“I found the key to happiness. Surround yourself with animals and stay away from idiots..” — unknown.
___
“Great art makes us stand back and admire…The art of a Vermeer or a Braque seeks not to amaze and appall but to invite the observer to come closer, to close with the painting, peer into it, and become intimate with it. Such art reinforces Human dignity” – Germaine Greer, The Obstacle Race (1979), P. 105.
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, feminist, and intellectual. She spoke my mind above.
I pissed off a whole bunch of holier-than-though academics yesterday, so here’s my chance to do it again. A friend tells annoying people on her blog to “blow it out of their ass,” at first, it sounded rude to me, but it makes more sense every day.
Greer said it better than I did, but it’s precisely what I had in mind when I wrote that I was curious if my portrait of Maria the other day (below) was a portrait or part of still life. Could anyone clarify this for me? I wondered. I found a dozen different definitions online, almost all different.
Greer spoke my mind. I hoped to peer into the picture, become intimate with it, and close with the picture in the way one might with a painting.
I seem to have a genius for annoying, stuffy, and rude pedantic people; I get along with almost everyone else. I might be too dumb; I’m not the one to say.
On the one hand, that’s a noble thing to keep in mind; on the other, it tells me a great deal about why so many young and rural people hate prestigious schools and the elites they seem to attract. I’ve never enjoyed being called stupid or ignorant, but I’m older and wiser now and can usually laugh it off.
I’m not sure I ever posted anything as personal or nonoffensive as my rumination about Maria and my art, particularly the things that connect still life with portraiture. It is only apparent to me if there are a few others. My photo was about love and creativity, not labels and official words. But this is America in 2024. Everything is a debate.
Of course, a still life’s literal and official definition is indeed a flower, vase, or inanimate object – duh. Do I care? Not really. No truth is absolute.
I was thinking about – and said pretty directly – that the portrait of Maria felt like a still life to me, and since so many people wrote to agree, I started considering the idea. My ego danced.
This was a very personal, even intimate, observation about my feelings and love for Maria and the emotion of the photograph. I don’t have a PhD in art history or any history. That’s why I have to figure it out myself and should.
Aren’t teachers supposed to applaud that rather than call me names? I love learning about art and thinking about it.
The Maria picture is an emotional photograph to me, and I enjoyed thinking about it and reading about Johannes Vermeer since several people said the photo reminded them of him. I consider it one of my best pictures. I’ve never considered myself an artist, and it’s jarring sometimes.
This being social media, all kinds of strangers assumed this was their business, and I was surprised to learn I had caused a near meltdown at the Amherst, Mass, College Art History Department.
Jennifer Herdt, a Ph.D. professor, was the first to write to say I was wrong, and it was ignorant of me to suggest that a portrait could be anything but a portrait and a still life anything but a still life. Her message was presumptuous, unasked for, and annoying but almost civil and thoughtful. I disagreed with every word of it. It was dangerously wrong, it was said, for me to try to define things that might conflict with the canon that the professor teaches. Nuts to that.
A high-ranked academic school as famed as Amherst (I spoke there on a book tour) might be expected to understand that I’m just doing my job as a writer when I raise questions and explore conventional wisdom. That’s what I do.
I wrote back to Dr. Peldt., which sparked another, nastier message from Ellen Waverly, who was shocked that I could question a Ph.D. professor’s opinions. I told her that Maria has a master’s degree in art, and she liked what I wrote, but I was told that she could not possibly carry the weight and wisdom of a Ph.D. professor. This is a master class in elitism.
This is another lesson in why so many rural people hate elite schools. They really do think we are all stupid. I had an awful thought – could Ron DeSantis have a point about colleges?- but I quickly recovered. No, he doesn’t.
(Portrait of Maria.)
But a lot of his followers think so. It wasn’t debatable, she said; a still life is a still life, and a portrait was a portrait. I was showing my ignorance and encouraging it in others.
But the squawk was getting underway. And I must be honest: I love trying to take the air out of windbags.
Ellen Waverly, a student or friend of Herts, jumped in and decided to stop pretending and be openly offensive, with no subtlety:
“Jon, your attitude is part of our political mess now. You, like anti-vax folk and COVID deniers, are pleased to ignore experts in a field and make up your own “facts.” Suddenly Maria, who doesn’t have a PhD., is as much of an authority as an Amherst professor? You think it’s a sign of free thinking to challenge authority. I have news for you—so do Trump’s most fervent supporters. Don’t like the implications of climate change? No problem! Just make up your data because that’s what all the smart kids are doing. Your photo is not a still life. Vermeer never painted a still life. Why not take the note from an actual authority and move on instead of insulting her and looking like an ass.”
