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INTERPRETATION, MAKING IT
PERSONAL TO BOTH THE ARTIST AND
THOSE THAT EXPERIENCE THE ART.
ON THIS EPISODE OF "THE ARTS
PAGE" --
MEET A FAMOUS PUPPETIER'S
DAUGHTER MAKING HER OWN MARK ON
THE ARTFORM, EXPERIENCE THE
POWER OF LIGHT AND SPACE FROM A
UNIQUE INSTALLATION, AND FIND
OUT HOW AN EYE DISEASE MAY HAVE
INFLUENCED A FAMOUS ART
MOVEMENT.
THAT'S ALL COMING UP ON THIS
EDITION OF "THE ARTS PAGE."
>> WELCOME TO "THE ARTS PAGE."
I'M SANDY MAXX.
ARTISTS FIND UNIQUE WAYS OF
INTERPRETING ARTISTIC FORMS TO
MAKE THEM PERSONAL.
FOR HEATHER HENSON, THE DAUGHTER
OF THE LATE JIM HENSON, THE ART
OF PUPPETRY CENTERS AROUND
STORYTELLING THROUGH UNIQUE
CHARACTERS.
HER PASSION FOR ENDANGERED
SPECIES IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY
THE WHOOPING CRANES, BROUGHT HER
TO MILWAUKEE FOR THE 40TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE
WORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRANE
FOUNDATION.
SHE SPOKE WITH US ABOUT HER
WORK, HER DEVOTION TO
CONSERVATION, AND HER LATEST
PERFORMANCE PIECE CALLED
"CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT".
>> WATER MOVES, AIR MOVES AND
THEN THERE'S CERTAIN ANIMALS
THAT MOVE A LOT, SEASONALLY.
I REALLY LIKE THAT, BECAUSE
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I LIKE TO DO.
IN PERFORMING THE PUPPET, IT'S
MY OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY.
MY NAME IS HEATHER HENSON AND I
AM THE DIRECTOR OF A PUPPET
COMPANY CALLED IBEX PUPPETRY.
I STARTED IT IN 2000.
WE TOUR ENVIRONMENTAL THEATER
SPECTACLES.
WE HAVE SHOWS ABOUT ISSUES IN
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT I WANT TO
COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE AND I WANT
TO ENGAGE THEM IN AND WE DO
SHOWS ABOUT THAT AND WE THEN
PRESENT THEM TO PEOPLE.
CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT IS OUR
LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL SPECTACLE.
IT IS A DANCE, PUPPET TYPE
SPECTACLE.
>> THIS IS A SHOW THAT IS
PERFORMED OUTSIDE, AND WE ARE
CELEBRATING FLIGHT, BIRDS,
NATURE, THE HARMONIES OF THE
EARTH, AND THEN WE INVITE THE
AUDIENCE TO WATCH THE SHOW AND
THEN BE A PART OF THE SHOW AT
THE END AND IT'S KIND OF TRYING
TO GET THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED, GET
EXCITED ABOUT IT AND THEN
PARTICIPATE IN IT.
IT WAS INSPIRED BY MY LOVE OF
WHOOPING CRANES, MY LOVE OF
CRANES AND MY LOVE OF NATURE.
THE IDEA THAT IT REALLY STARS
ONE CHARACTER, THE WHOOPING
CRANE, THE STORY OF THIS ONE --
THE WHOOPING CRANE.
IT'S CHICK, IT'S AN ADOLESCENT,
IT BECOMES AN ADULT THAT FLIES
AND THEN IT'S THE REJOICING OF
IT'S LIKE FLYING WITH THE SKY,
THE BLUE ONE UP ABOVE AND THE
UBER IS THIS BIG UNIVERSAL BIRD
THAT HAS GROWN REALLY, REALLY
BIG.
ANIMALS THAT MIGRATE LONG
DISTANCES, THEY'RE JUST REALLY
GOOD TESTIMONIAL ANIMALS OF THE
MOVEMENT OF THE EARTH AND I
THINK THAT -- I LIKE THAT, THE
WAY THAT THE EARTH MOVES, AN
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I TRY TO PUT
IN MY SHOWS.
I TRY TO PUT IT IN MY LIFE TOO.
WHEN THE WHOOPING CRANES, THEY
ARE GORGEOUS, HUGE MAGESTIC
BIRDS.
