The Art Institute, July 5th 2009
The Modern Wing
1) A man wears a t-shirt, "Paddle faster, I hear banjo music!" To his wife, "How much would you pay for that, hun?" He laughs contentedly, and they walk out. I am the only one left in the gallery.
2) A man works very hard to look distinguished, sweater on shoulders and graying beard. To younger but not young married man with excessively defined chin dimple: "Pop art means nothing until they tells us what it means." The younger but not young man tries on what he supposes to be an intelligent facial expression, catches my eye. Drop the expression. He is silent.
3) Long, curly hair flows from a young man's head. His words make him seems younger than he is. His father admits to not understanding the Pollock before them. The son is not old enough to make such an admission. He states knowingly, "These are really hard to preserve because he used house paint." His father nods; they take a few steps east. The plaque directly beside the work reads:
Jackson Pollock
Greyed Rainbow, 1953
Oil on canvas
4) The young man moves to the southern end of the gallery, and looks at an early Pollock, c 1940. Turning back toward Greyed Rainbow, "Is that the only Pollock?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "Yea."
