On Being Cultured and Michael Fassbender's Penis

Yesterday, I walked around the National Gallery of Art for 2 hours by myself. One of my friends was supposed to meet me at 1:30 but overslept and didn't make it until 3:00. I rarely do things alone and I can't help but think I am missing out on something. I truly enjoyed exploring the east Building of the Gallery by myself. I could linger at whatever artwork caught my attention and bypass the areas I knew I wouldn't be interested in. To be honest, I spent far too long in the concourse book store perusing the modern and contemporary art section. Here are a few bullet points:

- Minimalist and Post-Minimalist works are my favorite. I just love that they appear so simple and unsophisticated but they aren't. In order to appreciate pieces such as Tony Smith's Die, you have to know what the artists at the time were trying to say and acknowledge that they were the first batch of people to do so. They weren't "inspired by such and such to do this, mimicking their work". They drew the blueprints. Conceptual art is fantastic. If you don't know about it, I suggest you investigate for yourself. (My favorite pieces in the gallery are Tony Smith's Die and Jackson Pollock's Number 1)

- I do not understand how parents discipline their children. Yesterday, while wandering past the cafe, I overheard a woman telling her son to face the wall for 5 minutes. What does that accomplish? As an adult, its funny to me what children believe. If my mother were to tell me to face a wall, I would laugh at her. But up until a certain age, kids fear the wrath of their parents above all else. In reality, what can they do? They tell you to face the wall, you refuse, then they do what? Some parents, I suppose, will hit a child. But aside from their disapproval, the children don't have much to fear. I guess its the adolescents that figure that out too early that become trouble.

- The world has a great big hard-on for Andy Warhol. There were so name books about him and his work in the bookstore. Not a single Sally Mann book, only one Diane Arbus book, and even a limited selection on Jackson Pollock. But Andy Warhol? Everywhere. I personally find him overrated. His early works are good and I understand the concept behind his pieces but other artists did similar things in more subtle, thoughtful ways. Andy Warhol is so well-known because he was more controversial as a person.

On to the part about Michael Fassbender's penis. Once my friend showed up, we wandered about for another 45 minutes then walked a few blocks to the E Street Cinema to see Shame. It was pretty brilliant. Raunchy but not in a way that undermines the characters and development. I think the subtlety in the characters that Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan portray was beautiful. Their self-loathing and odd relationship to each other hinted at a troubled childhood. I really enjoyed it and recommend it...that is, if you can handle a sex scene. Or two. Or thirty.