I’m sorry we can’t agree, Ellen; it is most certainly a sign of free thinking to challenge authority. It is a sign of fascism to prohibit any challenge to authority.
Call me a happy ass.
That’s how the country was formed. I’m afraid I’m not responsible for the Trump nightmare or climate change; it’s a little more complex than that, and I never said or suggested that Vermeer painted a still life, although he has inspired mine in a couple of different ways. Being extreme is not a way to fight extremism; I found your message way over the top. I respect experts in any field – I am grateful for every vaccine and boost for COVID-19 and have gotten all of them. Trump is a living nightmare, and your cheap link is…well, cheap.
I have news for you, Ellen. Prestige colleges are in trouble, not just from political extremists. You all need to be more in touch with the modern world and younger people’s real lives and needs. This is not one of the seminal issues of modern times, and no, I will never bow to people who tell me they have all of the answers. Nobody does.
This is the challenge of open thought on the Internet: it’s still free, but you may have to fight for the freedom to write what you want. I’m happy to take up that challenge. I am grateful to be freeer to examine my art and life than an Amherst art student.
(I’ll dare to repeat it. This photo, one of my best, evokes the feeling of Vermeer and still life painting for me. I don’t care what the professors think.)
So, what do I take from all this? Engaging in name-calling with rude, knee-jerk, or pompous people is pointless. But sometimes it’s important. I was a college professor at NYU for five years, and if I had ever told my students that what I said was not debatable, I would have run out of the building.
I am almost embarrassed to write about this; it seems ridiculous (does no one have better things to fight about?); it brings back my dread memories of faculty meetings where grown women and I fight endlessly about nothing. They drove me out of teaching.
What are we arguing about, and why is it necessary to call me all of these Middle School names? I would hope for better at a college like Amherst.
I always wanted my daughter to consider going there, but she chose Yale. I doubt a single professor there would argue that their statements were not even debatable. I don’t wish to live in Putin’s nation or take art classes at Amherst.
Jon, it is a beautiful photo whatever you call it.
Great photo
Jon,
I found your blog way back when I felt like the world was going to hell in a hand basket, and your writing was a place to land that felt sane, honest, inquisitive, evolving and kind. I love your resolve here to bring the beauty of your life TO life, and let the nay sayers keep whirling in their comfortable, rigid, black and white world. I’ve throughly enjoyed these last two posts. Not to mention, the exquisite still life of your beloved Maria.
Thanks Kathy, I am grateful for the message. It captures who I want to be. I’m grateful for the right to explain myself and to understand my readers at the same time.
If taken in the literal sense, Maria is a “still life”. Aside from typing on her laptop, she is sitting still in her chair and is very much alive, so …
The picture as a whole has a feeling of peace and quiet. ( I like to remain neutral in these skirmishes 😊)
You don’t need to remain neutral, Barbara; it’s my skirmish, and we both ought to be able to interpret the picture any way we wish without explanation or apology. You are not stupid, nor am I; we deserve respect for our ideas. I don’t ever insist that people agree with me; I do insist they treat me respectfully on my blog. The photo is any way you wish to see it, and I have the same right. It is my photo, of course. I would not dream of telling you your interpretation is wrong or foolish. I find it interesting to see how you saw it. I’m not into neutrality myself, as you know. People have a right to know how I feel. Thanks.
Jon, your problem is that you cannot be told you are wrong about anything..(even if you are)… that is a quality of a narcissist…because in their mind, they are the smartest , most perfect people on the planet…a very stable genius…sound familiar?
Noah, I’m never impressed by amateur therapists on social media; they usually are a million miles off and are full of themselves. I can’t fathom listening to them. It’s such an arrogant thing to do.
I have a terrific and experienced therapist, and thankfully, she does not see me in the way you do. And she has diagnosed me and speaks with me.
Nothing about your message sounds familiar; I might be better, or I might be worse. How would you know? I don’t diagnose the people who take issue with me; people tell me I am wrong all the time, and there is rarely conflict, as you would know if you ever really read the blog or blog comments. I have a lot of real problems; you have yet to mention one of them.
Why do you need to pretend to know what is happening inside the minds of strangers? I can’t imagine doing it.
