Sunday, August 30, 2009

the next to last straw


I was sick of being myself so I went to the museum to soak up the old masters. The ceilings were high, the light diffuse and the temperature-test machines were ticking. There was a wonderful Ernst Ludwig Kirchner I wanted to get close to, one of his Fränzi paintings. The problem was the digital cameras. It’s not like the days where someone was taking a picture and you’d politely wait until they got the shot before passing in front of their lens. No. Now everyone is taking a picture of everything. And people are not just doing goofy imitations of sculptures, they’re also taking 12 photos of their girlfriend next to Fränzi. Folks, I don't have time for all this acquisitive art-loving. In trying to save my soul by staying out of everyone’s schlock photo, by the time I went home I was more myself than ever before. So much for that.

7 comments:

Ron H said...

This is hysterical, Sarah. Especially the soul stealing. The other aspect that drives me crazy is the voices. What I call cell-o-phonic voice. People shouting into their cell phones. They're everywhere. I step into the shadows of an alley to escape and there on the ground is a large cardboard box with a shouting voice inside. The question I ask is, "where are we?" Ron H

@eloh said...

I know what you're saying. The harder I try to behave, the worse I get.

Wayne Pitchko said...

sick of yourself? hmm hard to imagine...now I love the "Blue Hookah" and the "rain in my purse" is also great. Im just in the process of making a purse for my "rust lady in the garden" sculpture that will always have rain it when it rains...take care

SarahJane said...

When someone bugs me by talking too much or too loudly on their cellphone, I like to start reading my book out loud (I usually have one along outside the house). Either that or just start talking to myself - what I call my "self-phone."

beth coyote said...

I recently saw the Helga paintings by Andrew Wyeth at the Seattle Art Museum. The guard told me to step back because even breathing on the glass could harm the paintings. Huh? Was I standing that close?

Ron H said...

Props and self-phone. Yes. At least you know your boundaries. I have crossed the line on a few occasions--by joining in the conversation. I have laughed, nodded, and blurted out words like "exactly!" and "yup". People must be worried the other person can't hear them because of the white noise around them. Similar short-outs occur when talking to a blind person. These are good metaphors for the way people process politics. I have to shout because your blind.

Richard Fox said...

Your experience does point up the fact that privacy is a commodity as well, doesn't it?

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