Aha! Moment

By the time I reached Amsterdam in the summer of 1990, I had already traveled through France, Italy, Austria, Spain and Germany, mostly looking at art along the way. I had been studying art history and had experienced plenty of emotionally charged interactions with some of the most incredible art in the world. You know, those moments when you really feel like you understand the art that's in front of you. You feel engaged, moved, enlightened........not necessarily in some heavy handed, academic way. You just get it.

One of my favorite, Aha! Moments came when I walked into the room housing "Nightwatch" (http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_assets/SK-C-5?lang=en) by Rembrandt. I had just finished some of Amsterdam's finest when I walked into the Rijksmuseum on a hot August day. I had studied the painting in a couple of different classes and could not wait to see it in person. I was awestruck. I sat down on a bench in front of the painting and put Black Sabbath "Paranoid" on my Walkman. I think I sat there for the entire album. It is hard not be struck in some way by Nightwatch, mostly because of it's size at 11' x 14'. It fills an entire room. But there is so much more.

Here's a quick art history lesson. ""Nighwatch" or correctly called "The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch" was commissioned by Captain Cocq in 1642 to depict his band of Arquebusiers. Basically, they were civic guards that had evolved into a social club by the time Rembrandt painted them. Lots has been written about the painting, it's meaning and hidden meanings. I won't get into all that. At that moment, I just appreciated the painting for what it was, an incredible piece of art. Rembrandt was truly a master. His use of light makes the figures jump out at you. I sat there and made up stories for each of the militiamen and some crazy explanations for the little girl.

Believe me when I say that Black Sabbath was an excellent soundtrack to Nightwatch. For at least a half an hour, I escaped into that painting. I enjoyed it on my own terms, not because it was famous, not because of the history, not because any of my professors told me I should. It was just cool to sit there with my headphones on and be absorbed by this incredible work of art.

I guess that's the point in my first ever attempt at a blog, it's OK to like art on your own terms. You don't have to be academic or all knowing about art or art history just to appreciate it. You drive a car, but you're not an Engineer. If you see a piece of art that moves you in some way, if it sparks a memory, or stirs an emotion or you just think it looks cool, that's OK. The most important meaning in any work of art is the meaning you take away from it. So don't be afraid to walk in to that museum or gallery next time. You might find your next Aha! Moment.

My experience with Nightwatch was just one of the "artistic" Aha! Moments in my life. I hope they never stop. I'd love to hear about some of yours.

Chris

A note from Uncle Mike

Our first guest blog, comes from a dear friend who jokingly said "I want to be your first guest blogger". I don't think he realized I would hold him to is word. The following is from Mike Radzin, or as my kids call him "Uncle Mike". Thanks Mike.



I’d like to start this posting with a disclaimer – I am, by no means, what you’d call an art devotee. Here’s a quick true story to illustrate this (you can ask my mom about this one if you feel the need to verify it) – as a kid I was dragged kicking and screaming INTO the Art Institute of Chicago on a class field trip. If you happened to be there when Mrs. Keil’s fourth grade class from South Park Elementary School was there, I was the kid sitting on the bench sulking about being forced to “waste time” in one of the world’s truly great art museums. I think I still owe Mrs. Keil an apology for that by the way.

That’s not to say that I don’t have an appreciation for art at this point in my life, but I’ve generally always equated the cost of a nice piece to something else I felt I wanted a bit more. On multiple occasions, I’ve been standing in front of a piece and said to myself “Why would I spend the money on this when I could have a new plasma TV or make an extra mortgage payment?” I consider myself to be practical and I guess I just prioritize things a little differently than a traditional “art aficionado.”

So I when I read Jennifer’s announcement that the Gallery would have its own blog and there would be a guest spot, I jokingly wrote back that I would like to write something. Wouldn’t you know it, she took me up on it and so here we are. Being a close friend of Chris and Jennifer is one of the truly great things in my life and their decision to open the gallery has exposed me to all the really positive things that art can bring once you open yourself up to it. They’ve put together a place that welcomes people like me and doesn’t ridicule me for not owning a collection. I’ve been to more art shows and seen more styles of different works of art in the last couple of years than I ever thought I would in my entire life. While I liked a lot of what I saw, there was a lot I just didn’t get. I’ve learned that’s the whole point of the gallery – offer up a number of interesting options and let me decide for myself.

I’ve recently took the plunge and made my first purchase of original art (at PS: Gallery of course) and I’m really happy about it. I went with a photograph that caught my eye during a recent show. I surprise myself at how often I find myself looking at it. Its no plasma TV, but I love it nonetheless.


This makes me very proud, and lets me know I am doing something right.

Jennifer

Twitter, twitter, tweet, tweet, blog.

The time has come my friends, for a blog. We had a PS:Gallery staff meeting this afternoon. After months of batting around the idea, we wholeheartedly embraced a PS:Gallery blog. We enjoy so much being able to talk to people that come into the gallery, that we thought we could widen our circle with a blog. Chris Stevens, Jennifer Perlow and Joel Sager will blog once every four weeks. The fourth spot is a guest spot for artists, interns, employees, etc. We look forward to your feedback. Please check in every week to see what artists we have found, what theories we are questioning, what article we found interesting....or what random musings we have decided to share with you. We are fully embracing technology and this is the final step. Please friend us on facebook and follow us on twitter as well. You can also come visit us on the web at www.perlow-stevensgallery.com, call us on the phone at (573) 442-4831, or come visit us in person at 812 E. Broadway, Columbia Missouri.