Posted on 01/04/2008 3:19:21 AM PST by knarf
Like most of us here, I'm interested in politics and principley America, what we are, what we were ...
What is curious to me now is, the Democrats insist on using the words 'change', or 'new direction' and it occurs to me that ... I personally don't want America to change. Not into something new or different, but rather BACK to the nostalgia Rockwell was so good at mirroring for us.
The link I provided seems to indicate that he was an old school democrat and later turned a little left in life.
The purpose of this post is to get some input about a man and artist that has had such an impact on the mind's eye of America ... those whom remember ... those whom might be envious that they missed an era.
Even Norman Rockwell didn’t have a Norman Rockwell life. He was divorced once and his second wife was crazy as hell and had to be institutionalized.
All I know is ... I don't just look at a Rockwell painting ... I stare at it and drink in all the facial expressions and clothes .. the settings and emotions I feel.
His illustrations (he called himself an “illustrator”) are part of American mythology, as much as cowboy legends, John Wayne, etc. Just because they didn’t exist “as advertised” doesn’t make them less true.
From this link;
http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/boy_scouts_history.htm
“Rockwell’s illustrations almost defined America in the middle part of the 20th century;.....as Rockwell wrote, ‘when America believed in itself. I was happy to be painting it.’ “
Everyone in those days expected that art students were wild, licentious characters. We didn’t know how to be, but we sure were anxious to learn. —Norman Rockwell
...and oh yeah, he was born and mostly grew up in NYC. That is to say, he never really experienced the life he depicted in his illustrations.
That doesn’t make him a fraud, just an artist who had an intuitive sense of how many people viewed “the past” the way it was supposed to be.
LOL!
What is really interesting is that Jackson Pollock — the original “Jack the Dripper” — and NYC artistic wild man grew up in Cody,Wyoming and probably had a early life closer to Rockwell’s depictions than Rockwell himself.
Both of them attended The Art Students League — at different times, of course.
“That doesn’t make him a fraud, just an artist who had an intuitive sense of how many people viewed “the past” the way it was supposed to be.”
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As one who went through Scouting in the 50’s and early 60’s I had much exposure to his work. At the time, I was able to identify with many of his efforts on Scouting and not see them as “the past.” His depictions of small town life however, was beyond my experience.... I grew up in NYC.
Where there is no vision .... the people perish.
I’m always amazed at how many places I see his work. My family gave me a huge book of his works for Christmas years ago. I still delight in browsing the book and its wonderful art.
I disagree.
Life, liberty and the pursute of happiness indicates (to me, anyway), that there is a potential and possible end.
There seems to be a lot of financially comfortable folks here in FR. Do they still work? .. Of course ... but they have not perverted the "freedom from Want" ... rather ... accomplished it.
The scene is a huge turkey, obviously Thanksgiving day, kids all around the table with a Dad and Mom nuclear family.
Christmas is like that also.
Socialism is the mechanism by which people are shuffled into 'want'.
What many people don't understand is that freedom and liberty often require hardship by definition -- and that blurring the line between "freedom" and "material wealth" has some very serious consequences for this country.
“When America believed in itself.” Today, because of the left, MSM, TV shows, etc., many don’t believe in America and see the US only as evil with some (Bush) taking away their rights. What they don’t realize is that it is the left that is bringing these sheeple down and who want to reinvent the constitution in their own secular and socialist beliefs. And, by keeping people down and out enables them to rely and depend more and more on the government. It takes a village, you know.
That illustration (Freedom from Want) just remonds me of my childhood, and of the times when I was the man in the scene ... not so old, but an "American" nuclear family and all is well.
I think all of Rockwells work, if we want to analyze, is not to analyze his work ... but my own.
Is that me? Do I want it to be me? Do I remember me, dad, mom, etc.
In that respect, I can see where Rockwell would have an influence on my political comprehension and action.
Which was the catalyst for this thread ... America? Rockwell?
Whether he lived those scenes and people or not ... I remember many of them, and/or I want them (back).
Yup.
The trip was a big deal for her, hat and gloves, dressed to the hilt. The flight went from Tampa to Tallahassee, to Panama City, Pensacola, Mobile and then ended up in New Orleans. The only equipment I ever remember seeing on the route was the twin-engine, prop-driven kind.
She was a subscriber to the Saturday Evening Post and I remember well enjoying the covers done by Norman Rockwell. Her house was something out of a Rockwell drawing, complete with picture window in front that always had a big lamp that was on after dark.
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