Do us both a favor and take your BS somewhere else.
You have a swollen ego with no reservations or shame about being ignorant of my life or the complex nature of therapy and the impossibility of penetrating people’s psyches while hiding behind a distant computer. Sound familiar? Do us both a favor and diagnose someone who wants to listen to you. Or maybe get your rocks off by talking to a real shrink and figure out why you spend your time sending messages like this to strangers. Maybe get a degree and learn to be a real shrink and know something about it.
I don’t think your *genius* lies in annoying stuffy, rude, pedantic people…have never felt you to deliberately try to annoy anyone…you speak your truth. I believe it is their own pitfall,..claiming to be *experts* in their field…..that causes their own downfall and creates limitations in their own truly objective thought processes (probably much to your annoyance, most times). I’m not expressing this all that eloquently….but I know you understand. Done with that topic, for me……(though I have enjoyed reading the comments!)……but must say that your bird photography is evolving quickly…..and very nicely. Loving every minute of your adventures…….. you always give ME new ideas…whether with camera, or binoculars……… whatever my whim is on any given day. My quest of the past few years has been not photographing birds…..but with the abundance of species we are lucky to have…….just identifying them either visually or by song or both. I am learning so much……and loving it, as you are your photography!
Susan M
Those comments about what category to sort your photos into make me chuckle. We’re not talking about facts here. A fact, it seems to me, is an objectively observable phenomenon, “Jon categorizes his photo as a still life” is a fact. So is “Ellen categorizes the phon as a portrait.” Whether the photo is a still life, a portrait, or a landscape is simply an arbitrary categorization. This disagreement is *nothing* like disputing facts about vaccination, climate change, or the mass of a given rock. In those cases the dispute is about what is known and what is not known. In THIS case the dispute is simply about where to place something in a taxonomy.
Discussion (or argument) about where to place something in a taxonomy does have its place, but the reason such arguments take place is because the people who want to USE the taxonomy — for example, two art history experts — find one or the other placement better supports their overall position. For instance, one art expert might find some similarities between Vermeer’s work and, I dunno, some other artist. Recategorizing artworks within the overall “taxonomy of art” can help express new ideas like that. But they’re not FACTS, for heaven’s sake.
Tell those folks to find something better to complain about.
Thanks, Pete; I’m not stating facts or trafficking in them, just my own feelings as they ebb and flow. You are right on the button.
Oh my, there are so many nit-pickers in this world. Do people really expect a blog, which is free to all, is going to be perfect in everyway? Who has not misused a term, word, or phrase incorrectly? And, why do some people feel it is their job or duty to correct every mistake they hear, see, or read? I have an acquaintance who delights in correcting me, restaurant menues, newspapers, books, everyone she knows……… I concluded, years ago, that she can only build herself up by trying to bring down those around her.
Oh, and another thing: of course Vermeer painted still lifes! Good grief.
Oh, and another thing: of course Vermeer painted still lifes! Good grief.
Thanks for all the good comments and those that aren’t so good. It’s time to move on. In a way, this flareup is essential; in another way, it is ridiculous. When people start diagnosing me, it’s time to move on. We all have better things to do. I’ll continue my work on still lifes and portraits as best I see fit, not as some professor or stranger tells me to do or what I am like. That’s always the sign-off signal. It was fun, mostly.
I am caught on Vermeer. Looking at the portrait of Maria, I note her headwear, and am reminded of several Vermeers. Her solemnity, calm, beauty… The pedantic folks missed the element of the discussion (too busy being pedantic). Well done. Keep on.
Omg.. unbelievable waste of time! & such (Amherst) arrogance … no matter what label is used, it’s one of your most beautiful photos of beautiful Maria. A rose by any other name…..glad you’re a happy ass😘
Great pic,
Wonderful to look at.
Thank you.
To call the composition with Maria a still life, from a writer’s point of view, is poetic. It suggests a rootedness and a place of belonging, not in the world, but in that chair and before that laptop. I am sure that you and Maria and I can attest that several hours in our cozy writing spot DOES feel like a still life.
To met this professor on her level–Who is a PhD to challenge me on this, when I have a BA in English? Does she have an English degree? Can she speak with authority on the changing meanings of words, of the twisting of meanings to best describe the poetry of life? No. I think not.