>> I'M INTERESTED IN THEM,
BECAUSE A LOT OF CULTURES TAKING
ON CRANES AND HAVE DONE
INTERESTING THINGS WITH THEM IN
THEIR CULTURAL ARTS.
I'M MAKING MY OWN FOLKLORE OF
CRANES WITH THE SHOW.
I WAS READING UP ON DIFFERENT
CRANE REARING PROCESSES, AND I
READ ABOUT GEORGE ARCHBALD, HERE
WAS A GUY THAT DANCED WITH
CRANES IN ORDER TO GET THEM
BREATHING, HE STARTED THE FLOCK
NUMBERS AGAIN AND I JOINED
INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION
THEN, THAT WAS MY FIRST YEAR OUT
OF COLLEGE, AND I WAS A MEMBER
OF ICF FOR MANY YEARS, I HAD
MOVED TO FLORIDA THE SAME YEAR
THAT OPERATION MIGRATION BROUGHT
THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BIRDS
BEHIND ULTRA LIGHT DOWN TO
FLORIDA AND I WAS LIKE, THAT IS
SO COOL.
I MOVED TO FLORIDA, THE BIRDS
MOVED TO FLORIDA, THIS IS GREAT.
THE WHOOPING CRANES AND I MOVED
TO FLORIDA IN THE SAME YEAR.
I LOVE INTERNATIONAL CRANE
FOUNDATION, BECAUSE IT IS A
COMBINATION OF SCIENTISTS THAT
KNOW ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THEY DO
REAL RESEARCH.
AT THE SAME TIME THEY RECOGNIZE
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CULTURAL
HERITAGE OF BIRDS BEING IN THE
HUMAN CULTURE, AND ACTUALLY MORE
THAN ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT WAS
THE COMBINATION OF HUMANS AND
CRANES.
LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY SEEMED TO
DO SO WELL, SO MY LOVE OF ICF,
AS SOON AS THEY SAID THEY WERE
HAVING A 40th ANNIVERSARY, I
WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT
SOMEHOW, SO WE BROUGHT THE SHOW
HERE, HAND THEN WE FOUND LIKE A
SCHOOL LOCALLY THAT WE COULD
WORK WITH, WE RAN SOME OF OUR
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THAT
SCHOOL.
BUT MOST OF THE PUPPETS WE DO
WE'RE SEEING AND SHOWING AND
WE'RE PUPPET EERING OUR PUPPETS.
OUR WHOOPING CRANES ARE MORE
THREE DIMENSION HALL AND REAL
AND -- DIMENSION HALL AND REAL
AND YOU HAVE A CHORUS OF SANTO
CRANES, THEY'RE MORE KITES AND
THEY HAVE MOVEMENTS, THEY FLOCK
TOGETHER, SO IT'S LIKE THE SANTO
CRANES, THEY MIGRATE IN LARGE
GROUPS AND SO WE HAVE THESE
KITES THAT KIND OF CAN MOVE AS A
FLOCK, AND THEN WE HAVE THE
WHOOPING CRANES, WHICH ARE IN
OUR SHOW, THEY'RE A LITTLE
BIGGER AND BULKIER, OUR STARS,
SO THIS PUPPET WAS ACTUALLY MADE
BY THE JIM HENSON COMPANY.
WE CALL HER ADDIE, BECAUSE SHE'S
AN ADOLESCENT CRANE, AND SHE
IS -- SHE IS A YOUNG CRANE, THE
ADOLESCENT CRANE AND SO HER
PLUMBAGE IS STILL KIND OF THIS
TANY COLOR, WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG,
THEY'RE COLORED THIS WAY AND
WHEN THEY GET OLDER, THEY'RE
FULLY WHITE, BUT WHEN THEY'RE
YOUNG, THEY'RE BROWNISH.
I WANTED TO WORK WITH NATURAL
MATERIALS, SO SHE IS MADE OUT OF
SOME BAMBOO HERE, AN BAMBOO IN
HER HEAD AND SILK FABRIC.
SO THEY CAN -- SHE HAS WINGS
LIKE THIS, BECAUSE SHE'S TRYING
TO FLY.
THE THING ABOUT FLYING, THAT'S
WHEN THE KITE COMES OVER AND
SAYS COME ON FLY.
