mona lisa, solarized

we went to the louvre today.

it’s always been a dream of mine to go there and see all the fantastic art works.

they’re all there. art works. fantastic. all.

it’s really huge. they say it’s huge, but they’re not kidding. like five city blocks huge. like spend ten hours walking around and not even cover a third of it huge. because i spent ten hours walking around and didn’t even cover a third of it.

so many incredible things that you’ve seen pictures of, read about in books, and discussed in class, and they’re here. just sitting there. for you to see.

so close you could reach out and touch them. but you don’t. because you would get tossed in jail. but you could.

the venus de milo. works by rembrandt. works by van dyck. classical sculptures by michelangelo!

they’ve got the code of hammurabi. are you kidding? the honest to god code of hammurabi. we’re talking about one of the first ever written laws of jurisprudence. on a huge black obelisk. from 1750BC. right there. you could touch it. you could lick it.

mmmmm history.

so many works by reubens! i had no idea i liked reubens so much. the shining figures, illuminated from within, with beautiful creamy milky skin. and the bold bright brush strokes. wonderful.

everything in the louvre is a dream come true.

except for seeing the mona lisa.

not that anything’s wrong with the mona lisa. the mona lisa is incredible. it’s just sublime.

you see it in pictures, you read about it, and you say, “ok, i understand what they’re saying”, but to some extent, you look at the picture and think, “what’s the big deal?”

but when you see it, you understand. it’s not just the crazy fantastical landscape behind or the light effects he used to make it work. but it’s that little smile, that somehow, in person, really does flicker at you. it’s so subtle. but beautiful. and wonderful.

why is that sad?

it’s sad because every single tourist makes a beeline for the mona lisa. and when they get there, all they do is take pictures of it. with flashes. even though it clearly says, no flash photography anywhere. and no pictures of the mona lisa. EVER.

but what do they do? they take pictures of it. and then they take pictures of themselves in front of it. and then they take pictures of their friends in front of it. and then they go away to the next thing on their hit list.

no one’s looking at the mona lisa.

it’s right there! look at it! enjoy it! appreciate it! it’s something to be savored, not just checked off on your “to do in paris” list. take pictures of yourself in front of the eiffel tower. or the seine. or i.m. pei’s pyramid.

but for god’s sake, LOOK AT THE MONA LISA.

there was even someone at the front, videotaping the mona lisa. zooming in and out while using the different video filters. the mona lisa in sepia tone. the mona lisa solarized.

are you fucking kidding me?

the mona lisa. solarized.

if this is the result of art for the public, i’d almost rather have it stolen and sold to some private collector, like someone did recently to one of munsch’s the scream. sell it to someone who will hide it in a little room away from everyone, but who will go there every day, and look at it, and love it.

and not look at it through a videocamera, solarized.

Posted at March 4, 2005 4:33 PM