Monday 5 June 2006

Rodin's life force

I love it when other people 'get' great artists like Rodin -- it's like discovering them yourself for the first time. And by crikey, Oh Crikey's just discovered Rodin and fallen "madly in love," and it's great to watch. Says OC:
Rodin's art is saturated with immense psychological depth & complexity. His figures often appear 'in motion' as if encapsulating that very moment of peak desire & passion.

I sat riveted leafing through picture after picture of hands. Who would've thought a mere 'hand' could convey so much anguish & torment, or tenderness & delicacy? ...

In Maori terms, we could say Rodin's sculptures have a mauri, or a 'life force'. The more rational among us will scoff, "Oh, that's silly, inanimate objects can't possibly have a life force!" But they're dead wrong, Rodin is alive! ...


All the more depressing is the glut of crap art polluting Wellington's public spaces. What I'd give to trade all that cheap, gimmicky nonsense for one Rodin! That's what you call 'art'! And that's what will live on for centuries after all the other tired, contrived, uninspired rubbish is rightfully buried & forgotten.
What a magnificent (and true) tribute. Go here to read it all.

LINK: Bloggers come and bloggers go, but great art endures: Rodin's mauri- Oh Crikey

TAGS: Art, Sculpture

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have a Rodin sculpture that is very rare and is tied in with the gates of hell. This is not a joke and is an amazing story. Is there anyway I can show you pics? my email is rtmonee@hotmail.com R.D.Monette