We left for Nashville a couple of days before Christmas, and
because Lacey’s family was visiting the other grandparents in Huntsville,
Alabama, Amy and I had a chance to go someplace a little special. Our choice
took us to the Frist Center to view the Norman Rockwell exhibit. That Sunday
afternoon turned into a wonderful time to see up close the work of an artist
that has inspired millions for almost a century.
One of the first paintings visitors espy and then spend
several minutes viewing is titled “Discovery.” It depicts a young boy who finds
a Santa Claus suit in the bottom drawer in his dad’s dresser. The child’s look
Another painting, “Skinny Dipping,” shows a group of boys
and a dog running, presumably, from a person who has caught them swimming in
some forbidden area. A lifetime ago, the Ball Camp boys rode bikes over the
ridge to Karns on our way to Beaver Creek. We found a deep spot in that winding
creek and stripped naked to jump in the water and cool off on a summer’s day.
Like most things in youth, activities that are forbidden become the things that
bring the most fun. That includes smoking rabbit tobacco and paper from grocery
bags or swiping water melons from a farm.
The painting titled “Blessing” brings back plenty of
memories for us older Americans. At every supper and dinner, our family began
with “God is great, God is good/Let us thank him for our food…” Those words
blessed the food we ate from the earliest times I remember.
On one occasion, Jim and I came to the table still goofing
off as we boys were wont to do. We began saying the blessing, but half way
through, we got tickled and burst out in laughter. Daddy did not take to our
behavior at all, and before we could blink our eyes, he had scooped us up and
swatted our behinds. We stood crying, and upset over his reaction, and Daddy
hopped in the car and drove off. He came home after a while, and we all made
up. By the way, no one ever laughed during another blessing.
Maybe the best painting by Rockwell is titled “Going and
Coming.” The dual scene shows a car packed with family and pets and supplies
for a fun-filled day at the lake. Kids are squirming, and parents are smiling
as they make the journey. On the way home, it’s a different story. The kids
wear looks of exhaustion. Mom holds the youngest in her lap, and it appears as
if any moment she might pass out. The father’s exasperated look indicates he
needs to arrive home soon to escape too much family togetherness. The
grandmother wears the same scowl on both sides of the trip. Even the dog’s
energy is depleted on the long ride home. Rockwell captures the true sides of
events in most families’ lives.
I wonder what Norman Rockwell would choose as settings for
paintings today. Surely one would include a computer or video game or cell
phone. Another might well depict the struggles of today’s middle class as folks
try to keep up with prices with faltering wages. He might even take to the
canvas to portray the mindless babble and intransigence that comes from our
nation’s government. What’s for sure is that Norman Rockwell is the master of
capturing the essence of American life from decades in the past. We all should
be thankful that so much of his work available and that it memorializes life as
so many have known.
If you get a chance to attend the showing, take it and be
amazed by the man’s work. If not, check out a book of his work and spend some
time with family looking at those paintings and the messages they present.
No comments:
Post a Comment