The Mistress, the Spider, the Tangerine & the Radio (or being 90 is no reason to slow down)

"Art is the gurantee of sanity" Louise Bourgeois

Over the long weekend I finally had the opportunity to see the Louise Bourgeois documentary at Film Forum.
The New York Times has a good review of the film written by Nathan Lee and titled "Portrait of a Haunted Artist Who Befriended Giant Spiders".
I always liked Ms. Bourgeois' art (the spiders, the phalli, the hands, the rooms), but Ms. Bourgeois is also a major attraction herself. One could say she is a art herself.

Also over the weekend I heard an interview with Daniel Schorr on The Leonard Lopate Show.
Mr. Shorr like Ms. Bourgeois is in his nineties. Something I did not know until last week.
Seeing& hearing both of these people who had seen and lived so much and who continue to be so productive was inspiring. It also made me reflect on our youth obsessed culture. And how little deference the elders receive today. I understand not every ninety year old is sharp as a tack like Daniel Schorr or driven like Ms. Bourgeois and that age could be an issue in certain jobs (like the presidency). But experience is irreplaceable and not appreciated enough.
A sense of purpose is what seems to be very fundamental to a person's happiness. And while the examples of Mr. Schorr and Ms. Bourgeois show that an individual responsibility is key, I also think that today not enough value & opportunities are given to the elder.

You can listen to the Daniel Schorr interview here:



www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2008/07/04