Oh we have had a GRAND weekend so far:
(Above: Lust)
The weekend began for me with a stop at the SLC Art Center to see Jamie Wyeth's showing of his watercolor series entitled "The Seven Deadly Sins" as demonstrated by seagulls in their typical behaviors.
It is a totally hilarious show topic for SLC, a place that darn near worships sea gull for rescuing the pioneer's crop from grasshoppers way back when.
Sea gulls are practically a symbol of faith around here!
Those of us who grew up near the beach know better than to think of sea gulls as first cousins to doves. Sea gulls are wicked, nasty, vicious birds that are arrogant and rude, at best.
(Above: Anger)
A quote about Wyeth's work:
Wyeth was inspired to use the birds as models after years of observing and painting sea birds in coastal Maine. He calls the gulls "nasty birds, filled with their own jealousies and rivalries."
The seven deadly sins—greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, anger, pride, and envy—are portrayed as natural behaviors.
In Pride, a gull struts boastfully with a captured lobster;
(see a better version of this painting
HERE Notice how the gull is stepping on another gull in his pride?)
in Gluttony, another chokes down one fish while trying to capture still more.
Gluttony was my favorite painting of series. I would love to own the four foot high work and hang it in my kitchen. Even the fish's martyrdom like expression as it looks up to heaven makes me smirk and chuckle knowingly.
No pictures were allowed inside the show,(the first picture on this post I borrowed from the web) but I managed to find a few of the paintings online, and to snap some of pictures above from the poster outside the exhibit the next day, in the rain, late at night.
Sorry for the flash...I was being herded along by my Mr. B who did NOT want his cashmere blazer to get soaked.
Hmmm...wonder if that would come under pride, or practicality?
(The Salt Palace, lit up...photographed as we dashed across the street to the parking garage).
To be continued....
(see a better version of this painting HERE Notice how the gull is stepping on another gull in his pride?)
(The Salt Palace, lit up...photographed as we dashed across the street to the parking garage).
4 comments:
I smiled at the thought of having the gull snarking down a huge fish .. in my dining room. That would certainly provide some conversation material.
I love the irony of that exhibit in SLC, as you so adroitly pointed out!
I'm chuckling at the thought of those sea gulls...they are perfect models for the sevenly deadly sins!
Those paintings are just luminous. Lovely.
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