IT'S TIME TO MIGRATE.
SHE LOOKS AT THE KITE AND OK, I
CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT.
I CAN DO IT.
SHE TAKES OFF AND SHE FLIES.
>> PUPPETRY IS A GREAT ART FORM,
BUT IT CAN COME UP WITH SO MANY
DIFFERENT THINGS, SO I THINK OUR
KITES ARE PUPPETS, BECAUSE
THEY'RE CHARACTERS, AND WE'RE
SORT OF PUTTING PERSONALITY IN
THEM WHEN WE MOVE THEM,
ESPECIALLY LIKE THE BUTTERFLIES
HAVE A MORE PLAYFUL PERSONALITY.
IT'S ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, SO
IT'S LIKE, WE ARE GOING TO DANCE
TO THESE NATURE DANCES AND SLOW
DANCES AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT
THROUGH OUR OBJECTS, AND THEN
YOU AS AN AUDIENCE CAN WATCH IT
AND THEN WE ASK YOU TO COME
ALONG AND ALSO FEEL THAT, AND
YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, RUN WITH THE
WIND AS WELL.
IT'S A GREAT ART FORM, IT'S VERY
WHAT I FIND IT SO SATISFYING IS
IT CROSSES SO MANY DISCIPLINES,
IT'S SCULPTURE, IT CAN BE DANCE,
IT CAN BE DESIGN, IT COVERS A
LOT OF TERRITORY.
PERFORMING THESE PUPPETS ABOUT
ANIMALS AND ABOUT NATURE IS MY
OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH
ANIMALS AND NATURE.
AND THE WAY THAT CRANES DANCE,
NOW I WANT TO DO THAT, SO I CAN
MAKE THIS CRANE AND THEN I CAN
KIND OF DANCE LIKE A CRANE, SO
IT'S A -- IT'S A FUN THING ABOUT
THIS DEAL, IS THAT YOU GET THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE THESE THINGS
YOU REALLY LIKE.
>> HENSON'S IBEX PUPPETRY TROUPE
TRAVELS THE COUNTRY TO PROMOTE
BOTH ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND
DIALOGUE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
AND CONSERVATION.
>> TO LEARN MORE, VISIT
IBEXPUPPETRY.COM OR CHECK OUT
THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE.
>> THE GUGGENHEIM, ONE OF NEW
YORK'S LEADING ART MUSEUMS, HAS
REGULARLY FEATURED THE WORKS OF
INNOVATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST JAMES
TURRELL.
THE MOST RECENT EXHIBITION
SHOWCASED AN ELABORATE
INSTALLATION THAT EXPERIMENTED
WITH LIGHT, COLOR, AND SPACE IN
THEIR FAMOUS ROTUNDA.
>> WE HAVE THIS PRIMAL RELATION
TO LIGHT, AND THE HISTORY OF ART
IS LITTERED WITH PEOPLE USING
LIGHT IN PAINTING.
YOU THINK OF VERMEER AND THE
HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL, ALL OF THE
IMPRESSIONISTS OF COURSE,
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN WORK THAT'S
ABOUT LIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO HAVE THE WORK
BE LIGHT, AND RATHER THAN
LIGHTING OTHER THINGS, I WANTED
TO APPRECIATE THE THING-NESS,
THE PHYSICALITY, AND PRESENCE OF
LIGHT ITSELF.
AND I DO NOT USE ANY IMAGES
WITHIN.
I DON'T HAVE AN OBJECT OR A
THING THERE, AND THERE IS
SOMETIMES EVEN HARDLY A PLACE
THAT YOU FOCUS, BUT, I MEAN,
WITHOUT AN IMAGE, WITHOUT AN
OBJECT, WITHOUT A FOCUS, I MEAN,
WHAT IS THERE TO LOOK AT?
WELL, A LOT OF THAT IS THAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE LOOK,
HOW WE SEE, HOW WE GO ABOUT
THAT.
>> FOR THE MUSEUM, THE ROTUNDA
IS A HEART, BECAUSE EVERYTHING
HAPPENED IN THE ROTUNDA.
SO HERE THE ROTUNDA NOW DOESN'T
BELONG TO THE MUSEUM ANYMORE, IT
BELONGS TO JAMES TURRELL.
