A-R-T...What is A-R-T?

Keep in mind that I gave blood this morning, and I'm feeling a pint low. Not enough blood to my brain. I went from the Red Cross to the Flint Public Library.

My studying table was surrounded by "art." I'll tell you what I "get", and what I "don't get."

A local hiking and photography club's pictures covered the walls. There were bees, dragonflies, chickadees, paths in the woods, and even a grizzly from Alaska. Those I got...much like some daily Blip posts. Some of those pictures are in the lower left.

The metal sculpture is next. To me...it looks like it reads U-C-C. Perhaps the University of Central Colorado? That piece I don't get, and the top edges look like they could be lethal.

How about the fancy "shower curtain" in the upper right? I wondered if it was there to hide the screen that just had to be behind it. I glanced behind it to see if I was right.

While looking for the screen...I did find the story about the piece. It is made of thousands of discarded liquor bottle caps. The artist...El Anatsui...cut, flattened, twisted, and stitched the caps together with copper wire. My respect for the "shower curtain" grew. He has other pieces in the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institute. This piece reminded him of the colors and stripes of West Africa. I felt like a rube for thinking of getting all wet and clean behind it.

The T-shirts brought out more art questions. They are from women who have been through domestic violence...which I realize is no laughing matter. A terrible thing.

The sayings on the shirts were mostly uplifting. Have faith. I had to leave...I had to live. You said you wanted a wife...but you turned me into a prisoner...and now I am finally free. You made your choices, and I made mine...I am a survivor. Those 4 tugged at my heartstrings...imagining what the abuse must be like.

But...the 5th one threw me off. Changes...from victim...to survivor...to vagina warrior. WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Too much info, and the image...for me...almost ruined the whole wall of T-shirts.

Art. To me, it brings back memories of our old custodian at work. A wonderful man. As for the other stuff...all these precious "pieces"? Art...like beauty...is in the eye of the beholder.

I was worried that Lisa would get on me about using the ATM machine today, so I kept my BE NICE TO ME...I GAVE BLOOD TODAY sticker...just in case.