I was popping bubble wrap today and it made me think about art. About how great art changes the way you see the world.
Amelie (one of my favourites) changed the way I think about people who secretly pop bubble wrap. In the movie, almost every character has their "likes" and "dislikes" presented just before they enter the storyline. A neighbour who plays a mean trick on Amelie as a little girl only likes one thing: "popping bubble wrap". From memory, there is short scene where the man sits alone at his diningroom table, his shifty eyes scanning the empty room as the camera pans down to his hands which are vigorously popping a sheet of bubble wrap.
That short scene about a minor character, made me giggle to myself as I sat at my desk surreptitiously popping away. I remembered Amelie, and suddenly I associated the act with repression and depravity. Suddenly I wondered if my popping may be something I might like to bring up in consultation with a therapist?
Great art does this! Great art finds and presents connections that, if executed cleverly, make you smile (or sigh) with recognition.
NB. The paintings above are by Michael Sowa
, one of which hangs above Amelie's Bed.
, one of which hangs above Amelie's Bed. What movie, painting, book, character changed your perception of something you do?
Fun post! I loved that movie and had forgotten about the Bubble wrap popping man and the painting. I recently had a friend share some photos of her Paris trip and she sent me one of her in the Cafe where Amelie was filmed! It is a bit of a tourist attraction now. I must remember to go there if I am ever in Paris again. I am trying to think which habit of mine would feature if I was a character in that movie (plenty to choose from). I'm afraid I am a bubble wrap popper as well, but only on occasion. Once I start I can't stop!
ReplyDeleteMy first Jonathan Carroll book really blew my mind and changed my view about fiction. He is my mentor.
ReplyDeleteI love the third painting at the top of your post, the one with the pig in the bowl. That's brilliant. I probably wouldn't hang it on my wall, but it's a good example of art that makes you think. It reminds me of a book that made an immense impact on how I think: Charlotte's Web.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate art that does just that, makes connections for us and makes us think.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts here.