Georges-Pierre Seurat

3/31/2009 10:57:00 am / The truth was spoken by Rich /

This is my favourite painting ever. I first saw it in that movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Sunday afternoon on the island of Grande Jatte. Even though it was painted by a Frenchman I find this awesome. It's magnificence is beyond my comprehension. Honest, you can see it at the Art Institute in Chicago if you're ever over there. It's hypnotic.

That scene in the movie where Cameron just stares at it. I bet that was ad-libed. I bet he stood in front of it was suddenly transfixed. Focusing on every single one of the cabillion zillion dots. Young Ferris says in that movie that,'"isms" in his opinion are not good. A person shouldn't believe in an "ism" he should believe in himself.' Quite right too I always say, but only if you're adopting an "ism."

If you're the one who invented it then that makes you someone to be remembered and blogged about in years to come. Even if George Seurat did do have a ridiculous beard and smell like the inside of a packet of dry roasted peanuts, he invented pointilism (sort of) and that "ism" is most definitely good.



See the thing about me is right, I generally have no time for the artsy fartsy types. Fucking time wasters. A bohemian lifestyle to me is just not washing and never wearing socks. Grow up I always say. If Van Gogh had spent more time in sensible clothing and less time eating spinach he wouldn't have gone mad and cut his own ear off. I've always said that.

Georges Seurat though was different. More scientist than artist and I do so admire scientists. I admire people who can figure stuff out and people with patience. I have neither of these qualities see.

Seurat figured out that primary colours in close proximity look like secondary colours from a distance and ones eyes does the blending. So the upshot was he spent years and years knocking up paintings made up of millions of dots which when viewed from a distance are blended by ones eye and have more depth and colour and harmony than if they were blended on the canvas.

Sunday afternoon on the island of Grande Jatte took something like three years. And it's all just dots!! I'd go mad attempting something like that. To be fair he probably was mad, but still though. Crazyness. Absolutely beautiful astonishing and all by someone from Paris. I can scarcely believe it.

There's one of his other paintings in London, Bathers at Asnières. If the National Gallery was open until 5am and I didn't hate London with such a passion I'd go and see it I would.


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