In response to Terry Teachout’s “In The Bag”
[Y]ou can put any five works of art into your bag before departing for a desert island, but you have to choose right now. No stalling or dithering-the armies of the night are pounding on your front door. No posturing-you have to say the first five things that pop into your head, no matter how uncool they may sound. What do you stuff in the bag?
Steven Riddle of Flos Carmeli, Don of Mixolydian Mode, and Erik of Erik’s Rants and Recipes gave their enlightened responses. Since I am an intellectual troglodyte when it comes to art and I appreciate those blogs for helping me to see a little bit into the world that I am missing; I thought that I would also give it a shot.
So what art would I take? Well here goes:
Art Garfunkel, if the desert island is not too far we could build a bridge over troubled waters.
Art Carney, hearing him do Norton would make the time go by.
Art Linkletter who could regale me with the darnedest things kids say and we could play the board game Life.
Art Buchwald could tell me how he managed to succesfully sue Eddie Murphy for stealing a script and I could thank him for introducing me to political comedy while in high school.
Arte Johnson because he would be veeery interrrresting.
After growing tired of these five arts, we could then build a raft to get off that island. Okay so it might be hard to fit them all in a bag, but you didn’t expect a serious post from me anyway.
8 comments
Reminds me of that modern classic “If I had a million dollars” by the Bare Naked Ladies.
Go read the lyrics!
Alicia, I read the lyrics and in I didn’t make the connection. You might have to talk very slowly to explain it to me before I get it.
Considering the Arts you chose, only one of them is young enough to survive with you for more than a few days on a deserted island. Then you’d be stuck alone on an island with Art Garfunkel, which I believe is one of the inner circles of Hell.
Let’s see:
Salvador Dali’s Crucifixion (my favorite painting of the Crucifixion)
Marc Chagall’s Crucifixion (very thought-provoking because it shows Jesus wrapped in a Jewish prayer shawl)
Van Gogh’s Starry Night
A Norman Rockwell print (nostalgia value)
Grant Wood’s portrait of the farmer and his wife (can’t remember the name, but it’s been the subject of countless parodies and spoofs).
Chris,
Very true, I was surprised that those Arts were still around so I would have to get to building pretty quickly. Garfunkel was a good choice because it would be nice not ot be the ugliest guy on the island.
Michelle,
I like Dali’s work in general and I think the painting your referring to is the one based on St. John of the Cross’s rendition. Grant’s painting is American Gothic, though to update it for Goths they would have to all be in black clothing. I have a cat name Van Gogh, though it has both of it’s ears. Named after the beard style. I like both Van Gogh and Rockwell and you have probably plumed the depth of my knowledge on the subject.
If I had a million dollars, I would buy you some art, like a picasso or a garfunkel.
get it?
Alicia,
No wonder, those words were not in the lyrics I read.