Monday, January 26, 2009

Andrew Wyeth's Helga





For your enjoyment...we were talking about the Helga series...

12 comments:

Nathan Arizona said...

Yep! Those are the good ones! Thanks! I don't know what the story was with those but there was some rumor about an affair with Helga maybe?? I think? I have no idea who has them now-You don't hear much about them lately.

Billy said...

Something to consider.....

From Slate.com:

...This may seem an odd moment to bring up the subject of Billy Joel. But the recent death of the painter Andrew Wyeth revived a long-standing debate over whether his art is respectable or merely sentimental schlock. (Say it: good or bad?) It got me to thinking about the question of value in art and whether there are any absolute standards for judging it. It indicates the question is still alive, not relegated to irrelevance by relativism.

And then I picked up The Art Instinct, a new book by Denis Dutton, the curator of the Arts & Letters Daily Web site. The book strives valiantly to find a basis for judging the value of art from the perspective of evolutionary psychology; in it, Dutton argues that a certain kind of artistic talent offered a competitive advantage in the Darwinian struggle for survival.

Which brings me to Billy Joel—the Andrew Wyeth of contemporary pop music—and the continuing irritation I feel whenever I hear his tunes...

Read the article: http://www.slate.com/id/2209526/

Nathan Arizona said...

Word!

Regina said...

Ouch on the rhetoric from Bill, but Carolyn, it made me think of my devoted friend Helga who passed from this earth in 2008. You were one of the folks who got to grasp her life, survival of the Holocaust and her obvious zest for life.
PS. I am just a librarian and all but I embrace Andrew Wyeth AND Billy Joel. That is what I love about America! We have an opinion and we can voice it and as Wayne has heard... we can agree to peacefully disagree! Life is GREAT!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Nathan Arizona said...

That was not Billy's perspective-just an article he was making us aware of! Play us a song your the RICE man!! ;) Great article Bill. Weird perspective-huh? Regina, i imediately thought of your good friend and the fun stories you shared with us about her. She sounded like quite a fun person! She was lucky to have a good friend like you to help look after her! look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Billy said...

Thanks Nathan...that was my intent. I just thought it was interesting that the Wyeth thread was on the blog and then someone else had a different take on his work. I guess one could say the same about Norman Rockwell? As Reginia indicated, if it is art people will disagree (happily)...otherwise it is just advertising.

Regina said...

Amen, Bill

I usually receive mass emails and automatically delete them, but I know YOU all will identify with this one.....
Sorry your twenty somethings, but it is something to look forward to.
On a side note about life:

Some of the artists of the 60's and 70's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers; they include:

Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash

Herman's Hermits ---
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker

Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With a Little Help From My Depends


The Bee Gees -- -
How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?

Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face

Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom

Marvin Gaye ---
Heard It Through the Grape Nuts
Procol Harem---
A Whiter Shade of Hair

Leo Sayer ---
You Make Me Feel Like Napping

The Temptations ---
Papa's Got a Kidney Stone

Abba---
Denture Queen

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore

Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To!
and then to end with the classic
Willie Nelson ---

On the Commode Again!

Carolyn said...

When I first became interested in art, due to my super-talented and educated brother, there was an intrigue, yet I was very intimidated. I have grown to enjoy things in their simplicity. Day-to-day life is complicated enough. To me, art is something I feel. I don't like to immediately think about composition and formal stuff. I like to think, "How does this make me feel? Am I drawn to it? Does it repulse me?"

In a VCU sculpture class, back in the early 70's. A bunch of us sat on an old warehouse floor on Marshall St. and discussed "what is art." We finally formed a conclusion that "art" is what is socially accepted. It may be junk, but if it is "socially accepted", it becomes "real art". Actually, I hate that conclusion. I see art everywhere.

Carolyn said...

About Helga, Nathan. She was the housekeeper or maid to Wyeth's nextdoor neighbor. The strange thing is...he painted her for something like 15 years. Without his wife or anyone knowing it.

I would be pissed, Jim!

Rick H said...

I loved the discussion here about this, I have always realized that what "I like" be it art or otherwise is just "What I like." Plus the simple idea of just being able to discuss and disagree without hate and violence becoming a part of it is where the world needs to be.
Caorolyn don't concern yourself I know that Jim gave up painting neighbors years ago ;-)

Simply Yours,

Rick

Rick H said...

Ohh Regina I forgot to say that I loved your list too!

Rick

Carolyn said...

Jim is welcome to paint our newest neighbor...Mr. Moody is an 84 year old, retired Southern Baptist Minister.