Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Free Food

It's double class day again: exercise class followed by ekphrasis class. So we might consider it a nonfat Fat Tuesday of abundance in the blog. Yes, we will! Represented by the Free Stock food image of cabbages, everybody's favorite fat-free food. (Hold the slaw dressing.) I can't show you the Edward Hopper paintings I'll refer to in class today, because he's not in the public domain, and I don't have permission.

But we'll have plenty of art to look at in the McLean County Arts Center, and I got to go the opening for the 3 shows now up this past Friday. Colorful imaginary landscapes by John Cassidy in the small gallery, and photographs in the large gallery by Jin Lee (Great Waters series) and Rhondal McKinney (Illinois Landscapes). Got to hear a double art talk by the last two, so more abundance.

I find a particular pleasure in the pairing of Lee and McKinney as all the photographs are bisected horizontally by the horizon, making me stand there and contemplate it in peace, as I do in life.

And another particular delight in looking at wild color and motion muted by soft pastel in the work of Cassidy. It all makes me meditate on the interplay of motive, technique, and effect in visual art as compared to literary art!

Not to mention the particular irony of an "art talk" by people who would prefer not to talk about their art and/or who wish, as Jin Lee put it, "to circumvent language." So now, I will simply contemplate cabbages. And nonfat, high-iron dried apricots.

7 comments:

Sandy Longhorn said...

That last bit is so interesting. Makes me think of how I resist having to "explain" a poem because the poem should do its own explaining. :)

Hold the cabbage, please!

Kathleen said...

Exactly, Sandy! I was musing on that all through Stretch & Tone!

Kristin Berkey-Abbott said...

I, on the other hand, need something much more basic: a good recipe that uses cabbage. By good, I mean the result is something tasty, not just something that I'm eating because it's so good for me. I don't have any recipes like that for the cabbages that a friend is always bringing to me (yes, I know, in the realm of problems, it's not much of one!)

Hey, my word validation is thors--but it's Tuesday!

Kathleen said...

This works with fresh spinach, so it might work with cabbage leaves. In wok or frying pan get some olive oil heating. Fry--yes, fry!--the leaves (or torn-up leaves) in oil; then drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt, or salt & pepper as they dry. Spinach or cabbage chips! Decadent and semi-healthy. Probably defeating the whole purpose. But fun!

Cathy said...

Ekphrasis sounds fascinating.

Collagemama said...

Ah, dried apricots with hot coffee. My favorite snack as an anemic art student who still doesn't like to talk about her art.

Kathleen said...

Poets or painters, or collagists, I think we all hope the work speaks for itself!

On the other hand, ekphrasis = out + speak. And I agree, Cathy, that it's fascinating to do so. Speak out about a painting, or, through the imagination, from it, etc.