Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Eternal Question...

Yesterday, I went to Milwaukee with my friend Dianne, who is a painter, to drop off some of her work at a gallery where she shows her work, and to gallery sit.  So, my mind was in art mode when I happened to look out the window from my third floor apartment.  From there I spotted Marilyn Monroe's dress swaying in the breeze.  Of course, that's not realy what it was.  It was just a large piece of plastic, probably a drop cloth wrapped around a fire escape and tied in place.  So, I had to wonder:  "Is it Art?"I was inclined to think, that yes, it was.  The ribbon at the "waist" and the flags calling attention to this impromptu assemblage all attested to the possibility an art student in the neighborhood with an active imagination.
On the other hand maybe it was just a "Todd's house" kind of marker.  "Go around the back and toss a pebble up to the window by the fire escape where there's a piece of plastic hanging on the fire escape.  I'll come around and let you in."
I mean, is it art when the person in the small South American town who makes chicha hangs out a little red plastic bag as a flag  so customers know where the find chicha?
Anyway, I got out my trusty camera and snapped a  couple of shots.

 Ethereal Plastic Gown

When we arrived, we pulled out our electronic gear, Dianne to share vacation photos off her phone and me to show the gallery artists the hunk of plastic/Ethereal Plastic Gown.  They agreed that this was art if there was intent behind the installation, leaving it open to intrepretation.  The eternal queston. Just how wide do we throw the net?   I'd like to think it's art.  It spoke to me.

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