To meet her on my own level– Leveraging the privilege of education as an absolute is not indictive of actual intelligence. Nor is it indictive of actual knowledge. But the grand leaps of thought, or lack there of, it took to get from being upset that you challenged basic art terms to casting you as what appears to be her ‘ultimate evil’ reeks of elitism and a lack of ability for coherent and intelligent debate. One could say it takes a page out of the book of a certain orange-tinted political candidate.
In further consideration– I wonder WHY this person so readily makes this leap from art terms to accusatory rhetoric? Is she afraid that challenging terminology will ultimately lead to the downfall of civilization? Is she harboring this much anger every day? Or does she just feel entitled to allow her emotions to rule over her and there for others? What does she have to gain by trying to drag you through the dirt?
You are a wordsmith, and you should be content in allowing that part of you to help define your art. Call it a still life. And if you suffer any more ire from this person, simply assure her that your defining a word against her wishes will honestly not burden her life anymore than she lets it.
maria definitely supreme authority on ART for me
thanks jon/maria and all sacred animals on bedlam/
I rely on journalists to offer their truth. I expect them to look into things on their own and report THAT. You won my trust with the carriage horse investigation you conducted and reported. I will always trust you more than most for that professional work.
My jobs were in education (briefly) and then 35 years in library work. Those jobs and the work of journalists are, at their deepest core, to look for the deepest truth and try to help people think. (and you’d better believe that is In My Honest Opinion!) You’re crushing this.
Every day, I choose joy. Thank you for your photos, your love of animals and nature, and for introducing me to Maria’s calm beauty.
Thanks for sharing, Jon.
Of the three photos you share here, I like them all. However, my preference is the top one (B&W) where Maria is sitting and typing on her laptop, and her left hand is at her chin. You caught her in a moment where she, apparently, is unaware of the camera, and is thinking about what to write.
As for your PhD professor and art student critics, I remember my university days when I earned a
BS in Ed., and thought about what those letters meant: B.S. is bull shit, M.S. is more shit, and PhD is Piled Higher and
Deeper.
Still Life or Portrait? Who cares? In either case, call them what you want, including great photographs!
I celebrate you as a bridge between the ivory-tower elitism of the schools you talk about and deniers. Challenging the status quo is vital. And how does it matter whether a photo is a portrait or a still life? Can it not be both? I see a Vermeer quality in this wonderful picture of Maria and I champion your muscular, questioning mind.
That’s a great “copy” of Maria a la vermeer. Your fotos have gotten better wh is true for most photographers who concentrate on it and do hundreds, thousands. But your views on art at large add nothing and just show your pomposity and narcissism. There are few good writers who have hit the nail on the head ABOUT art but you are not one of them. Like most arts, they unveil two elements: form and substance which explode in real life art into many unlimited almost expressions. Writing is about what is said and how it is said. Keep those in mind during the edit.
Stop promoting yourself off as an expert.
Btw NYU says you were not a professor there. Maybe an occasional adjunct for adult ed?
Tho I agree NYU is a better university, broader selection of classes, and often better experts, with less ethical issues (like the Sackler money, the Nazi collaboration, … ). Keep photographing and stop pontificating.
Allison, thanks. I don’t know who you spoke to or why are you investigating. I was a full professor there (not tenured) for five years and was often written about and quoted and much published as a media critic. I don’t need to explain this or why it’s your concern, but it’s pretty easy to verify if it’s something you need to know. I loved teaching and worked long and hard with some great students, with whom I’m still in touch, but I don’t have a college degree and couldn’t stay much longer. I wanted to go write books, and I did. Thanks for the good words.
Who cares what people with critical and nasty messages think. This topic is not a matter of national security or health, it is what you feel and believe. I believe that I see a still life, the objects carefully arranged in the background, amid a portrait. A wonderfully calming portrait. It is art. Each can see what they want to see, and take what they want from it. It is a lovely photo, Jon. Captures a wonderful mood.
Glory be, that is SUCH a beautiful picture. So tender and delicate and luminous and warm. No PhD can teach or convey or inspire that. What a privilege to see this. Away on a farm, in the privacy of their own home, a devoted husband decided to capture a glimpse of his beloved and then write warm words as a tribute. What’s not to like and admire about that? How many wives are pining for even a spark of love like this, to be seen and known as the beautiful souls that they really are? Thank you for sharing it with us. – Mary (Art scholarship credential: classes in crayon, string, glitter, macaroni, and LePage’s mucilage, taught by the Sisters of St. Dominic in 1963-1966).