Sunday, October 16, 2005


Artsy Fartsy (Part Two)

Yesterday while the 14 year old spawn was at a marching band competition, Angry Joyce and I took the 9 year old male spawn to a museum down the road aways. One of the exhibits was a traveling gallery from the Smithsonian. This exhibit was ' Driving Force' , which featured the grand prize winner and 14 finalists from a competition featuring young artists between the ages of 18 to 24 with disabilities. The winning entry was a breathtaking portrait of a man in a wheelchair painted by Sunny Taylor. Due to a birth defect she was forced to learn to paint holding the paint brush in her mouth and her feet and rig devices to paint her large canvases. The picture in the link does not give justice to the portrait in it's 6' x 5' dimensions. It definantly was awe inspiring to all that were viewing it on this day.

I am certainly not an art critic but all the artwork seemed aptly judged. The artists delved into their feelings of their disabilities but their work was not defined by their disabilities. Chris Hodge, the artist who created the work to the left in lipstick, perfectly summed up my feelings on art. He stated,"The average guy thinks he knows what art is. The fairly wise man realizes he doesn't. The very wise man isn't even sure if he's actually here, so an art definition might just have to wait." I can relate to Chris Hodge for not only does his view of art and mine coincide but also for the fact that he has Aspberger's syndrome. The 9 year old spawn of Angry Joyce and I was diagnosed with Aspberger's syndrome when he was five. For more info on the artists and the competition and the program sponsoring this event, you can go to www.vsarts.org .

When driving home, I realized that art is all around us. When stopping at a convenience store to gas up, get drinks, and use the restroom, I noticed a spectacular piece of running prose while washing my hands. Written on the condom machine by a true poet were the words 'Fuck Bag', beside it another astute thinker had wrote ' Before writing on this or any other machine, think of what Jesus would think', and to finish the thoughts another wrote beside this 'Vandals for Christ'. Yes art is all around us.

15 comments:

Dear Jane... said...

fuxx, i am certain you probably assumed I was a sex ed teacher, but I actually work in the EC dept. teaching a program to help integrate left/right brain function in Exceptional kids - like autistic, asbergers, sensory dysfunction and emotionally disturbed or other learning disabled. They are wonderful kids, but many people don't see that. But more importantly, why were you buying condoms in the bathroom of a gas station? Good God, couldn't you wait until you got home? And with kids in the car. you really are a pervert.

:P fuzzbox said...

Dear Jane, I was only washing my hands honest. Angry Joyce was fixed and there were no cockrings in the machine. It is nice to know that someone of your intelligence teaches exceptional kids but somewhat disconcerting what you could teach them.

Dear Jane... said...

Fuxx, I heard you have to buy C-rings at a slumber party. I save all my sex teachings for the over 18 crowd. I am no Michael Jackson. REgardless of what you were doing in the bathroom, you are still a pervert.

GrapeApe said...

I see a lot of art here in London too Fuzzie. While traveling in the tubes I came across this huge billboard with all these g-strings laid out on it. It was an ad for Chocolate. LOL I'll have to dig that pic up...

Guess I also need to research this Aspberger's - I haven't heard of that... that winner pic was really cool though it amazes me to see stuff like that...

GrapeApe said...

You know I think I shall call you to fuxxie - yeaaaah that is MUCH better heehee

GrapeApe said...

uhh scratch that 'to' where'd that come from? ;-)

:P fuzzbox said...

Dear Jane: Coming from the Mistress of Sexual Manipulation, I will wear my label of pervert with pride. Thank you. Actually my header says it all.

Pita: Fuxx started as a typo from Phred or so he says.

Dear Jane... said...

i wasn't trying to insult you, wear it loud, wear it proud.

:P fuzzbox said...

No Insult taken. As far as wearing it loud, Angry Joyce threw out all my Hawaiin Shirts a few years back so I have to wear it less loud these days.

Big D said...

Dude, Hawiian T-shirts are badass!

:P fuzzbox said...

Damn, I know what is it with people and their anti-Hawaiin shirt biases. The world should be a colorful place.

Phred said...

Hawaiian shirts ARE cool, I have several.
No, I`m not a parrot head, I just like all the cool colors and designs.

Danielle said...

WOW! Now this is just the beginning of your knowledge.. Bathroom graffiti can be art, and it is always funny. That reminds me, I need to keep a Sharpie in my pocket at all times, just in case.

The painting of the wheelchair is awesome. I don't think I could even do that with oils like Sunny did... and I don't have any disablilities (physcially anyway).

Danielle said...

HAHA! Damn, dear jane sounded insulting to me... maybe she can't comprehend what she reads...

:P fuzzbox said...

Danielle: I think it was just anti-pervert week and I was on the hit list. But it was good natured or that's how I took it anyway. Huh Dear Jane?