Maybe I'm really Monet?
Painting by numbers was a very popular fad of the 1950s - the sort of fad toward
which, with today's sophistication, we're happy to turn up our noses. But although
the idea of being able to produce a copy of an artistic masterpiece simply by
filling colors into a pre-determined framework certainly doesn't exude much of
a feel of creativity, there's still something captivating in the idea.
The Smithsonian Institution staged an exhibit of Paint by Number in 2001, along
with a respectful and enlightening web
site on the phenomenon. Although the entire site makes fascinating reading,
the reminiscences on the site are truly moving. They suggest than an honest aesthetic
and creative impulse could be found at the root of
this populist phenomenon.
Go to: "Cook me up 300 words on internet dating",
or
Go to: Mother Night on the web.