Pictures instead of words...

[annwfyn]

I've now written three different LJs and deleted them all.

In their absence, I offer up instead something that I think is strangely appropriate to my life at the moment in a number of different ways.



If anyone can tell me why this is so very relevent to my current mood, through proper use of fine art criticism, you get a prize.* E mail submissions to surinen@gmail.com are also accepted if you have an Idea Of Greatness which would appear to be a little on the sensitive side.

I promise, the painting almost entirely sums up my headspace today. It just seemed so much more succint that any kind of long and rambling entry.


*OK...not a very good prize. But definitely a prize! I'm sure I can come up with something...

Comments

[anonymous-james.livejournal.com]

It's bizarre because Sunday's calendar entry was about the Munch Museum (from my 1000 places to see before you die page a day calendar).
And only this morning I searched for the artist because I didn't remember what works he had done, as soon as I saw the scream I was like "Oh that Edvard Munch!"

Anyway I've no clue what your mood is. Is it something about being drained?

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

That's a part of it.

I really like Edward/Edvard Munch actually. I never liked 'The Scream' much, but a lot of his other stuff is just gorgeous...

Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

Nevertheless, the image of the two people surrounded by the dynamic, dark brushwork of an impressionist style, leaving the impression either of a safe haven or of a world pressing in on them, is evocative indeed.

Although the work is entitled 'vampire', it is notable that the positions of the two protagonists are more consistent with mutual comfort than with blood drinking. In fact, the only blood in the picture is flowing from the woman, in the form of the long, red hair that covers both.

Is the woman, therefore, intended to be a vampire in the classic sense, or is it merely her strength despite her own adversity, such that the man is sheltered by her more than she shelters him, that makes her a 'vamp' in the eyes of her contemporaries?

Discuss.

Re: Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[riksowden.livejournal.com]

Maybe its because i've not had anything to eat...but i thought she was eating him. Sorry!

Re: Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Me too - it looks like he's clinging to her for support and she's devouring him as he does so.

[anysbryd.livejournal.com]

Art Criticism i am really quite bad at, i would say that you have two people embracing, she is in a supportive pose and he is laid in such a manner as to suggest that he has done so freely and she is protecting him for he is her life, sybolised even more in the name of the painting than the painting for without the name it could simply be two people embracing. despite the darkness around this which adds more of an atmosphere of her lonelyness than anything else and here she has someone who gives her what she needs, but his image is darkned possibly suggesting that by her feeding she is losing him to the darkness around her and soon she will be alone again.

Like i said i not very good at this game, but though i would give it ago.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

It is a good answer, and I do rather like it.

In some ways I think I personally wonder if either of them is the vampire of the title - the darkness around them seems to be that which is devouring both of them, even tho they are clinging to each other.

Munch, apparently, did have many issues with women, so when I first saw it I did wonder if she was the vampire eating the man, but the colouring seems to suggest not - she's bright, although her hair is red - maybe that's the colour of blood. He's pale - but maybe that's through loss of blood. Am not sure. The pose of both of the people isn't one of harm tho - she's wrapped around him in a very protective and nuturing manner and he seems to be trusting in her.

So I go back to looking at the definitely palpable shadow lurking in the background.

Re: Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else agrees that she's looking supportive.

Re: Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

That's probably be explaining my perception wrongly - I don't think she looks supportive. I think she looks like she's consuming him whilst he's in a position of weakness.

Re: Dammit. If only I knew how to do fine art criticism.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

Or it could have been me replying to the wrong comment...

[wraithwitch.livejournal.com]

The menace in the picture doesn't come from either of the people. Exactly who they are (which is a 'vampire' which a 'victim' - or is it 'lover' and 'vamp'?) is ambigious.

The point is they are the light and the focus within the painting while around them presses in this dark and nebulous evil something-or-other. The darkness is vaguely shaped like the shadow of a person, suggesting someone who means them harm. Yet since it is only a shadow they cannot fight it - it has no physical presence, only a psychological one.

But around the shadow is a golden light, suggesting that if they can weather or escape the evil then they will return to something good. Funny isn't it how light, symbolic of all that is pure and good, is the cause of shadows...

They are sheltering each other, draining each other to protect each other as couples often emotionally do.

The woman's hair being bright red suggests blood, life, potency and also sexuality - the 'scarlet woman'. Yet despite all appearances she isn't behaving like a vamp. she has a man's head in her lap but it doesn't look sexual, simply caring.

The man in the picture is harder to guage: proportionally he is larger than the woman, suggesting power. But he is curled down in shadow, his true size and strength hidden, his face cold and shadowed while her's is warm.

*raven's neurons wander off, bored with pokking the painting now*

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

I wanted to give you a prize, but paypal won't let me at the moment! I shall try again later!

[wraithwitch.livejournal.com]

yey!

*neurons do a little we-feel-vaguely-clever dance*

=)

[adze.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Looks like everything I could have said has been - looking at it through a one-inch window makes it tricky to to get any feel for it...

Interestingly, this isn't the only version of this painting around - Wikipedia brings up this link (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6c/Munch_vampire.jpg) which doesn't show the menace in the background, and makes the woman somewhat more sinister.

According to the text of the article, Munch reworked some of his paintings a few years after they were done. My guess is that my link is the original, and yours the re-work...

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

Your neurons are good with pictures.

This is a good thing.

Going to art school, even tho it's to study conservation, is doing a lot for my picture awareness. Being surrounded by so many people who think in those terms kinda pushes one into reading visuals more than words at times.

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

Munch also used to do multiple versions of the same picture - I believe he painted 'the scream' four different times, because he got fixated on getting things right.

It must be said, yours is much less ambiguous, but far far less expressive of the mood I'm in today.

Tho my mood is definitely a Munchian picture, I think. (is 'munchian' even a word?)

Munchian?

[adze.livejournal.com]

It is now. Although it's disturbingly close to Munchkin, and I don't want to think too much about Munchkin pictures...

For what it's worth, I prefer the one you put up.

[astro-dust.livejournal.com]

Yes, when the Munch exhibition was shownin Melbourne i saw about three different versions of 'Vampire'. With only one of them as the long shot and the other two have a much tighter frame which, does indeed make the female figure quite sinister. I like to think of them all as a collective piece, illustrating that depending on your perspective on the situation, different figures become villainised and victimised.

That... and dear Edvard was kinda screwy..

[annwfyn.livejournal.com]

He had 'issues' with women I believe. His mother and older sister died young, and he obssessed about them. I seem to recollect something about a very screwy relationship with a prostitute as well...

[taimatsu]

They both look very... collapsed. Weighed down. They look like I look when I'm really tired.