the emotional response one could so feverishly have (good or bad) to art. 

how art can create opinion.
it's a wonderful thing, isn't it!
so what are your first memories of fine art? 
what painting, sculpture, photograph, illustration stands out in your personal fine art history? 
i'd love to hear.

(just incase you haven't had the joy of playing with it yourself yet, here's an animated short of some of the fun possibilities column illicits!)


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6 comments:

  1. oh wow! this post is really cool!!

    allister bee blog

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  2. I agree. I love interactive art, too. The first piece I remember seeing as a child is a painting that hung in my Grandparents' fancy "parlor room." It was a fussy landscape. It creeped me out then, but now I LOVE it so much it hangs in our LIVING ROOM!!!!!!

    Happy Birthday to your son!

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  3. that's a great tale, moira! funny and so good how tastes change (mine too - i have a great appreciation for that lawren harris piece now. oh my previous detestation of it!

    :)

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  4. art (and design) is something that today has become such a commodity that people get excited and like it because of what they HEAR about it (record prices, divorce settlements, Madonna owning it, etc., etc) and do not pay attention to what it PRODUCES in us when we actually experience it. Just go to the Louvre and you will find most people taking photos without actually standing in front of the work and getting (or not) the goosebumps or the tears (I know, very melodramatic) you should get in having the experience. Thanks for this post. There is still hope!

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  5. You're right, modern sybarite (great site btw!) It's the experience we miss most often.

    The first ART I remember looking at is when we went to my brother's High School Art show. When I saw how every student made their own style I was blown away. I was struck with how different every still life was of fruit, even when they all painted the same thing.

    Art is amazing. Thaks for reminding us!!!!! LOL!

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    Replies
    1. thanks for all of your thoughts, nicies!
      sure is inspiring, isn't it?

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thanks so much for your comments, nicies!
it's a joy to read what everyone writes here.
thank you!