I guided my first group through the Ron Longstaffe collection today. It was so successful! Surprisingly, the children were not that interested in the Pop Art rooms. They much prefered the Abstract Expressionism, especially the hard-edge abstractionists. "You have to know what you are looking at for the Pop Art, you have to recognise this person or that event, but with the abstract work, you can think whatever you like." I think it may have resonated with them more if the images were from today, Britney Spears, or the Mars Rover. They knew Andy Warhol, but they certainly did not know Janis Joplin. Fair enough.

They did enjoy picking their favorite piece of art and drawing it, that is a nice part of the tour, gives some time to really look and think about what they are looking at. I do need to know more about Out to Metric, the kids are very interested in this whimsical sculpture. I heard someone comment that they would love their floors done like this, so true! One of the girls was quite amazed by the Gathie Falk dress, the sculpture, especially when I told her it was a copy of a dress she used to wear. They were all very keen on looking, so well prepared, definately a real treat!

Bullet in the Brain

Phil/Fingerprint
Chuck Close

Chuck Close has been included in the show, but it is one of his photorealism works with the small squares. I had seen the above work in the VAG a few years ago. Unfortunately you cannot see each print in this reproduction. The actual size is 93 x 69". The effect, when you stand across the room, is a sharp realistic image. As you move in, the lines become softened, blurry, and the delicate quality of this portrait is revealed. Thousands of fingerprints construct this image of Philip Glass. I had originally looked at this work with ideas of the artist's hand, and the reaction to minimalism, but now it takes on a whole other meaning under the context of mandatory fingerprinting. A reminder of humanity, I think.

More on Determined Pursuit. I can't help but think about the work that Ron did not collect. His collection definately tells the story of a particular time and movement in art history, but I wonder about all the other work that wasn't considered collectable at the time. I will have to look into this at the library. And I don't think the Quebec Abstract paintings can be divorced from their political context, and be discussed in formalist terms alone. After reading the Global Refusal, which is littered with poli-speak, how can these pieces not be referenced to what is not there, the representation of everyday life. Which in Quebec, I understand, was about Church, the state and being french. This is a reductionist view, I know, but I think the question, What don't you see? is as valid as What do you see? when presenting this work to the tour group.

Popular Culture and Pop Art
Lawrence Alloway

This article was written in 1969, and as the author states "before Op Art came along and wiped it out". Alloway moves to define Pop Art from popular culture, but that the two informed each other, both in subject matter and in production. Popular culture, and the media that relays it, is both entertainment and public service, and has elevated to a higher level as the quality of the media has improved. He contradicts McLuhan, saying that the new forms of media have a "cummulative and expansive" effect, "the number of possibilities and combinations increases with each new channel". No dead media here. Of course, this is written at a time when it is not concievable the level of mass production and mass disposal of the 21st century.