Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dalí, big black flower and Olive

- Finally stopping in front of The High Museum of Atlanta to snap the photo of Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquis of Púbol. His art works will visit this museum in August. A few years ago at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, I was asking directions of a docent on how to get to the modern art gallery and he told me, instructing me not to take the lift or I'd miss Salvidor Dalí. Puzzled, I took the stairs as instructed and encountered his enormous work of The Last Supper in a stairwell. I was so conditioned to thinking of his more surreal work that this one was a wonderful surprise (although it does have a certain amount of surrealism.)

- On primary election night, a gubernatorial candidate's wife sports a black headband with a big black silk flower on it, making her look kind of like a dance hall girl from an old Western film. I hope he wins, because she looks fun!

- Returning the book Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout to the library. Olive is a retired schoolteacher who deplores the changes in her small town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world in general, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her. There are about 13 vignettes of townspeople and Olive's family. Olive turns up in one form or another in each. I loved this book.

21 comments:

desk49 said...

If you went to buy his last supper would you have to buy the stairwell too?

Up the stairs Dali’s
Last Supper did run
A black silk flower
She wore like a bun
Old Olive, she used to teach
And grief she showed for change
Through her family members tho
She always seem to remain

Anonymous said...

I've always appreciated Dali's works. The Persistence of Memory is a personal favourite of mine. Something about wilted clocks speaks volumes to me about the wasteful passing of time! :P

Granny Annie said...

I must say that it concerns me for you to select your political candidate by how fun the spouse looks:) I guess in this day and time, that's as good a way as any.

sage said...

I saw an exhibit of Dali's work a few decades ago, out west. I'm not big into modern art, but like his stuff.

The governor-wanna-be's wife, will she let him hike the Appalachian Trail?

sage said...

I saw an exhibit of Dali's work a few decades ago, out west. I'm not big into modern art, but like his stuff.

The governor-wanna-be's wife, will she let him hike the Appalachian Trail?

Louvregirl said...

Lynn~ So very glad to hear that you got to visit an art museum; I find that so relaxing! Good show!
lg
(hugs)

Lynn said...

Ellis -

A question to ponder. :) A great wrap-up poem!

Tony -

I like that one, too. He seemed have a fascination with time and timepieces.

Granny Annie -

Of course I didn't do that - I had already voted at 7am for the candidate referred to. He has been the Governor of Georgia before and did a great job. I just don't remember the wife looking quite as festive before. But it's been eight years after all - a lot could happen between now and then. :)

Sage -

You are so well traveled that I'll bet you get to see a lot of great artwork.

Lynn said...

lg -

I used to be a member of The High until the recession hit - I do love to go though still when I can. No - I didn't get to go in yesterday, but I had passed it so many times in one day that I finally stopped and snapped the photo from a parking space on the street at about 6:45pm - hence the glare. I'm thinking morning photography might have worked out better.

Meredith said...

Hmmm... which candidate was that, I wonder? (I am sort of following y'all's races from afar. Once a Georgian, always a Georgian, I guess. ;)

Thanks for letting us know about Dali. I have just zipped an e-mail to F., letting him know about it, and it might be worth combining a visit with family with a stop at the museum. :D

Meredith said...

I used to be a member of the High, too, Lynn! Did you ever go to the Jazz Thursday events? (I'm betting we've passed each other a half dozen times before now. Isn't life fun?)

And now I've answered my own question by reading the comments. It's gotta be Mrs. Barnes. :)

(And altho it's none of my business, I'll say nice choice!)

Lynn said...

Hi Meredith -

She's the one! :) Her husband got 66% of the vote for his party.

I have been to those jazz evenings a couple of times, but not lately. Yes - I am certain we have crossed paths here and there.

Riot Kitty said...

I'm so jealous! I want to go see that exhibit. I love Dali.

Maude Lynn said...

I would love to see that Dali exhibit!

Snaggle Tooth said...

You are fortunate to get first-hand appreciation of so much artwork in your travels! I'd love to see some Dali in person-
A flower head-wrap does state a braveness of personality.
Sounds like an interestingly woven book.

Jannie Funster said...

That is such a remarkable Dali painting. Amazing depth to him. I had NO idea!

In the small city (maybe 50,000 people now -- 40,000 when I went to University there,)in Fredericton, at the Lord Beaverbrook Art Museum there was (and possibly still is -- I hope) a ginormous Dali painting. Just amazing! Has angels and all kinds of interesting stuff. Naked lovely buttocks and such, as I recall.

And back when Trivial Pursuit first came out in the 80s I remember cackling with my cousin, Tilda (3 years my junior -- now mother of Ryan 11, and Katrina 7) over the answer to, and I paraphrase here a tad, "Who was such and such who rode in a parade car filled with turnips?"

Answer: Dali! (Never forgot that.) He's my man, in wonderful weirdness indeed.

I know you like beets! How about turnips?

:)

A lady in a dance hall look? What's not to love? :)

Wonderful sounding book too!

xoxo

Holland said...

Dali was a great artist and completely out of the box. Is that painting still there in the staircase?

Ileana said...

I'd love to visit the Dalí museum, which I believe is in the west coast of FL. When we're around for a hockey game, I'll make a point of it.

The book doesn't sound like my usual read, but it sounds interesting.

Lynn said...

Riot Kitty -

I'll bet some great exhibits come through Portland.

Mama Zen -

I wonder if that is an exhibit that travels like they do sometimes?

Snaggle -

The book won the Pulitzer prize last year - that's the reason my book group chose to read it. I am a lollygagger though and finished it finally three months behind them. :)

Jannie -

What wonderful memories you have - and that is a great vision of Dali - I can just see him in a parade car filled with turnips. I don't like turnip greens, but I have been known to put turnips in soup. :)

xo

Monique -

It is - unless it is loaned for this exhibit. I'm definitely getting tickets for that.

Ily -

That would be a wonderful detour!

Wendy said...

they've recently moved The Last Supper I believe. We tried every elevator and stairwell, coulnd't find it.

A few years ago, we went to Dali's own museum in Spain. It was spectacular and crazy. True Dali.

Found your blog through Meredith's. I'll be back! :)

Lynn said...

Wendy -

I wonder if it has been loaned for the exhibit in Atlanta?

That sounds like a great experience going to the Dali museum in Spain - I'm sure it was crazy and spectacular!

Thank you for coming by!

LT said...

When are we going to the Dali exhibit?