Bare Walls, Bare Minds
Last night Marie and I had the first disagreement of our new apartment. The furniture is more or less where we want it, and clothes are slowly diffusing from the floor to our latest IKEA faux wood living solution. The walls, however, remain untended-to and exude the sterile white warmth of an insane asylum.
So last night we gathered our posters, pictures, etc. and set about putting things in their place. After much hemming and hawing, we finally admitted the truth: neither of us like the other's décor. Marie's posters fit well in her old bedroom, but they're too girly for the living space of hip twentysomethings. My pieces, despite being elegant in their simplicity, are too stark for a room in need of color, (I'm told).
For sake of context, an archetypical his/hers set of offending pieces is shown below:
Milk Drop Coronet, Doc Edgerton
Lady of Shallot, John William Waterhouse
The differences are clear. Marie likes her romantic depictions of legend. I like my vaguely sciencey black-and-whites, and pictures of tricycles. Tensions were high, and we both resolved that the only solution was to find new art. For this, I turn to you, internet. I need suggestions for fresh, colorful art posters that can be procured on a graduate student's stipend. Basically, I'm hoping to feign artistic erudition (thus impressing friends and neighbors) without investing any time or money. In return I could clue you into some hot new scientists to name-drop at cocktail parties. That's fair, right?
Comments
Get married ...
It is not cheap, but you probably have to do it some time anyway ... that way you get tons of "free" pictures from people. Luckily, you guys went to different colleges so you will not be bombarded with the same sort of picture over and over again of your alma mater, which sickens your friends when they come over to visit.
Or, alternatively, you could not care and let Marie run rampant with her photos ...
Posted by: A.J. | January 26, 2006 09:46 AM
I'm thinking more short-term, here, AJ. But keep the ideas coming.
Posted by: jeff | January 26, 2006 10:47 AM
i love both of you, but each of those images are kind of heinous (though i like the tricycle one). i think the starting over idea is best. i suggest perusing flickr for smaller photo prints or ideas of what you both might like.
Posted by: catherine | January 26, 2006 02:03 PM
Oh ... does Marie know you are only in this for the short-term? :)
Posted by: Anonymous | January 26, 2006 11:00 PM
whoa whoa WHOA!
Jeff... why have you gon and dissed me on the internet? If Beyonce read this blog, she'd scold you (and perhaps your mama for not teaching you better than that!)
I freely admit I own some girly things... but I did not ask that they go up in our living room! And to post the Waterhouse as a typical reflection of my posters is completely ridiculous! I don't even want to keep that one!!!
and excuse me... while a milk drop could perhaps be labeled as elegant in it's simplicity and a vaguely science-y black and white still, I do not think the majority of your stuff, namely your big Big Lebowski poster or your oh so mature Buffy the Vampire Slayer Encourages You To Read poster, counts.
I like the picture of the tricycle... too bad you don't own it:)
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........
and in response to the short term comment... applications will now be taken as I will shortly have a vacated boyfriend position open:)
Posted by: marie | January 27, 2006 02:14 PM
haha
It was all fun and games until you brought Beyonce into it.
Posted by: jeff | January 27, 2006 02:26 PM
dayum, jeff. you just got called out on the internet.
Posted by: catherine | January 27, 2006 02:49 PM
Marie makes some valid points. But clearly the Buffy poster needs to stay. "Slay Ignorance"? Come on!
Posted by: tom | January 27, 2006 06:25 PM
After a recent visit to the MFA in Boston, I fell in love with this painting:
http://www.mfa.org/collections/search_art.asp?recview=true&id=34351
I'm searching for a print now for my living room. Also, I've found communist-era russian art to be very good. It's bound to have plenty of shades of red, and often has some very interesting subtext.
Posted by: Dan | February 2, 2006 02:36 PM