Last week I saw a Michelangelo. Today, when my second cousin Kathleen took me to an art exhibition, I chanced upon the famous wave reproduced thousands of times all over the world. What is it with Italians liking Japanese art and manga and food? There are many sushi joints around this neighborhood, competing with hair salons and fashion boutiques and groceries.
Perhaps because Italians are lovers of art, beauty, and perfection?
Inside the gallery, we were given head sets attached to a gadget with recorded voice. A DIY tour. After some time I got tired of listening and just looked at the paintings, drawings, and woodcuts. My favorites were the ones with water. Photographs are not allowed inside the museum, so I post here a simulacrum of Hokusai’s original work during the Edo period. It was small – the size was just a little bigger than a bond paper, but it was installed in the center of a dim room, spotlights and all. I just learned that the great wave is happening in a brewing storm, with Mt Fuji in the background and a mirror image of Mt Fuji in the foreground.
Beautiful. It’s both wild and serene. The year is coming to an end, and it’s nice to see something beautiful. It’s mundane (it’s just a wave), but transient pleasures in life could be worth appreciating sometimes.
