Thursday, 12.07.07

Mona Lisa obviously had a good agent. Could she have been the Julia Roberts of the Renaissance? We went to the Louvre today. It was epic and amazing and phenomenally crowded and overwhelming but I think the thing that impressed me the most was the way the hordes and hordes of people had an intense need to see the big name “stars” with Mona being the most shining of stars. Amongst the Louvre’s thousands and thousands of works by one incredibly talented artist after the other, why her? Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful and exquisitely enigmatic and her face reads both whimsy and sadness, but why do the flocks flock to her and not some other Lisa? Who marketed her to stardom?

This concept of “famous artist” has always confused me. What is it that the masses respond to when it comes to art? Can it maybe be a matter of bravado or confidence? My art friend Laura and I talk about this often, and I must say I’m even more confused after visiting Paris where art oozes from every nook and cranny. Why are some pieces in the museums and others created out on the streets? Who’s to say what merits a museum pass and a protective glass covering?

My philosophy is to create for the process of creating, not for the end product. I’ve always felt like the judgment around art takes the joy out of it. And I’m just as happy to watch the street artists as I am to stand in line to visit Mona Lisa. Give me my sketchbook, but I don’t think I’m going to let you look…