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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Summertime ...


by Jackson Pollock (Jack the Dripper; alcoholic and depressive, who died in an 'alcohol-related' car crash, aged 44), 1948, which sits in the London Tate Gallery. This was my first lesson in A103, as it was the first TV programme on the first DVD (I probably should've started reading books first!). I've learnt that grey paint was dripped onto a canvas, which was then dripped more heavily onto by black paint - that bits were 'coloured in' with blue, purple, red - and that, finally some little splashes of greens and browns (to liken it to a landscape ...) were added. But, sorry, it's still complete garbage to me!

What have I done? Will I ever be able to understand art?

My materials arrived this morning. Several books, including a lovely thick book of paintings etc (including 'Summertime'), 18 CD-ROMs, 2 DVDs and the usual other bits and pieces, including the TMA booklet (there are 9 assignments - eek!) Also, arrived this morning, were the set reading books: "Wide Sargasso Sea", Jean Rhys, "Medea and Other Plays", Euripides - and "Pygmalion", Bernard Shaw. All are mercifully short - although I'm rather looking forward to reading about the mad woman in Mr Rochester's attic.

This is Pollock's painting of Moby Dick.

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