The art was appreciated.
Mar. 25th, 2004 09:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
avreliaIt is a weird phrase, isn’t it? The concept of “art appreciation” sounds strange to me. May be, of course, I still have problems with the word “appreciation” – I couldn’t memorize its meaning for weeks. Some words I had to look up only once, some…
So, yesterday I finally get to visit Art Gallery of Ontario. The problem was that I didn’t want to pay for tickets, and the entrance is free only on Wednesdays from 6 pm. I also didn’t want to go alone, and to arrange one free Wednesday evening for two people was hard. Anyway, yesterday I and Ania went to see the art. The art was there, and I quite liked it. I don’t want to appear more knowledgeable in this area that I am, but I like museums. When I was a child, I liked things – the older the better. The mummy of some unfortunate priest and the frozen baby-mammoth held my attention for hours (well, not hours, but long enough). I still like things, but fine arts feel much closer to home. Every time I notice something new. Yesterday for some reasons I mostly paid attention to backgrounds, especially backgrounds of religious scenes. Sometimes it was absolutely fantastical landscape, sometimes something obviously familiar to the artist. Sometimes it was filled with curious details.
My next plan: exploration of Royal Ontario Museum.
I want to enjoy the show. Well, both of them, of course – I am not finished with BtVS, either. Is it shallow of me? I don’t want to be bothered by ruined expectations and such, by negativity that accompanies some incomprehensible developments, I just want the story.
So I am thinking about filters that I apply to help me with it. I mean, we all have our filters that created by our personalities, previous experiences, culture, etc. But those are kind of built-in. I cannot watch these shows as if I was born and raised in North America, I cannot watch these shows as a boy, I cannot watch these shows as someone who understands what baseball is about, and so on… But I can choose some things.
I understand that ME is often on crack and henceforth won’t write the story I want them to write. But instead of constant bitching, and wondering whether they could stop the crack thing, or at least find better crack to be on, I prefer to take the story as it exists and pay more attention to the realization then to the intentions, and pretend that everything has sense, I just don’t see it. So I am trying to steer from spoilers (spoilers all are about intentions), and don’t get too angry with the interviews. When I see an episode, it is the interpretation that matters.
Another moment that I have to remind myself – POV. Most AtS episodes are from Angel’s POV, as well as most BtVS episodes were from Buffy's POV. Of course, it is only one of the layers, but it helps to keep in mind. If we look at season 7 from Buffy’s POV, it presents an interesting picture – the friends and the sisters are slightly out of focus, but Spike is in, and Potentials are in. Which makes sense.
Many fans consider moral base of both shows too black-and-white. I don’t agree. It is what characters want, it is not what they do. For Buffy as the Slayer is extremely important to have some kind of scale – she has to judge, she has to make a decision every time: whom to kill, whom to give a chance. She is not always right, but she is finding her way through the moral good/bad maze. One moment this February I had to tell myself, “Stop. What are the Good and the Evil, again?” Before it was more or less clear (from the characters’ POV): W&H, vampires, everybody who tries to end the world, or to change it to suit their whims are Evil. Angel fights evil and tries to be/do good. Same with his friends. Now characters’ distinction between good and evil is slipping, and ours as of viewers, too. Those arguments whether Knox is good or evil – according to previous disposition, he is. Now? He is no worse then Gunn, Wes, or Angel. So, what is Evil, again? I would say the lack of choice (beside the world ending, killing, etc.)
That’s all for now.
So, yesterday I finally get to visit Art Gallery of Ontario. The problem was that I didn’t want to pay for tickets, and the entrance is free only on Wednesdays from 6 pm. I also didn’t want to go alone, and to arrange one free Wednesday evening for two people was hard. Anyway, yesterday I and Ania went to see the art. The art was there, and I quite liked it. I don’t want to appear more knowledgeable in this area that I am, but I like museums. When I was a child, I liked things – the older the better. The mummy of some unfortunate priest and the frozen baby-mammoth held my attention for hours (well, not hours, but long enough). I still like things, but fine arts feel much closer to home. Every time I notice something new. Yesterday for some reasons I mostly paid attention to backgrounds, especially backgrounds of religious scenes. Sometimes it was absolutely fantastical landscape, sometimes something obviously familiar to the artist. Sometimes it was filled with curious details.
My next plan: exploration of Royal Ontario Museum.
