June 24, 2011 - Moore, Moor, More

About 10 years ago there was a large retrospective of Henry Moore’s work at the Legion of Honor. I dutifully went to have a look, yet have to confess that I rarely appreciate sculpture in a museum setting. I like to see sculpture outside and particular like to see large pieces in a more natural environment. Imagine if they could have closed the Lincoln Park golf course and filled it with Moore’s sculptures for the show. Yes, the security might have been a hassle and the golfers would have complained, but oh what a show. Ironically, what I liked best was on the walls, seeing Moore’s sketches for his work was nearly as interesting as the work itself.

In Northern California the best place to experience sculpture is probably the di Rosa Preserve up in Napa. The sculpture collection includes many pieces of public art that were rejected by communities. Communities like my own City, where the loudest nimby or hackneyed newspaper columnist feels entitled to act as art critic. San Francisco is a city bereft of public sculpture.

We do have a Henry Moore but it has to fight for attention on busy Van Ness Avenue in front of Symphony Hall. It’s a tough corner to work. But I always give it a look when I stroll by. On a recent trip I went past the sculpture and headed to the Main Library. At the weekly book sale out front I founded a tattered catalog of Moore’s work. Priced at only one dollar I felt no guilt in cutting up and creating today’s landscape.

May 5, 2011 – The Dandy

In the old days, if you did not have enough reasons to smoke, some cigarette packs came with little trading cards. They were in collectible series on a variety of historical and manly topics. I have seen cigarette cards on subjects ranging from automobiles and steam engines, Peoples of the British Empire, Cricket Players, etc. One of the oddest series had to be the cards depicting famous dandies.

George IV was one of the most famous and fabulous dandies of all time. According to the details on the back of the card he spent over £10,000 annually on his wardrobe, he even appeared in court in “a coat of pink silk and a white silk waistcoast.” George IV wracked up huge debts, a horrid arranged marriage and died obese and possibly addicted to laudanum. Somehow I imagine it would be like having a 19^th Century Merv Griffin as your monarch.

Dandy is a term and a type that is disappearing in our culture. Make no mistake, the metrosexual is far from being a dandy. That was just a brief fad that the cosmetics industry foisted on a bunch of dupes. And, any bad moustache in a v-neck t-shirt and tight jeans who thinks of themselves as a dandy, is only fooling himself. Being a poser is for amateurs. A dandy requires a level of commitment that few young gentlemen seem to be up to today. Considering the staggering student loan debt and lack of jobs for college graduates, it might be better if we encouraged more lads to choose a “career” as dandies.