Tuesday, February 14, 2012

LILLIAN BASSMAN : A FEW THOUGHTS IT IS VALENTINE DAY

A little sadden today and also a little joyous .Not all of us gets a chance to meet our legends in the art world . I am not talking about being in a room with 200 people , at a book signing or in an art gallery with more people all wanting the same thing.Where not even eye contact is made.This leads to the question why do people say they know someone.

I know I believe in the joy of serendipity and generosity of spirit both of these concepts have help me to live, live much larger than I ever expected.One day out of the blue I was asked if a would like to go to a birthday party.It turn out to be a small party to celebrate Lillian Bassman's
ninetieth birthday.Wow little me facing the eternal question what to wear ,black and white was the right choice.

I carried a large bouquet of white calla lilies to give Ms Bassman .A small women who projected big, energetic, naturally glamorous, high spirited, giving. I later learned she spent the entire evening holding those flowers.I often wonder how,I wanted to leave them on the subway after I found out how much a dozen of these flowers weigh.

It is kind of funny and probably more than approprate that this is Valentine Day because one of the great love stories in the world is of Lillian & Paul . A part of it was two teenage sweethearts going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at painting particularly painting of the mannerists who influence some of her art and photography

Ms Bassman was a photographer a mother a art director who promoted the work of a generation of photographers of the mid century who later went on to become masters of the media.

She was funny and made me smile and reconfirmed what love could be

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