Often I don’t write because it seems hopeless.
This morning, I was staring at Pinterest as usual. I imagined getting to talk to an art history professor and an anthropologist at the same time. I would start by asking, “Why are there so many flowers in European art?”
Either they would say, “So what? It’s nothing.” Or they might say, “That’s interesting, tell me more about one specific culture and their beliefs about fertility.” Of course, I would be stuck there because I’m not as precise in my thinking as they are. I’m vague, I’m looking at an overview, everything mixed together. My so-called research is very casual -ok, not perfect.
I’m having a hard time trying to describe what I’m seeing. It seems to me, when you look for fertility motifs in any European art, it all starts to make sense. One part connects to another, everything seems to fit together. Parts that were unexplained begin to make sense. I should give an example here but can’t think of a good one - has anyone written about pagan symbols in the paintings of Watteau? (I’m thinking of 1. Girl on a Swing and 2. Giles)
How about a not-example: I can’t think of a way to link Celtic art (pictures of animals knotted together) to the flowery fertility motif art. I had a sense that there were strange ideas about animals that would link the idea of the zoo to medieval bestiary books. That’s the edge, or the next thing to think about. I wonder if knotwork and vines are both meant to show flowing good fortune?
I’m going to try to write more often, even if I don’t have something big to write about. Later I can go back and put an asterisk on the useful pages.
...
This morning, I was staring at Pinterest as usual. I imagined getting to talk to an art history professor and an anthropologist at the same time. I would start by asking, “Why are there so many flowers in European art?”
Either they would say, “So what? It’s nothing.” Or they might say, “That’s interesting, tell me more about one specific culture and their beliefs about fertility.” Of course, I would be stuck there because I’m not as precise in my thinking as they are. I’m vague, I’m looking at an overview, everything mixed together. My so-called research is very casual -ok, not perfect.
I’m having a hard time trying to describe what I’m seeing. It seems to me, when you look for fertility motifs in any European art, it all starts to make sense. One part connects to another, everything seems to fit together. Parts that were unexplained begin to make sense. I should give an example here but can’t think of a good one - has anyone written about pagan symbols in the paintings of Watteau? (I’m thinking of 1. Girl on a Swing and 2. Giles)
How about a not-example: I can’t think of a way to link Celtic art (pictures of animals knotted together) to the flowery fertility motif art. I had a sense that there were strange ideas about animals that would link the idea of the zoo to medieval bestiary books. That’s the edge, or the next thing to think about. I wonder if knotwork and vines are both meant to show flowing good fortune?
I’m going to try to write more often, even if I don’t have something big to write about. Later I can go back and put an asterisk on the useful pages.
...
