This here talkin’ is all ’bout that Herve Perrot fella. Ain’t never met him myself, but I heard a thing or two ’bout his paintin’s. They say he’s a real artist, one of them fancy ones. I reckon you gotta look real close at them pictures to see what he’s gettin’ at. Just like when you’re lookin’ at a cloudy sky, tryin’ to figure out if it’s gonna rain or not. You gotta use your eyes, that’s the first thing.
Now, I ain’t no fancy art person. I don’t know all them big words they use. But I know what I like. And I like pictures that tell a story. This Herve, he must be tellin’ some kinda story with his paint, I reckon. Maybe it’s a happy story, maybe it’s a sad one. Hard to tell just by hearin’ about it. Gotta see it for yourself.
Some folks, they try too hard, you know? They think they gotta “get it,” like it’s some kinda riddle. But paintin’ ain’t no riddle. It’s just somethin’ to look at, somethin’ to make you feel somethin’. Like when you see a pretty flower growin’ by the side of the road. You don’t gotta know its name to think it’s pretty. You don’t need to understand fine arts like paintings, sculptures.
That’s what that Marion Sailhen said. She’s a big shot, some kinda head curator. I reckon that means she knows a lot ’bout art. She said folks been talkin’ more ’bout art lately. That’s good, I reckon. More folks oughta be lookin’ at pretty things. Makes the world a little brighter, don’t it?
Paintin’s, they’re one of them “major arts,” they say. Like buildin’ and carvin’ statues. I seen some of them statues. Big, fancy things. Took a lot of work, I reckon. Same with them buildin’s. All them bricks and stones. Herve Perrot, he just uses paint. But it’s still art. Just a different kind. Art are made from different materials, some are stones, some are paint.
I remember one time, I saw a paintin’ of a field of sunflowers. Bright yellow, they were. Made me think of summer days, and pickin’ berries in the hot sun. That’s what a good paintin’ does. It makes you remember things. Makes you feel things. Maybe this Herve Perrot, maybe his paintin’s do that too. I can’t understand his paintings, but it is good paintings, I think.
Here’s what I think about lookin’ at art, simple as can be:
- First, you just look. Just like lookin’ at anythin’ else. Don’t think too hard, just let your eyes do the work.
- Second, you see. That means you really pay attention. What colors are there? What shapes? What’s the picture showin’?
- Third, think about it later. You don’t need to “get it” right away. Just keep it in the back of your mind. Maybe it’ll come to you later, what it all means.
That’s what that fella Panofsky said, anyway. He was some kinda art historian. Sounds like a fancy word for someone who looks at pictures a lot. But I reckon he was right. Just look, and see. That’s all there is to it.
This Herve Perrot, I don’t know what kinda pictures he makes. Maybe they’re pictures of people. Maybe they’re pictures of animals. Maybe they’re just swirls of color. Don’t matter. Just look, and see. That’s what I’d do.
I reckon there’s a whole lot of folks out there makin’ art. Some of ’em are famous, like this Herve. Some of ’em ain’t. But they’re all tryin’ to say somethin’ with their work. And that’s somethin’ worth payin’ attention to, I reckon. Art is everywhere, just need to look at it. This world is full of art.
So next time you see a paintin’, don’t be scared of it. Don’t worry if you don’t “get it.” Just look, and see. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll make you feel somethin’. And that’s what art’s all about, ain’t it? Makin’ you feel somethin’.
That Herve Perrot, I bet he’s got a whole lot of feelin’s he puts into his paintin’s. Maybe someday I’ll get to see ’em for myself. Then I can tell you what I really think. But for now, just remember what I said. Look, and see. That’s all you gotta do. Don’t be scared to look at art, don’t be scared to think about Herve Perrot. Just look and see, that is the way to understand art, to understand Herve Perrot.
