Artist: M.C. Escher; Completion Date: 1948; wikiart.org; The Drawing Hands
One afternoon, you become more than usual lost in the art. You wander into a gallery tucked away at the end of a long hallway. Hanging on the room’s beige walls, is an odd collection of paintings with no clear linking theme, style, painter. You turn to go, but instead, find yourself inside a painting looking out at the gallery.
Weave a tale about your experience inside the creativity of the artist’s mind. What is the subject/style of the painting? How does it feel being on the inside looking out? What surrounds you, interacts with you, finds/discovers you?
It was not the dust and age of the painting that attracted me but the subject matter.
I was once one of those kids playing cricket in and on any space we could find.
The hot blazing summer taking toll of our energy and our resilience to play all day.
What I loved about this image was the painter’s depiction of a period that wasn’t so long ago, at least I recall it. A time when such games were played with great attention to detail and fiercely competitive.
It was like wandering back through my childhood and observing Rick, Pete and Craig along with Kate and little Jenny who insisted on being included even though we boys saw them as extra fielders and never true participants in a game we thought in those days the domain of us boys.
So I’m sitting on the hill to the right watching intently as games of street cricket were as intense as any played anywhere.
I remember this artist as a man who depicted life as it was in a time before the visual world we know now took over.
I once had an argument with a friend over the value of his work as art. She argued it wasn’t art but rather a picture as the artist didn’t give any interpretation but rather painted it as it was. My argument was he had the talent to paint it and record a way of life that is long forgotten now.
To me it is art as he tells me a story and I like story as a way of reaching out to an audience and reminding them that once things were not as they are now.
I sat there for a long time watching and observing the enjoyment the kids were getting from the game only to be interrupted by the shrill sound of a mother’s voice calling them to dinner.
To me it was a moment, a time to treasure, and as I suddenly found myself back in the gallery looking back at the painting and the many others consigned to this dark corner of the gallery I was pleased I’d had the experience I did to once again remember a childhood that had its own form of magic.
Artist Darcy Doyle
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/tale-weaver-28-art-artist/
A wonderful glimpse into nostalgia that the art and artist can take us to.
You cleverly share your childhood world and the capturing, freeze-framing that moment by the artist.
Well done!
Thank you so much, you are very generous. I actually have always loved this mans art.
Oh Michael, this is SO RICH–most beautifully done, Bravo.
Thank you so much Val. glad you enjoyed it. Hope you are feeling better today.
A glimpse of light…thanks; will follow you from new blog…
Good to hear…
🙂
Sadly, the days of playing cricket in the street are almost gone — unless you happen to live in a cul-de-sac. Great take on the prompt, Michael. You have to love Darcy Doyle’s artwork. You certainly wouldn’t mind being transported into one of them 🙂
Exactly Lyn, I have a few hanging on my walls….
There is such a charm to this painting, I like the palate used. Beautiful memories and I agree art takes many forms and there is art in capturing a moment whether that moment is real or imagined
Thank you so much Yves, art and its value as you know can be very subjective. I agree with you in that art can and does take on a multitude of forms…..
A beautiful and thoughtful piece of nostalgia … remembering what was really such a short time ago – though in our age of constant acceleration, one gets the feeling of eons passing – our youth, the light in that brings back a certain hour … all found for an instant in a well-loved painting … which I found delightful btw. I really enjoyed this post Micheal … thanks for sharing.
Thanks Georgia that’s a lovely comment. I appreciate you stopping by. And yes I like his paintings too.
It’s always a pleasure dropping by .. you’ve got such a lovely way of writing stories, they truly come alive on my screen! 🙂
Written with such intensity of feeling, a longing in passion, yet quietly observant. How easily we fall into the image – the tale of your words bringing us to a place to share with you – and then – to see the image itself- the two such wonderful compliments! Great job Michael – you captured the essence of a moment – as did the artist – and what an awesome image!
Thanks MJ, so pleased you enjoyed my tale. Darby Doyle depicts such wonderful images of our past.