>> NORMALLY YOU LOOK UP THROUGH
THE GUGGENHEIM'S OPEN SPACE AT
THE SKYLIGHT ABOVE, OR YOU'LL BE
WALKING UP THE RAMPS LOOKING
ACROSS TO THE RAMPS OPPOSITE,
BUT WHAT JAMES TURRELL HAS DONE
IN ATEN REIGN IS TO TRANSFORM
THAT EXPERIENCE BY MATERIALIZING
THE LIGHT THAT HAS ALWAYS
OCCUPIED THE CENTER OF THE
GUGGENHEIM.
>> WELL, I'VE SEEN OTHERS GO AT
THE ATRIUM.
IT'S A DIFFICULT SPACE AND, BOY,
IT WAS A GREAT CREW.
I MEAN, THEY REALLY DID AN
AMAZING JOB.
>> TO INSTALL THIS PIECE, WE
WORKED FOR MANY YEARS TOGETHER
WITH TURRELL'S STUDIO TO COME UP
WITH PLANS AND DESIGNS.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN NEW JERSEY
IN A WAREHOUSE AND WE
CONSTRUCTED THERE FOR ALMOST
THREE MONTHS.
THE PIECE IS OPERATED BY A VERY
COMPLICATED, CUSTOM-MADE
COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM THAT
CONTROLS ALL OF THE LED LIGHTING
CUES, AND THAT IS HOUSED WITHIN
A STRUCTURE MADE MOSTLY OF
ALUMINUM TRUSS AND PVC PLASTIC
SCRIM MATERIAL, WHICH IS THE
WHITE MATERIAL YOU LOOK UP AT
THAT HOLDS THE LIGHT.
ALL OF THIS STRUCTURE IS REALLY
DEVISED, AS IT IS IN MANY OF
TURRELL'S WORKS, TO ERASE
ITSELF.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT YOU MAY HAVE
AN ELABORATE STRUCTURE, BUT
YOU'RE NOT MEANT TO SEE IT.
YOU'RE MEANT TO BEHOLD THE
LIGHT.
>> IT'S A ONE-HOUR CYCLE SO IT
GOES THROUGH ALL COLOR AND MOST
MIXES.
SO I'M MIXING COLOR WITH ALL
OTHER COLOR.
SO YOU'LL SEE COLORS YOU DON'T
NORMALLY SEE OR ASSOCIATE WITH
ART, AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE IT ON
WITH AN ALMOST ORCHID-LIKE
DELICACY BECAUSE I LOVE THOSE
CHANGES
>> IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T
FORM WITH THE HANDS, LIKE YOU
KNOW CLAY, WITH CLAY, OR WITH
HOT WAX.
YOU DON'T CARVE IT AWAY WITH,
LIKE, WITH WOOD, OR JIB IT AWAY
LIKE STONE, SO HOW YOU FORM
THESE THINGS WITH JUST LIGHT.
IT WAS SOMETHING FOR ME TO GET
ON TOP OF AND ACTUALLY LEARN TO
DO.
BASICALLY, I MADE A CAREER OF
THIS WORK JUST USING LIGHT, AND
THIS PIECE HERE IS MUCH MORE
SOPHISTICATED BECAUSE OF HOW WE
CAN NOW CONTROL LIGHT.
THAT'S CHANGED ALL THE
POSSIBILITIES.
IT'S ALL CURTAINS AND I'M THE
MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
>> AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN
ADDITION TO THAT, ALL OF THE
OTHER WORKS IN THE SHOW, THERE
ARE FOUR OTHER LIGHT
INSTALLATIONS AS WELL AS A
SERIES OF PRINTS.
THERE ARE TWO PROJECTION PIECES,
WHICH IS THE FIRST KIND OF WORKS
THAT HE DID IN 1967.
PEOPLE OFTEN LOOK AT THEM AND
SAY, OH, THERE'S NOTHING THERE,
BUT IT'S NOT TRUE, THERE'S
NOTHING THERE.
THE THING THAT IS THERE IS
LIGHT, AND HE MAKES YOU SEE THE
LIGHT FOR ITSELF AS A THING.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE A WORK FROM
1968 CALLED RONIN.
RONIN IS A COLUMN OF LIGHT THAT
APPEARS TO BE SOLID FROM A
DISTANCE, AND AS YOU APPROACH,
YOU REALIZE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY
AN OPENING TO A SMALL SPACE
BEYOND, AND THE SOLIDITY IS
ENTIRELY JUST THE MATERIALITY OF
LIGHT THAT YOU'RE APPREHENDING.
