jordanparrished:

So somebody on my Facebook posted this. And I’ve seen sooooo many memes like it. Images of a canvas with nothing but a slash cut into it, or a giant blurry square of color, or a black circle on a white canvas. There are always hundreds of comments about how anyone could do that and it isn’t really art, or stories of the time someone dropped a glove on the floor of a museum and people started discussing the meaning of the piece, assuming it was an abstract found-objects type of sculpture.

The painting on the left is a bay or lake or harbor with mountains in the background and some people going about their day in the foreground. It’s very pretty and it is skillfully painted. It’s a nice piece of art. It’s also just a landscape. I don’t recognize a signature style, the subject matter is far too common to narrow it down. I have no idea who painted that image.

The painting on the right I recognized immediately. When I was studying abstraction and non-representational art, I didn’t study this painter in depth, but I remember the day we learned about him and specifically about this series of paintings. His name was Ad Reinhart, and this is one painting from a series he called the ultimate paintings. (Not ultimate as in the best, but ultimate as in last.)

The day that my art history teacher showed us Ad Reinhart’s paintings, one guy in the class scoffed and made a comment that it was a scam, that Reinhart had slapped some black paint on the canvas and pretentious people who wanted to look smart gave him money for it. My teacher shut him down immediately. She told him that this is not a canvas that someone just painted black. It isn’t easy to tell from this photo, but there are groups of color, usually squares of very very very dark blue or red or green or brown. They are so dark that, if you saw them on their own, you would call each of them black. But when they are side by side their differences are apparent. Initially you stare at the piece thinking that THAT corner of the canvas is TRUE black. Then you begin to wonder if it is a deep green that only appears black because the area next to it is a deep, deep red. Or perhaps the “blue” is the true black and that red is actually brown. Or perhaps the blue is violet and the color next to it is the true black. The piece challenges the viewer’s perception. By the time you move on to the next painting, you’re left to wonder if maybe there have been other instances in which you believe something to be true but your perception is warped by some outside factor. And then you wonder if ANY of the colors were truly black. How can anything be cut and dry, black and white, when even black itself isn’t as absolute as you thought it was?

People need to understand that not all art is about portraying a realistic image, and that technical skills (like the ability to paint a scene that looks as though it may have been photographed) are not the only kind of artistic skills. Some art is meant to be pretty or look like something. Other art is meant to carry a message or an idea, to provoke thought.

Reinhart’s art is utterly genius.

“But anyone could have done that! It doesn’t take any special skill! I could have done that!”

Ok. Maybe you could have. But you didn’t.

Give abstract art some respect. It’s more important than you realize.

(Source: carolxdanvers, via adorablecrab)

(Source: antifainternational, via space--hobbit)

polyamorous-intentions:

Love requires many languages and expressions of affection. This love triangle is a solid measure of what you may be missing or have neglected in your relationship. As someone who has worked hard with their spouse (thirteen years together) and other partners over long term relationships, there is a lot flux between these in times of strife.

As I have always harped on, communication is key. When someone communicates feelings where they may not be getting what they need is good to look at recent expressions and if these are being expressed. Now not all relationships involve  all three depending on what kind of relationship you have fostered with the individual. This triangle is designed for the more traditional dating where there is emotional, physical, and time commitments to that person.

If you find passion fading, you may need to figure out why. sometimes it can feel like passion is fading as you enter long term relationships, but it may also be taking a different form. Long term passion is often more of a smoulder instead of the blazing inferno of NRE. communicate with your partner about what you used to get and ask why they may not do that now, and then listen to them regarding what you may no longer be doing to promote passion.

Intimacy is a big part of relationships. This may take the form of conversations about topics you would otherwise never share, or cuddles, physical affection, feeling special when you are with that person. As you enter long term this can feel as though you don’t talk as much, or don’t share the deeper ideals anymore. Express this feeling to your partner, but also ask yourself if you have already had those conversations. Long term often means that much of the deeper conversations will have already occurred. That is why we often understand long term partners in ways you don’t see in younger partnerings.

Commitment comes with time. sharing of resources, space, and time. promising to be there for someone when they need you, even when it is hard. Long term relationships foster this and it is also why many start to fall apart. routine and the idea of commitment without passion or intimacy feels hollow. Or if the responsibilities that come along with commitment are too one sided (see emotional labor) it can cause problems.

Communicate, balance, and address issues as they come. If any one of these begins to lack, you and your partner need to discuss and come up with a plan to help rebuild that section. Very rarely is it too late to make it work if all folks involve are willing to do the work.

Hope this helps.

(via meanwhileonwednesday)

hautekills:

Christian Dior haute couture s/s 2017

(via tamthewriter)

abandonedandurbex:

Plague Fort, St. Petersburg [900x700]

(via currentboat)

treasures-and-beauty:

Diadem of the Virgen de las Aguas, Tenerife.

(via cimness)

risingoflights:

unofficiallydisney:

This makes me so happy

There’s a very good, clear message here that is surprisingly hard to articulate. You go, dragon. You go.

(Source: will5nevercome, via currentboat)