It's not just me questioning the value of art ...

An update on the Titian buying/selling - this was a topic in some of the Sunday papers and this article in the Sunday Herald gave me considerably more to think about.

http://www.sundayherald.com/oped/opinion/display.var.2436841.0.the_chutzpah_of_this_duke_is_priceless.php

Well, I never said I was a committed blogger ...

Here I am having decided to try some more blogging after producing one post some time previously. My renewed attempt at blogging is thanks to some active blogger pals who have been supportive of my dithering.


Of course, it all took more time than could reasonably be expected as Blogger had changed its log in procedure. I am a good girl, I vary my passwords and have numerous permutations that I simply cannot be expected to remember after a gap of months. As for the reminder questions some sites insist on; does anyone know which primary school their mother's favourite pet went to?


I had considered an earlier return to blogging during the Edinburgh Fringe when I went to my usual unplanned and eclectic mix of dance, exhibitions, theatre and the uncategorisable. But perhaps now that Fringe, and assorted festivals are pretty much over, it is too late to do other than provide honourable mentions.


Highlights included an exhibition of Russian Icons and Vietnamese propaganda posters at Out of the Nomad's Tent, Capoeira, the exhilarating Brazilian dancers, and Deborah Cameron in the Book Festival. Cameron treated us to an incisive annihilation of the myths of Mars & Venus so beloved of the pseudo-scientific gender polarity espousers.


But the greatest impression made on me during this whole festival season was the Tracy Emin Retrospective. Can everyone I know please go to the Tracy Exhibition and tell me what you think about it? I need to know that my response is not unique.


Overheard in the shop afterwards: "Well! I'd have had these sheets off that bed and into the washing machine!" Not sure that individual actually got the point.


Still on art; my political temperature has been raised by reading about the over-privileged peer of the realm who (perhaps) is trying to avoid inheritance tax by holding the National Gallery to ransom over his Titian's. The straight forward radical feminist response to this is all too obvious. Such a sum of money could better be spent on women's art or indeed for women's services. But before I get all Guerrilla Girls about this, I'll seek out the views of those of my acquaintance who know about ART.

I realise that if I was any kind of blogger, I'd have provided links to all of the above, but I'm only a sorta kinda blogger, so that refinement will have to wait until I learn a bit more, but I'll return then and rectify.

Links
Russian icons exhibition
http://www.nomadstent.co.uk/exhibitions/exhibitions.html

Capoeira Knights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj8cQzz1Py4&feature=related

Deborah Cameron
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/01/gender.books

Tracy Emin exhibition
http://www.nationalgalleries.org/whatson/exhibition/5:368/5118