Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Non-Electric Beauty --- Day 9/11

Walk: No, busy editing
Distance: 0, Wall Ball, Yoga

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Highlights from the promised gift of Barrie and Deedee Wigmore

As Ciwt shelters in place, one thing (of many) she feels thankful for is that she is not doing it in the later 1800's during the American Arts and Crafts movement.  The handcraftsmanship of the art, furniture, wallpaper, paintings, jewelry and other artistic handicraft of that movement is often breathtakingly exquisite in its attention to and adoration of the details of nature. But the pieces are usually large, stark in their darkness, a bit cloying in all those details.  Even in the enormous Robber Baron homes many adorned, they could be stiffling and overwhelming.  The nail for Ciwt is that America had not begun to be electrified until the early 20th century so she would be sheltering in the dark, tiny in comparison to her furniture and without Comcast, Netflix, Amazon.  Oh dear. Aesthetic Beauty is one thing, but, realistically, give Ciwt machine-age modernity.



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