I want to enjoy the show. Well, both of them, of course – I am not finished with BtVS, either. Is it shallow of me? I don’t want to be bothered by ruined expectations and such, by negativity that accompanies some incomprehensible developments, I just want the story.
So I am thinking about filters that I apply to help me with it. I mean, we all have our filters that created by our personalities, previous experiences, culture, etc. But those are kind of built-in. I cannot watch these shows as if I was born and raised in North America, I cannot watch these shows as a boy, I cannot watch these shows as someone who understands what baseball is about, and so on… But I can choose some things.
I understand that ME is often on crack and henceforth won’t write the story I want them to write. But instead of constant bitching, and wondering whether they could stop the crack thing, or at least find better crack to be on, I prefer to take the story as it exists and pay more attention to the realization then to the intentions, and pretend that everything has sense, I just don’t see it. So I am trying to steer from spoilers (spoilers all are about intentions), and don’t get too angry with the interviews. When I see an episode, it is the interpretation that matters.
Another moment that I have to remind myself – POV. Most AtS episodes are from Angel’s POV, as well as most BtVS episodes were from Buffy's POV. Of course, it is only one of the layers, but it helps to keep in mind. If we look at season 7 from Buffy’s POV, it presents an interesting picture – the friends and the sisters are slightly out of focus, but Spike is in, and Potentials are in. Which makes sense.
Many fans consider moral base of both shows too black-and-white. I don’t agree. It is what characters want, it is not what they do. For Buffy as the Slayer is extremely important to have some kind of scale – she has to judge, she has to make a decision every time: whom to kill, whom to give a chance. She is not always right, but she is finding her way through the moral good/bad maze. One moment this February I had to tell myself, “Stop. What are the Good and the Evil, again?” Before it was more or less clear (from the characters’ POV): W&H, vampires, everybody who tries to end the world, or to change it to suit their whims are Evil. Angel fights evil and tries to be/do good. Same with his friends. Now characters’ distinction between good and evil is slipping, and ours as of viewers, too. Those arguments whether Knox is good or evil – according to previous disposition, he is. Now? He is no worse then Gunn, Wes, or Angel. So, what is Evil, again? I would say the lack of choice (beside the world ending, killing, etc.)
That’s all for now.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-25 06:44 pm (UTC)I love this. It's one of those things that now that someone has pointed it out to me, it makes perfect sense.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-25 06:53 pm (UTC)How can I not love this show?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-25 07:25 pm (UTC)Excellent, thank you. That does make perfect sense, and helps the audience make sense of it.
I do agree with you, looking at the shows from the characters' perspectives rather than our own expectations makes viewing more enjoyable. I lose sight of that with AtS now and then - you've helped me to want to enjoy the rest of the series now :)
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 07:49 am (UTC)I honestly believe that much of the negativity concerning the season 7 was about too many expectations - both quality-wise and story-wise. Every fan had his own ideas where the show should have gone, but the show went its own way.
And yes, when it first occured to me to change the perspective and to look at the whole season through Buffy's eyes, I was very happy with the results.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 10:25 am (UTC)The shows are always written from the hero's perspective, people tend to forget that, and I think the creators sometimes confuse us when they say the shows are ensembles - they are to a degree, but the main focus is on the hero and how things look through their eyes.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 02:17 pm (UTC)And because it is the main focus, we often forget about it, picking it up again when focus shifts.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-25 07:59 pm (UTC)We really have to accept the show as it is. And you make an excellent point of viewing the show from the POV of the characters. It was one of the points I tried to make when defending both Buffy an Spike in season 6. We can't judge them by our real world standards. Instead, we have to view them and how they see each other within the context of the show and their experiences.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 02:11 am (UTC)Seriously, though, I have the same attitude toward the show or what's left of it. I don't mind critical commentary when it's snarky and clever and makes me giggle at my own obsessiveness. But I'm trying to skim over all the really negative stuff, cause I just want to enjoy what's left. And spoilers? Man, they're just evil, and usually always twisted to suit someone's agenda.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 01:38 pm (UTC)There are critical commentaries - that can be snarky, and smart, and interesting, even if I don't agree, and there are... poisoning ones. Sometimes I just roll my eyes: "it is called "suspension of disbelieve, people!"
I am determined to enjoy my show.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-26 08:46 am (UTC)we have to view them and how they see each other within the context of the show and their experiences.
exactly.