5.20.2009

Venting Spree

Yes, one more pet peeve, and then maybe I'll actually talk about our life.

Have you ever been in a class where there's like... a mom? Now, don't get me wrong: there are many wonderful, smart, fabulous women old enough to be my mom, my own mother included of course. But the ones in class sometimes just don't seem to get it.

The class that I get to share with not one, but two moms, is Modern Art.

Modern Art is weird. It's random, and all about being experimental, and there are a whole bunch of different movements... There are manifestos written about why artists did things in certain ways, and some of them are completely off the wall. Modern Art is hard to understand.

Which is kinda the point.

Anyway, we just learn about "Vorticism" today. It's from the early 1900's and is based on a written work called "Our Vortex." It's really confusing and makes no sense whatsoever. But the whole point of this movement is something about how life is a vortex, things are all crazy and random and chaotic except for at the center of the vortex, where everything is calm and still, and somehow this all has to do with art. (Though I don't think that explanation would pass a test.)

But this mom could not get over the fact that to these artists, things were calm in the center of the vortex. "But the dictionary says that a vortex is a vacuum, and the center is where everything gets sucked in! It can't be calm and still at the center."

Artist's make up their own meanings for things. Especially in Modern Art.

Seriously, she mentioned it a few different times and kept saying, "it's so funny to me that it's not really what that word means!" GAH!! That's not the point!

I'm sorry if this is totally pointless to you, but this woman is driving me crazy! Everyday she gets stuck on something silly and unimportant! 

....

I don't know any witty cute ways to end this, so for your enjoyment (or disgust, confusion, whatever) is a Vorticist painting by Umberto Boccioni. 

States of Mind: The Farewells
(Do you see the train?)

5 comments:

Krista said...

oh bless her heart. maybe you could tell her that while yes, vortex does mean "vacuum" in a sense, it's not akin to her vacuum cleaner. vortex is actually the swirling, spiraling, circular motion of fluid (water or gas) that sucks everything near it toward its center. However, that center, as the central pivot point is calm. Think: the eye of a hurricane or the center of a tornado.

Francesca said...

I can totally relate. I've had a few older moms in my classes who were so annoying, made the dumbest comments, and were slow understanding things.

Rebecca said...

You'll have to share some of your insights to modern art, it truly baffles me. I've even checked out some stuff from the library to understand it, alas, I remain befuddled.

Anonymous said...

haha, Reba, modern art is just a befuddling thing. but we can chat about it if you want :)

Cait said...

Its all confusing but if you stare at the numbers in the middle its calming and the rest fades and looks pretty. I can see why its a 'vortex'.

Tell that crazy lady to go to Sedona and go Vortex hunting.