Despite her fluctuating loyalties, I find my kitty is still a fascinating creature to observe. But then again, I find most things amusing and/or entertaining. We were looking at each other, me sitting at my computer desk, and she sitting on top of the ironing board, when a car drove by outside. Her right ear twitched to follow it, even while she was still staring at me. Impressive multitasking, I say.

After watching her for some time, I have come to the conclusion that she would be even more of a hellion if she possessed opposable thumbs.

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So.

The Getty was as awesome as usual. Whenever I visit, I always move in a counterclockwise direction, beginning with the North Pavilion, then the East Pavilion, and so on. In this manner, I typically view the permanent collection first and slowly make my way toward the new exhibits.

Whenever I visit the Getty, I always have a renewed appreciation for sculpture, particularly Greek and Roman. I enjoy imagining that the figure was simply waiting for the artist to break through the raw material of its prison. While I prefer marble, there was one study in terracotta that I found very beautiful. I can’t recall what it was called, but it was a female bust.

Today I saw Manet’s Bar at the Folies-Bergère.

Other new exhibitions include:
– Edward Weston: Enduring Vision
– Recent History: Photographs by Luc Delahaye
– Oudry’s Painted Menagerie

The two exhibits I admired most were Oudry’s Painted Menagerie and the photographs by Weston.

I enjoyed the way Weston portrayed nudes; he photographed the female body in such a way that the viewer appreciates it chiefly aesthetically, rather than sensually. The poses and postures, the lighting, and the decision to highlight particular body parts all played a part in the depiction. His choice of camera forced him to focus on particular body parts, thus isolating arms and legs, or torsos, from the rest of the body. I also found his nude portraits fascinating because many of his subjects also became his lovers.

The Menagerie was also rather interesting. Despite the accurate proportions and clear evidence that Oudry had closely studied the physicality of the creatures, the animals were still infused with human personality, which made them, at least for me, eerie to behold. One painting of a male leopard disturbed me quite a bit. His eyes reminded me of my own kitty’s eyes.

(via snip-snap-beep.blogspot.com)