Friday, October 07, 2005

Exhibits I will never see (but which sound cool)


Every day at work I start off by reading the NY Times (they give them away in the Journalism department, which is just down the hall--tough job, I know). It's far more informative than any local papers (one in particular, know not so affectionately as The Daily Disappointment), plus they have sections on fashion and the arts and travel and food. Very fun, but on the other hand I have to read about fabulous, interesting, eclectic, intellectual exhibits and performances and movies that I won't see, because I am hundreds of miles away. Last week, I read about one that sounded especially fun, and appropriate given the Halloween kick I've been on--"The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult" at the Met.

The author of the article states that "Hands down, it's the most hilarious, not to mention the most charming, exhibit the museum has done in years. Like all examples of great humor, it is, at heart, also a sneakily serious affair. Its subjects include the depths of human gullibility, and the conjuring power of photography...they inevitably sail past their intended goal, which is to document the unbelievable, and end up in a realm of higher truth. They remind us that art is a wonderment defying logic."

One of the more hilarious examples, "Henri Robin and a Spectre" (1863) is attached here. What a fun-sounding exhibit! If you're anywhere near the NY area, check it out and let me know what it's like. :)

1 comment:

Kelli McBride said...

Mandy, you've been tagged.
This is how it works:

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas.
5. Tag five people to do the same.