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October 01, 2005
Alfred Leslie's Painting
This painting clearly evokes a particular mood. It is difficult to put into words this exact Gestalt, but I felt it as soon as I looked at the painting. If there is a synonym for ANTI-nostalgia this would the the one that I am looking for. At first, it seemed like it might be nostalgic (because of the retro aspect) when I tried to analyze the painting, however the mood it evokes is too musty and uncomfortable to ignore.
The focus of the painting looks fuzzy, almost like a TV screen itself. Whether this is because it is on the computer, I can't discern. The TV is obviously old, and the reflection inside looks like a beach. When I asked someone else what she saw, she said "a parking garage", but I believe that it is, in fact, a beach. Although it is indeed a part of nature, it is reduced to something sterile and dim on the TV screen. This could be a metaphor for the fact that society will not get outside, but instead watch it from the comfort of their TVs.
Behind the TV, there is nothing but darkness and shadows. This signifies that society as a whole, using this one person's TV, does not want to go outside, and see what is in real world, beyond their television. There may be a window back in the darkness, or a door, but we don't want to see it. It is blocked off with the mustard-colored chair, which is a symbol for the ugliness of the indoors. Because the shoes are on top of the TV, I believe that also supports the idea that the owner (or all of us) doesn't want to go outside. They are new, still bright red. Most people would put their shoes by the door if they are planning on using them to go outside.
As for the broom without a handle, it is a metaphor for something that doesn't work, or isn't functioning. Maybe this is the belief of Leslie that our society isn't functioning. This may be metonymy, representing the world as a whole. If I'm not mistaken, Jellies are a rather new invention. So, even though the time depicted by the artist looks retro, the jellies may be a sign that it is actually this current day he is representing. And, a metaphor to say that this is what the world is being reduced to: plastic shoes. Nothing is natural, even the image of "nature" on the TV screen.
The empty plate also supports this idea. Whoever was watching TV, was probably also eating, which is something common and a sign of laziness to us. He is saying that this little world with the TV, food, and unused shoes is blocking out everything that is natural and everlasting. A TV, shoes, types of furniture can go out of style, as all of these have, but what is outside and natural, does not.
Overall, everything in this picture as a whole is menotymous, a fragment of one person's living room, representing a whole society's lifestyle.
Posted by lcishagan at October 1, 2005 09:01 PM