>> WE'RE NOT MADE FOR SUNLIGHT,
WHICH IS STRANGE.
SO WE'RE SORT OF MADE FOR
TWILIGHT, MAYBE THE LIGHT OF THE
CAVE SOME WOULD SAY.
BUT AT ANY RATE, WHEN YOU REDUCE
LIGHT, AS YOU'LL SEE IN ILTAR,
ONLY WHEN LIGHT IS REDUCED AND
YOU SIT FOR A WHILE AND DARK
ADAPT DOES THE EYE OPEN.
AND WHEN THE PUPIL OPENS,
FEELING COMES OUT OF THE EYE AS
TOUCH, AND YOU ACTUALLY ARE
TOUCHING WITH THE EYES.
FORTY EIGHT YEARS OF WORKING HAS
REQUIRED MORE SPACE THAN ONE
MUSEUM CAN GIVE OVER AT A TIME.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THREE
MUSEUMS DOING IT.
EACH SHOW IS QUITE UNIQUE.
LOS ANGELES HAS THE MOST PIECES.
THE COLLECTION THAT'S AT HOUSTON
IS IN FACT A COLLECTION.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE COLLECTED
OVER THE YEARS.
>> WELL, JAMES, HIS WORK IS
KNOWN AS PART OF THE LIGHT AND
SPACE MOVEMENT OUT OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE 1960'S, WHICH IS PART OF
THE POST-MINIMALIST MOVEMENT, OF
SORT OF BREAKING DOWN THE
BOUNDARIES BETWEEN PAINTING AND
SCULPTURE.
>> IN THE PS1, HE HAS BUILT ONE
OF HIS FIRST SKY SPACE CALLED
MEETING.
THERE WE SIT DOWN AND LOOK UP,
BUT THERE THE OPENING IS THE
SKY.
THE GREAT THINGS OF JAMES IS
THAT HE MAKES YOU LOOK AT THE
SKY, MAKES YOU FEEL THE SKY, IN
YOUR BODY, IN YOUR EYES, AND IN
YOUR PERCEPTION, YOU KNOW.
>> I THOUGHT, OH, YOU KNOW,
LET'S MAKE THIS A CONVERTIBLE,
TAKE THE ROOF OFF, HAVE A WAY TO
BRING THE SKY DOWN IN CLOSE
CONTACT WITH THE SPACE WE'RE IN.
THAT WAS KIND OF MY FANTASY,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT
OF WHAT ART IS.
WE WORK FROM WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE
AND HAVEN'T BEEN SEEING.
I MEAN, I'VE DONE 200 SOLO
EXHIBITIONS AND 300 GROUP SHOWS.
SO I'VE DONE 500 EXHIBITIONS.
I BRING ART TO PEOPLE, BUT
THERE'S SOME ART THAT I'D RATHER
HAVE PEOPLE COME TO, AND THAT'S
BEEN MY FAVORITE.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPACES
LIKE THAT.
ONE IS THE WORK AT RODEN CRATER.
>> GOING TO RODEN CRATER IS AN
EXPERIENCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JAMES
LIKES TO CREATE WITH HIS WORKS
IS THIS SENSE OF PASSAGE AND
JOURNEY TO GET TO THE
EXPERIENCE, AND AT ROAD AND
CRATER, YOU REALLY GET THAT
SENSE OF JOURNEYING THROUGH THE
DESERT TO THIS AMAZING LANDSCAPE
AND IT'S THE SAME SKY YOU SEE IN
NEW YORK, BUT IT'S A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OF THE SKY.
>> IF YOU DON'T GIVE THE TIME
TO JAMES TURRELL, YOU DON'T GET
IT.
YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES.
YOUR BODY IS RELAXED AND REALLY
CAN RECEIVE THE LIGHT.
>> AND I JUST THINK THAT IF YOU
ALLOW YOURSELF TO SUBMIT TO
MUSIC, TO ART, TO LITERATURE,
THAT YOU ENTER IT, AND IF YOU DO
THAT, IT'S A VERY RICH WORLD.
