There have occasionally been threads on topics related to artistic
interpretation and I thought it may be appropriate to invest some space on a
brief tutorial.
A couple attending an art exhibit at the National Gallery were staring at a
portrait that had them completely confused. The painting depicted three very
black and totally naked men sitting on a park bench. Two of the figures had
black penises, but the one in the middle had a pink penis. The curator of
the gallery realized that they were having trouble interpreting the painting
and offered his assessment. He went on for nearly half an hour explaining
how it depicted the sexual emasculation of African-Americans in a
predominately white, patriarchal society. "In fact," he pointed out, "some
serious critics believe that the pink penis also reflects the cultural and
sociological oppression experienced by men in contemporary society." After
the curator left, a Scottish man approached the couple and said, "Would you
like to know what the painting is really about?" "Now why would you claim to
be more of an expert than the curator of the gallery?" asked the couple.
"Because I'm the guy who painted it," he replied. "In fact, there's
no African-Americans depicted at all. They're just three Scottish
coal-miners. The only difference is that the guy in the middle went home for
lunch."
/jim
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