Friday in the Park with the Art Committee

We went to the Impressionist show at the de Young Museum yesterday, and today, I post this entry in reflection of the day's events. It's the perfect moment to share a scene from my favorite musical by composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Sunday in the Park with George, inspired by George Seurat's masterwork, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte"

The museum was packed, and people were jockeying for their positions in order to see the art on the walls. How in the world is it possible to experience these paintings, when you are getting bumped and jostled? Get Closer. Get Farther. Look closely at the color and brushstrokes. Savor the details, the shadows and the edges of paintings. When you are able to enter the world of a painting, you begin to understand the work of the painter, and the commitment and challenge of representing the world through the vocabulary of color and light.

The scene to me was reminiscent of this musical finale to Act I. The park where George Seurat paints is crowded, chaotic and cacophonous. People see him at work and believe that he cares more about his painting than the people in his painting. But for George, painting is an expression of love. (Sadly, this YouTube clip does not included the chaos that exists on the screen for the minute prior to this beautiful moment, but you can find the complete scene on Bluegobo.com) Seurat gets to work, and the painter's perfect park on the Isle of La Grande Jatte slowly takes shape before our eyes. When the iconic image snaps into place, it is an extremely satisfying moment.



The character of the Boatman figures prominently in this scene. He crosses the stage, wearing an eyepatch (he has only one eye to see with, not two like everyone else). He is dirty and limping, accompanied by dissonant chords that resolve when he finally takes his rightful place in the painting.

In an earlier scene, the Boatman snarls at George.

Who you drawing?
Who the hell you think you're drawing?
Me?
You don't know me!
Go on drawing,
Since you're drawing only what you want to see,
Anyway!

As Sondheim says, "Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."

Sondheim's musical ends with George the grandson calling the inhabitants of Seurat's painting back to the perfect park. The modern day artist is now ready to connect his present to his past, in order to move on. He repeats the words that his grandfather muttered as he worked, but this time, there are two new words added to the list of things to remember when making art.

Order.
Design.
Tension.
Composition.
Balance.
Light.
Harmony.

In Sondheim's musical, two generations of artists, 19th century Georges and 20th century George enter the world of Le Grande Jatte and they turn down the noise and slow down the frenzy. With this museum visit, the art committee officially begins the work of gathering information, discussing the possibilities, listing and ruling out hundreds of ideas. The work is begun in hopes of creating something new, by building on what has come before. The task at hand is to create a perfect park, a place where children can come and play and explore the world through the language of art.

Everyone grab a brush. Look close to see "the care and the feeling and the light." It's time to get to work.