I have had some of the coolest experiences in the last couple of days. Thursday I finally made it up to the Monet to Picasso show at the U of U art museum. I saw a lot of great paintings but I was especially impressed by the work of Van Gogh. At the time he was using such unique colors and combining them in such a refreshing way. I have been to many art museums and have been impacted by his work each time I have seen it.
Then I had the oppurtunity to attend the Body Worlds exhibit. I experienced a wide range of thoughts and feelings as I walked through the exhibit. I found it equally interesting to watch other people as they looked at the bodies and the reaction that it caused in them. There were many thought provoking quotes displayed throughout the show. As I left I felt a respect for "the soul" and recognized how different any body is without one. It made me think about why I paint and a quote by Modigliani which says "What I am seeking is not the real and not the unreal but rather the unconscious, the mystery of the instinctive in the human race."
Last but not least I had a chance to attend the Present Tense After Party where I had a chance to see Afterimage: The Art of 337. In short, Adam and Dessi Price after attending something similar on Spring Street in New York decided to bring together what ended up being over 80 artists to create all kinds of art in a building that would be torn down. The movie was a documentary about this process. I am sad to say that I missed the chance to go inside by one day, but remember what I felt just seeing the outside of the building. I was so touched by the movie and the realization that Salt Lake truly has a diverse collection of artists. It was amazing to watch the process of what started as an idea evolve into the 337 Project and the impact it had not only on the artists involved but the entire community.
After experiencing such a variety of expression it inspires me to continue to create my own art. The last few days have been the perfect example of how there are no rules. There is no one way to create and all that I saw gave me respect for the unique gifts that each of us contribute.