28 November 2007

New Horizons in Art Appreciation

This is the star of my new favorite show, "Sister Wendy". Her name is Sister Wendy. Her show is in a documentary format--she tours different art museums in the U.S. and Europe and showcases various works of art.
I love Sister Wendy!! She is so enthusiastic about art, and she wants everyone to share her passion. As you can see from the picture, she has buck teeth--but what you can't see is that she has a British accent--and a lisp. What a combination! For some reason, it's very endearing. As one of the reviewers on Amazon said, "You can't help but fall a little bit in love with her". Definitely true, but hard to convey in a written editorial.
Sister Wendy has an amazingly deep understanding of art, and she is really good at explaining her interpretation for anyone to understand. In addition to the lisping British accent, she has amazing vocal range. She doesn't speak loudly, and she really has a small dynamic range, but she is able to make everything she says sound intensely intelligent and important. In one segment, she was talking about a Korean pitcher that had some sculpted figures near the top of the handle, and she mentioned how the Koreans that used it must have felt such joy whenever they went to pour water out of the pitcher. She always likes to make speculations about the people that painted, used, or were some way involved in a work of art.
Another thing I really like about her show is that it isn't religious. She picks a great range of art--ancient Chinese scrolls, Buddhist sculptures, modern female artists (as well as the old standards)--not at all what you would imagine a nun would choose. And she approaches them all with an unbiased and sacred viewpoint.
I tried to find a clip on YouTube to give you an idea, but I wasn't able to find anything good. There is an interview with Bill Moyers on there, which was interesting, but not the same as watching the show. You'll have to get it from Netflix if you want to check it out.

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