Explanation for Talent

Read article in Discover Mag.- from early 90's. It's author showed an abstract painting to Willem de Kooning, and asked him what he thought. Willem praised it and it's creator as being brilliant. The (not very nice) interviewer then revealed that he artist was an elephant (or maybe a chimp- I forget which). Anyhow, without missing a beat, and, seemingly, un-embarrassed and sincere- de Kooning responded, "Well, that's a very talented elephant." Talent is in the eye of the beholder- I guess- especially when it comes to the abstract. I don't understand abstract art- I try to- but continually fail. I've seen the "great" works and the up-and-coming works and the amateur works- and don't know why the greats go for millions at the galleries and the amateurs go for pennies at the yard sale (sometimes the lucky buy the greats for pennies at yard sales). I'm thinking abstract art is more accidental in having success, whereas representational or realistic art's success comes from evident intent(?). Did he/she/it mean to do that? Was it skill, or was it luck? I'm not discounting abstract art- I'm just saying I don't know what's good or bad, i.e., I don't understand it.
Anyway, if I had talent, I wouldn't be proud of possessing it- but, instead, I'd be thankful. One has no control over what is in them- it's the luck of the draw (ha). Reminds me of the 60 Minutes piece about "idiot savants". One British fellow, profiled in the show, could not even answer the question posed, "what's your name?"-- but when requested to create and play a piece on the piano as if it were composed by someone equal parts L. Beethoven and B. Bacharach- the guy instantly, with virtuosity, played a number that did just that. Crazy amazing! Then there's a story of a dentist who got struck by lightning, causing his personality to change and for him to be able to play classical piano- something he never knew how to do. Crazy amazing! Looks like all knowledge is within us, and, somehow, just needs to be accessed (Socrates believed this). Anyhow, this world is so darn mysterious or incomprehensible. I don't understand it, but I have faith that it all has meaning.



Willem de Kooning

Talent

Willem de Kooning and colleague



Link to explanation

Highlight

Been a long while since I've been here- I'm still on the road.
Hope you all are doing well- I honestly do miss youze- I've just been pretty much self-absorbed the past couple of years- blah. Hope to get my head back to earth, and visit you, your blogs and your art, soon.
Please- may you all have a very happy, healthy new year!!!

Dessert

Don't have time to finish dessert- had to desert this one- should not have spent time on - as in doing so, I am procrastinating and not following my list of 'things-to-do'. Not sure what exactly this illo is- and what caption should be-- kinda just started doodling/procrastinating.

AndyDoodles

Immovable

Here's a sketch of the 'now'-
(Immovable, it seems-- ehh-"When you get to the fork in the road, take it." Y.B.).

Blah, blah- anyhow, hope to get back here and visit you guys more often-

Unbalanced?

What is not balanced? Sometimes I think I know...

Blur

Infinity

When I was a kid, I'd often lie awake at night flying through the universe trying to get my mind around the concept of infinity-- frustrated, I'd try and put an end to it by visualizing a brick wall- then I'd wonder what was on the other side of the wall, and/or where the wall ended- %$#@!... still trying...