Admiring Art: spanning 19th-21st centuries

21st century:
I must admit I am on the Avatar movie wagon, although I resisted it so much. I'm not generally an over-marketed-blockbuster kinda gal and what with the sky-high price of the IMAX 3D tickets, which were a challenge to get, I would've happily skipped this flick, chalking it up to another over-rated Hollywood phenomenon. Well, I'm glad Rich talked me into it. Glad, and then some! Amazing 3D film technology that's making the virtual world more and more real, stunningly beautiful world crafted by the designers and story-writers, some heart-breaking and other spirit-soaring moments with a healthy dose of honoring the sacredness of nature, all life intrinsically connected as One... I was so affected by it for the next few days, my mind wandering back to the world of Pandora and its blue Na'vi people. Although I could always do without the US-Army knucklehead characters and their big guns, there is a bit of depth to their characters and hopefully not too many will walk away from the film wishing to be cool like the people who blow up stuff first and ask questions later.

My $0.02: Go see it! And DEFINITELY make sure it's the full IMAX 3D experience.

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19th century:
Taipei Museum of History is hosting an exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and sketches. To reflect his intense emotional character, it is called "The Flaming Soul." I love his late style (eg. Starry Night) but didn't know much about the artist except his tragic descent into absinthe-fueled madness, prompting him to cut off his own ear.

It was great to find out that his passion lay in showing what he felt was the truth of life: peasants working the land, the beautiful shades and shapes of rural nature, the feeling of a scene far outweighing perfectly realistic reproduction on canvas. Finally, the amount of details of light and shadow with which he filled his drawings, commands utter respect for this largely self-trained artist who could barely afford even sketch paper for most of his life.

Here are a few of my favorite works on display, along with van Gogh's own quotes interspersed throughout the exhibit. Note: the digital pics most definitely do not do him justice.

I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.