What's a piece of art that has an interesting story waiting to be written?
September 20, 2010 3:10 PM Subscribe
What's a piece of art that has an interesting story waiting to be written?
For a university class I'm taking I was asked to select a piece of artwork and create a narrative story associated with it in some way, and be creative.
I was hoping to see what the Mefites had in mind, so here I ask:
What is your favorite piece of art (or photography) that you think is interesting, captivating and creative. The piece I'm leaning towards so far is Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.
I expect great responses!
For a university class I'm taking I was asked to select a piece of artwork and create a narrative story associated with it in some way, and be creative.
I was hoping to see what the Mefites had in mind, so here I ask:
What is your favorite piece of art (or photography) that you think is interesting, captivating and creative. The piece I'm leaning towards so far is Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.
I expect great responses!
Maybe a photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson, like the famous man jumping over a puddle (actual title: "Behind the Gare St. Lazare"). You can probably find a better reproduction than that...
posted by John Cohen at 3:22 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by John Cohen at 3:22 PM on September 20, 2010
You want to be creative? How about something abstract like Painting (one of my favorite of Miró's pieces).
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think Andy Goldsworthy's stuff would be really interesting to do that to - and very different from what your classmates are likely to choose. I could see Neil Gaiman writing something that riffed on one of those images.
Christo's Running Fence would also be kinda fun to work with.
posted by richyoung at 3:55 PM on September 20, 2010
Christo's Running Fence would also be kinda fun to work with.
posted by richyoung at 3:55 PM on September 20, 2010
I'm not sure how much leeway you have in the assignment or how much you'd be rewarded or punished for being a little daring, but... Does the assignment specify that it must be a visual piece of art?
If there's some possibility for choosing a non-visual piece of art, this what jumped to mind when I saw your question. I think every time I hear it that I would love to hear the story behind "Louise's Song" (Lyrics in the video description). As it is it's more of an image of a moment than a song -- it never tells you the story, but there's just enough to know there's a story there. Whenever I hear it I wonder about the story: What was he squaring away? What (until today) kept him from staying? What did the note say? Why is she so sad? Why are they kept apart?
So basically, I'm dying to hear this story and if you write it, please let me read it.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:56 PM on September 20, 2010
If there's some possibility for choosing a non-visual piece of art, this what jumped to mind when I saw your question. I think every time I hear it that I would love to hear the story behind "Louise's Song" (Lyrics in the video description). As it is it's more of an image of a moment than a song -- it never tells you the story, but there's just enough to know there's a story there. Whenever I hear it I wonder about the story: What was he squaring away? What (until today) kept him from staying? What did the note say? Why is she so sad? Why are they kept apart?
So basically, I'm dying to hear this story and if you write it, please let me read it.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:56 PM on September 20, 2010
Many of the plates from A Week of Kindness by Max Ernst.
posted by infinitewindow at 3:56 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by infinitewindow at 3:56 PM on September 20, 2010
Gregory Crewdson's photos might work. They practically demand an explanation/narrative.
posted by Ortho at 3:57 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Ortho at 3:57 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
At the risk of imploding MetaFilter, maybe Jeff Koons?
In probably my favorite art related moment of all time someone asked, during the Q&A after a talk by Koons at the Nasher in Dallas, what the deal was with the ceramic of the nude woman holding a stuffed Pink Panther. He acted surprised and said, "She's going home to masturbate with it. What else?"
posted by cmoj at 4:08 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
In probably my favorite art related moment of all time someone asked, during the Q&A after a talk by Koons at the Nasher in Dallas, what the deal was with the ceramic of the nude woman holding a stuffed Pink Panther. He acted surprised and said, "She's going home to masturbate with it. What else?"
posted by cmoj at 4:08 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
my mind starts writing myths every time I see a picture of this
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:23 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:23 PM on September 20, 2010
Want to let your inner Raymond Carver out? Then you need anything by Arthur Fellig, aka: Weegee.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 4:29 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by 1f2frfbf at 4:29 PM on September 20, 2010
This seems like chatfilter to me. In a creative assignment you should typically follow your inspiration, and in fact you've pointed out that you're already leaning toward a particular subject. Polling all of us about what we would do if given this assignment is pretty chatty.
posted by hermitosis at 4:52 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by hermitosis at 4:52 PM on September 20, 2010
Possibly so, hermitosis, but with no more image tag, any chance to post favorite images is all we have left.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:59 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:59 PM on September 20, 2010
When I was in school, I had to write a couple of poems based on paintings. I chose Hopper both times (Nighthawks the first time). You can read a lot into his work for this kind of creative assignment.
posted by spinto at 6:19 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by spinto at 6:19 PM on September 20, 2010
Degas' The Absinthe Drinker looks like it has any number of stories to tell.
posted by timetoevolve at 7:21 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by timetoevolve at 7:21 PM on September 20, 2010
When I was in school, I had to write a couple of poems based on paintings.
I actually was given the assignment to be a painting for one of my acting classes. We were charged with finding a painting that just felt instinctively like it was a picture "of us", and then come to class and "be" that painting. I forget what I did for class, because it wasn't until a year later that I found the right painting. (It's in the Met. Every time I go, I visit it.)
So this may be an ongoing assignment you may want to keep for yourself just for practice and fun.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:23 PM on September 20, 2010
I actually was given the assignment to be a painting for one of my acting classes. We were charged with finding a painting that just felt instinctively like it was a picture "of us", and then come to class and "be" that painting. I forget what I did for class, because it wasn't until a year later that I found the right painting. (It's in the Met. Every time I go, I visit it.)
So this may be an ongoing assignment you may want to keep for yourself just for practice and fun.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:23 PM on September 20, 2010
Nearly every Garry Winogrand photograph is at least a short story, if not a novel.
posted by TishSnave at 7:25 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by TishSnave at 7:25 PM on September 20, 2010
I'd say The Children, Victims of Adult Vices definitely needs a story about it.
Also, just my personal preference as a former writing teacher, don't do the Nighthawks. Everyone does the Nighthawks.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:34 PM on September 20, 2010
Also, just my personal preference as a former writing teacher, don't do the Nighthawks. Everyone does the Nighthawks.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:34 PM on September 20, 2010
The Tempest by Giorgione (another version). I'd absolutely love to know what the fuck is going on there.
posted by clorox at 10:03 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by clorox at 10:03 PM on September 20, 2010
Mark Lombardi, George W. Bush, Harken Energy, and Jackson Stevens.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:46 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:46 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Seconding Christina's World. When I worked in a gallery, people would comment on how peaceful it looked, with the girl looking fondly at the farmhouse in the distance while relaxing in the field.
I always saw it as someone who had twisted her ankle was was judging the distance she was going to have to crawl.
Wyeth was great that way.
posted by quin at 10:07 AM on September 21, 2010
I always saw it as someone who had twisted her ankle was was judging the distance she was going to have to crawl.
Wyeth was great that way.
posted by quin at 10:07 AM on September 21, 2010
I always saw it as someone who had twisted her ankle was was judging the distance she was going to have to crawl.
Not nearly so upbeat. Christina Olson had had polio.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:38 PM on September 21, 2010
Not nearly so upbeat. Christina Olson had had polio.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:38 PM on September 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Why does that woman on the right have a monkey on a leash?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:18 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]