My Taste In Art

I had the opportunity to live near and among the arts growing up until the age of seven when I was exiled to an area with narrower views. I loved being in the Art Institute museum as a child and had many days where my mother attended classes and I wandered through the museum alone or with my sister. I probably enjoyed my comic book that she bought me on the way to school more than the paintings and sculptures.

This is a painting by the German Expressionist James Ensor. I first saw his work at an Art Institute exhibit when I was in High School and mom had just randomly decided to go to the museum. We had my father drive us as our weekend outing when he came to see what we needed from him for support.

Mom laughed at all the versions of the elites, after some conflict, maybe WW I, who were shitting and pissing on the heads of the common folk. I loved what I was seeing as art and did not much care about the scatology. As a kid I had liked Ivan Albright and had thought I would like to be a sculptor who made things like his paintings out of some sculpting material.

Mom explained the pissing and shitting pictures even though I hadn't asked.She was right in her interpretation though I couldn't give her the answer then.

The pictures were of the aristocracy and politicians of Europe, particularly Germany, and they were being accused of abusing the common people.