History

Art

is in decline

of Art

descending into part,

Jackson Pollack

sold his soul

for

splatter paintings

on the wall

Van Gogh lost

an ear and mind

trying to fill

the hole

hunger is

an angry man 

with garret

as a shell

the brush

is stoking

furnace flames

transient in

the ash

phoenix bones

used as gold

losing out to

Art;

Reviews

[Eilis]

I've seen exhibits of Pollock and Van Gogh. I've read some of van Gogh's biography, but I didn't have any background on Pollock, so I looked him up. When I saw the exhibit with his paintings (it was a traveling exhibit which also included Picasso and De Chirico) the whole experience made a big impression on me. Like kindred minds or something. I recognized a certain reaching and immediacy. But, my husband felt contempt for the whole thing. Art just isn't his thing. So, I tried to understand what he hated about it all. I'm still not sure, but Jackson Pollock is a kind of example on my road to understanding. Some people connect with art and some don't. Or there are some forms of art they connect to and others they don't, but why.

Some art I don't get. For example, standing before a Pollock, I didn't really feel anything, but standing before a Picasso and especially a De Chirico, I felt an inner sea churning. Anyway, I forgot where I was going with that. I wanted to say that I was thinking about what makes great art--as the saying goes--who chooses it. Most artists are ignored in their own time period. The human mind needs time to catch up with visionaries. And visionaries don't necessarily think of themselves as such, more just, they have something they need to get out and their minds have a specific method of making that happen. So, I read about Pollock, and his description of his own method was very similar to what you had written in your poem Sonic Blues and I had gone on to blather about. So, it's impulse. Van Gogh was haunted by impulse. So, is art a kind of madness?

But that's not what your poem is about. I'm sorry, I'm just thinking. Back to what I was talking about with my husband's reaction to the exhibit. He specifically didn't like the Pollocks. He felt it was a kind of laziness and something anyone could do. And, I said, maybe the method could be duplicated but not the heart. So, in your poem, I'm thinking of the decline of civilization, mostly. Maybe you didn't mean something as broad as that, but with the exit of an appreciation of art that comes from the depths of someone's need to express...rather than a place of vanity or general desire of acclaim or wealth...we lose (maybe) the soul of the thing.

Your last part, in particular, with the phoenix bones, makes me think that (in the philosophy of the poem) the transformation is not complete and the soul of the thing is still there waiting to be lifted up. I don't know. I think this is deep and I want to think about it some more. I'm pretty sure I agree, but also, I'm still processing the idea. If I'm on some weird tangent that has absolutely nothing to do with the poem, don't tell me, haha. I'll just go on thinking I've got something to think about.

The best thing about this, though, is your format. It's a paint brush. That takes patience. I don't have enough of that. Which is why I don't paint, even though I have the impulse. Time gets away.

I really enjoyed this poem. This review is too long.

[Shazbatt969]

hey Eilis, thanks for reading Shaz, am not really an Art fan, as such, but I do seem to be drawn to artists who try and express inside the mind rather than say portrait or scene scapes, here is a lovely painting of a river bank, and here's Guernica, wtf, most of my favourite artists, writers, poets, musicians are a bit fucked up, the madness of Caravaggio, the brilliance of Dali, so maybe artistic expression is some kind of madness, you are reviewing my alter ego, after all, haha, but some of the stuff like Tracy Emins spunky sheets, get tae f**k, my favourite artist is M.C. Esher, had a couple of his pictures on jigsaw puzzles, now that's a head f**k, don't know if kids do jigsaws anymore but it's a good family way of spending an hour or four, probably for several days, thanks again for the read, take care y,all,I think it is quite amusing that you guys wish each other a nice day, and us Scots tell each other to take care, because there is danger danger everywhere, lol

[Shazbatt969]

just had a thought about what your husband said about Pollack, and your answer it's like with Warhol , any one could do that , but he was the one that did it and his imagery is that iconic that no one else can now do it because they will be accused of ripping him off,

[Eilis]

That’s a good point, yep. Being the first always seems to earn you a special spot that you can’t be elbowed out of. Your take care makes sense, haha. But Americans are the great optimists!

We do a lot of jigsaw puzzles around here. I’m a fan of old-timey things, so, yeah. Never tried an MC Escher one though. A Guernica one might be an interesting trip, but only if it was full size.

Take care & have a good day. Covers both bases!

[barleygirl]

WOW! I have never written & posted a poem here at the cafe that generated such a bunch of interesting comments showing people are totally stimulated by your words, to share their thoughts about art! Frankly, I'm not into worshiping "the greats" when it comes to any art form, including writing. I believe the not-so-great deserve just as much attention. There are poets here who are rough on the edges, but they convey a strong essence of individualism, which to me is more valuable than a perfectly penned poem. I am torn between the fact that the internet kinda cheapens the act of making art . . . anyone can do it . . . everyone is doing it, posting it, proliferating things we never thought of as "art" before. But at the same time, there's a value in the fact that anyone can do & share art on the internet, which is better, to me, than protecting some sacred ground so "the greats" can stand out among the masses. I don't know what any of this means. I just know your poem makes a reader want to blather in a ridiculously long-winded way! (ask Eilis!) *smile* Fondly, Margie

[Shazbatt969]

hey, Margie, sorry for the delay, been busy being gram, lol, thanks for your great review, not sure where all these interesting comment were, certainly not on my page, is there a what's app thing that has bypassed me, but your comments about the not-greats is spot on, not everyone can be Shakespeare, but we all must write, thanks again,
gram,