>> TURRELL'S INNOVATIVE LIGHT
INSTALLATIONS CAN BE EXPERIENCED
IN GALLERIES AND ART MUSEUMS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
TO SEE MORE OF THE FULL
EXHIBITION, VISIT GUGGENHEIM.ORG
OR CHECK OUT TURRELL'S PERSONAL
WEBSITE AT JAMESTURRELL.COM.
>> THE IMPRESSIONISTS' BLURRED
BRUSH STROKES SHOCKED THE ART
WORLD IN THE LATE 1800S.
RECENTLY, DR. RICHARD FISH, A
RETINAL SPECIALIST AND PHYSICAN
WHO DELIVERS SPECIAL CARE TO
PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTISTS
AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE DUG
DEEPER INTO THE REASON FOR THIS
STYLE OF ART, AND YOU MAY BE
SURPRISED ABOUT ITS TIE TO A
COMMON EYE DISEASE.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE
WORKS OF, FOR INSTANCE, THE
IMPRESSIONISTS, AND TO THE FIRST
OBSERVER OF AN IMPRESSIONIST
WORK IT JUST LOOKS SORT OF
BLURRY.
WELL, PEOPLE WHO ARE
NEAR-SIGHTED SEE THE WORLD
WITHOUT THEIR GLASSES AS SORT OF
BLURRY, SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE
LINE SOMEONE OR SOME PEOPLE
THOUGHT THAT, WELL, MAYBE JUST
THE IMPRESSIONISTS WERE JUST A
BUNCH OF PEOPLE WITH NEAR
SIGHTEDNESS.
WHEN PAUL CEZANNE EXHIBITED AT
THE VERY FIRST IMPRESSIONIST
SHOW, THERE WAS AN INTERESTING
QUOTE FROM AN ART CRITIC WHO IS
SO SHOCKED WITH THE LOOK OF
THIS, HE MUST HAVE A DISEASED
RETINA.
THIS IS SO -- HE'S CREATED THIS
WHOLE NEW FORM OF ART BECAUSE
HIS EYES MUST BE SO POOR.
SIMILARLY, PEOPLE LOOK AT THE
WORKS OF ARTISTS LIKE EL GRECO
AND GIACOMETTI AND MODIGLIANI
AND ALL OF THOSE ARTISTS WOULD
PAINT OR DO SCULPTURES IN A VERY
ELONGATED, EXAGGERATED SORT OF
FASHION.
WELL, AGAIN, SOMEONE WONDERED,
WELL, GOSH, I WONDER IF THEY
HAVE SOME SORT OF ASTIGMATISM.
AND ASTIGMATISM IS THE CONDITION
OF THE EYE WHERE THE EYE -- THE
CURVATURE OF THE EYE IS NOT
PERFECTLY SPHERICAL THAT IT
CAUSES BLURRING IN ONE DIRECTION
AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER.
IT TURNS OUT THAT IMPRESSIONISM
IS WAY MORE THAN JUST AN EYE
CONDITION.
I MEAN, IT'S A REVOLUTIONARY
MOVEMENT IN ART IN FRANCE IN THE
LATE 1800'S, AND GLASSES WERE
WIDELY AVAILABLE THEN, THERE WAS
NO SUCH THING AS ANYBODY THAT
WENT WITHOUT GLASSES.
EDGAR DEGAS WAS ONE OF THE
FOUNDING FATHERS OF FRENCH
IMPRESSIONISM.
HE SUFFERED FROM A LOSS OF
VISION IN ONE EYE IN HIS EARLY
30S AND HE WAS LEGALLY BLIND IN
BOTH EYES BY ABOUT HIS MID-30S.
HE LOST VISION IN THE MACULA,
THE CENTERMOST PART OF THE
RETINA THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR
OUR FINE DETAILED VISION, AND
THIS SHOWS UP IN HIS WORKS WHERE
EARLY ON HE DOES THESE EXQUISITE
PAINTINGS OF GIRLS IN THE BALLET
SCHOOL FOR EXAMPLE AND HE WOULD
PAINT THAT OVER AND OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
BUT THEN THERE IS SOME VERY LATE
DEGA PASTELS WHERE HE'S PAINTING
THE SAME THEME, A BALLET DANCER,
BUT YOU CAN TELL THAT THE
CONTRAST BETWEEN HIS EARLIER
STYLE AND THE LATER STYLE IS
JUST A LOT MORE COARSE, THE
DETAILS ARE KIND OF LOST, AND
IT'S VERY EVIDENT WHEN YOU
COMPARE THOSE TWO WORKS THAT
HE'S LOST VISION.
