The masked guitarist is via Severini, against the tableau of Velasquez. It posed for me a periodic dilemma: how much can I change the originals? I removed an errant hand belonging to the man obscured by the jester, and I modified his brightness to blend in more with the somber green-browns of Velasquez. It's not as if I can't make up the rules, after all.
Ideally, I would like the unitiated viewer to have the initial reaction of: that's an interesting painting; who would depict Jesus wth a clown? and then 2) wait a second, that's two different paintings! Mmhh, that's really interesting! Who the hell would put Jesus with a clown?
Dare I apply this metaphor to the present campaign? I can't help if you agree with me that Obama is the anointed one and Bill's not the only one putting the clown in Clinton. My tv-less sister with two little kids hasn't followed the campaign obsessively like me, she asked me who I preferred and why. I told her I thought Clinton made a crucial and sad error. If she'd said, listen, vote for me, not against Barack, and stuck to that, she would have had a very compelling argument than a female president is even more urgent, historically, than a black one. She also has eight years in the Senate, Barack has two. She could have let the numbers make the argument of experience, pushing from the beginning the idea of a Obama as V.P first, making very likely sixteen years of a Democratic White House. She should have apologized and renounced her vote for the war. Instead she reminded us of the current President, who seems incapable of admitting any mistakes.
But no, she had to attack. And the one person who would have almost certainly not have initiated any negative campaigning if he'd not been attacked first was forced to defend himself. Now both candidates are battered and pissed, and so are we. Hillary should have jumped to Barack's defense over Jeremiah Wright, for example. Doesn't she realize how much the electorate yearns for that kind of candidate? You get so many more flies with honey.
The problem with the Clintons is, somewhere along the line, they switched from a sense of service to a sense of entitlement. Hillary, you are suffering from the disappointment of expectations. You are like a kid having a tantrum because her Dad promised a trip to the beach and the car got into an accident on the way. You're in your bathing suit and have your goggles on, and you just can't bear to have to go home.
MCO 2008
I like Robin's observation about Jesus and the tax collectors. I certainly think that God must have a sense of humor or else She would weep daily over Her children. Your Hy-Art makes me think of the human part of Jesus, the man who needed some rest, comfort and entertainment. It makes me think of JC Superstar when Mary Magdalene sings, "Let me try to cool down your face a bit."
I think that your analysis of Senator Clinton is on target. I am saddened by the lows to which this intelligent woman has sunk in this campaign. Certainly, she was entitled to fight, to run a strong campaign, but I think that you accurately describe her behavior as being that of a petulant child.
However, today I am banishing all thoughts of Hillary and enjoying a feeling that a change is truly going to come. I'm proud of my home state. We had a major turnout and the 56% to 42% vote in favor of Obama was a delight!