YOU ASK SOMEONE ABOUT
IMPRESSIONISM AND EVERYONE SEEMS
TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS MONET.
WELL, MONET ENDS UP HAVING
CATARACTS LATE IN HIS LIFE AND
THESE CATARACTS DEVELOP ROUGHLY
IN THE 1910'S TO 1920'S AND
CATARACT SURGERY WAS POSSIBLE,
BUT IT WAS NOT NEARLY AS
SOPHISTICATED AS IT IS NOW.
HE EVENTUALLY, AFTER SEEING SIX
OPHTHALMOLOGISTS, ENDS UP HAVING
CATARACT SURGERY, BUT UP UNTIL
THAT POINT WE CAN KIND OF SEE A
GRADUAL DETERIORATION IN HIS
VISION.
A CATARACT WILL ABSORB BLUE,
VIOLETS AND GREENS, AND SO IT
LEAVES THE WORLD SORT OF A MUDDY
COLOR.
MONET, IN FACT, AFTER HIS
CATARACTS SURGERY, COMPLAINED
BITTERLY.
HE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE COLORS
WERE EXAGGERATED AND HE COULDN'T
QUITE GET USED TO THE FACT THAT
HE WAS ACTUALLY SEEING REAL
COLORS NOW, AND HE'S BEEN SO
ACCLIMATED TO SEEING YELLOWS AND
BROWNS.
AND NOTHING PROBABLY ILLUSTRATES
THIS BETTER THAN SOMETHING THAT
HE WOULD PAINT OVER AND OVER,
WHICH IS THE LITTLE JAPANESE
FOOT BRIDGE AT GIVERNY, AND
THERE ARE EARLY WORKS OF THIS
FROM AROUND 1900.
THE WATER LILIES ARE BEAUTIFULLY
REFLECTING IN THE POND, AND
THERE'S JUST REALLY EXQUISITE
DETAIL, AND THEN WE GET TO A
MUCH LATER WORK IN ABOUT 1922,
HE PAINTS THAT SAME JAPANESE
FOOT BRIDGE AND NOW THE COLORS
ARE WAY OFF.
THEY ARE YELLOWS AND BROWNS AND
VERY MUDDY BECAUSE OF A VERY
THICK CATARACT AND HE'S LOOKING
THROUGH THESE CATARACTS AND
PAINTING THROUGH THIS AND THAT
WORK FROM 1922 REALLY REFLECTS
HIS POOR VISION THAT HE WAS
STRUGGLING WITH AT THE TIME.
HE SORT OF RECOVERS IN 1925 AND
FINISHES THE WATER LILIES AND
BACK TO HIS OLD STYLE THAT ALL
OF US ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.
THE IDEA THAT IMPRESSIONISM
MIGHT HAVE BEEN BORN OUT OF JUST
A NEED FOR GLASSES IS PROBABLY
PRETTY INACCURATE.
THESE ARE SORT OF CONSCIOUS,
ARTISTIC DECISIONS AND NOT AN
EYE CONDITION.
>> THESE UNIQUE FINDINGS ABOUT
THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND
ART HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN A
BOOK CALLED "THE ARTIST'S EYES".
TO PURCHASE THE BOOK, VISIT
AMAZON.COM AND SEARCH FOR "THE
ARTIST'S EYES".
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS
WEEK'S FEATURES, VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT MPTV.ORG AND CLICK ON
"THE ARTS PAGE" OR LIKE US ON
FACEBOOK AT "THE ARTS PAGE".
ON THE NEXT EDITION OF "THE ARTS
PAGE", WE MEET SOME ARTISTIC
INNOVATORS, LISTEN TO ONE
ACTRESS DISCUSS HER LOVE FOR ART
AND CONSERVATION, SEE HOW A
CERAMICS ARTIST COMBINES FORM
AND FUNCTION, AND ENJOY THE
SOUNDS OF A UNIQUE SAXOPHONE
BAND.
I'M SANDY MAXX.
THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND WE'LL
SEE YOU ON THE NEXT EDITION OF
"THE ARTS PAGE".