And here is the famous painting:
February 19, 2010
Did the skater Johnny Weir deliberately allude to Picasso's "Boy with a Pipe"?
After skating in the Olympics last night, Johnny Weir got a wreath of roses, which he wore on his head as he waited for his scores:
And here is the famous painting:
And here is the famous painting:
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45 comments:
No, it's something else.
Do you think he is gay?
I like the coach's tiara.
By the way the Jennifer Flowers quote is completely inappropriate to have put on this blog.
My children read and love Althouse and I had to explain to them what eating pussy meant. It should be deleted ASAP.
Yeah, the NBC logo looks like a tiara, hee hee.
I dislike Picasso....
When I was youngI always had this feeling when I looked at his famous paintings that he hated women.
I don't know how the hell I got that "feeling" but there it is.
Maybe because he seemed to reduce women to their parts and then scrambled them.
Then later I found a "pretty portrait" of a female-a paramour. So I read up on that relationship and it turns out he put out a cigarette on her face.
Picasso quelle Putz.
No he didn't, but he knew it would get him in the papers because he's just so nutty! OMG!
I have to say, I was unaware of him until watching an episode of that HBO sports show. Can't stand him.
He is an attention seeking idiot. He plays this, "I am the biggest, most obnoxious queen in high heels and fur, but that does not mean I am gay!" routine. 6 months from now, for more attention when his 15 are up, he's thinking he will be on the cover of People with the headline, "I am gay."
Meanwhile, all the while during his routine time/waiting for his score, the announcer would mention over and over how much his family was always supportive of his "true self," and was always encouraged to embrace sequins if that's what he wants...I wanted to gag. He's a brat and they act as tho he has overcome something.
I hate game playing attention seeking a-holes who that aren't all that.
What was meant that he "competed on his own terms"?
You could be right.
He couldn't change the skate rules.
Why are people talking about whether he's gay? It's skating. How could it matter?
When I was young I always had this feeling when I looked at his famous paintings that he hated women.
Yeah, I got similar feelings, although "hate" is maybe a bit strong. Matisse makes a good contrast, I think he liked woman.
Yes, but I don't know what it means.
During New York’s Fashion Week last year, Weir unabashedly voiced his ambitions. “I want to have my own line.” And if he can’t actually have his own fashion company, Weir wants to put his own design ideas to work for someone else. In fact he says, he’s already been approached to collaborate.
Good for him.
chuck-
Hey thanks for the Matisse suggestion. I'll have to check those out more. I tend to hang out in The Impressionist, Hudson River sections.
I'm not going to pretend I know much about art.
His paintings do seem to be more friendly toward the subjects.
He reminds me of Gauguin somehow.
From the pics, yes. If this was from last night, I missed it (in bed with a cold). Ice dancing is on now & I'm not a fan, I guess. Don't know much about art, either.
The Americans look very very good.
I haven't seen a girl with a tattoo yet. Are tattoos forbidden?
I'm sure any tattoos would be masked with makeup (or clothing).
Speaking of tattoos, and of artists...
I happened onto a cable show last night called LA Ink. Apparently the show is about a tattoo parlor, owned by a girl named Kat. I am no fan of tattoos, but I walked away with a much finer appreciation for just how good an artist you need to be in order to make so many people happy with bringing their vision to life with ink, that they allow you to brand into their skin forevermore.
If you think bartenders have a front row seat to people's problems, they have NOTHING on the tattoo artist. Big burly guys, lying on the table with tears in their eyes while they tell the story of their dead dog, or their dead mom who will once again come to life now that they will take over their forearms or biceps. A young girl whose husband is in the Navy, and gone for 11 months at a time, who smiles about how close he will be to her now that she has his ship within view.
It was all very moving, and incredibly personal. Next time I find myself sitting beside someone with a tattoo, instead of thinking about how much I don't like them, instead I'll be asking that person to share their tattoo story with me.
Go Pikus
Ann, part of his publicity stuff is, I wear cat suits and high heels, but don't call me gay, I am just being me!! that I hate. I don't care that he's gay, but it's the whole phony publicity photos begging to be asked the question and then he says, "why do you think I am gay? Just because I like false eyelashes?" Come on.
I wouldn't care if he was out there being kooky if he said, yeah, I am gay, duh, so what? He does the opposite.
Janis Gore - that was the other thing that annoyed me...that rebel, Johnny Weir, does everything, "on his own terms."
He wasn't going to compete this Olympics, but decided in April he would, ON HIS OWN TERMS.
He can't do a lot of the jumps, but he did it...ON HIS OWN TERMS...
Ugh....
Althouse: Why are people talking about whether he's gay? It's skating. How could it matter?
I'm gay and when I see a man I wonder if he is gay, maybe not right away, but it will cross my mind.
Beyond that, skating is an industry where people try to produce a persona they can use to get endorsements. The personalities are part of the skating experience, so his sexuality is important to the enjoyment of the performance.
And beyond that, people can be interesting in and of themselves. Their race, culture, sexuality, favorite books, physical appearance, all of it, is important if we want to understand them. Maybe we don't want to view him as just a skater, some dehumanized professional, but as a human being, a friend. We care enough about him to want to know about him. Thank goodness for that!
Hooow.. Russian loser Evgeni Plushenko takes a pot shot at the American Evan Lysacek gold medal winner.
Typical.
Weimar Republik.
Now that I can (finally) see the picture, it's obvious that thoughts of the painting were nowhere in his mind.
I love the Olympic torch.. seem like they were going for a new world carbon footprint ;)
There are other images thatcusextge crown of roses theme.
Titus said...
Do you think he is gay?
Probably more than you. Stunner.
Titus said...
I had to explain to them what eating pussy meant.
When you told them, did you look at them and make the EWWWW! SO ICKY!! face?
Ann Althouse said...
Why are people talking about whether he's gay? It's skating. How could it matter?
Of course it matters? Skating has been taken over completely by the gay. This is the Olympics, not the Gaylympics. Seriously, you are more concerned about people worried about whether male ice skaters are gay or not. In the end, I don't care. I just want to know why something kurling and ice dancing are olympic events at all. That is the crime here?
Oh, my. I was wondering if anyone was watching the network version of the Olympics while I was watching the Hockey games.
I wish that i could just record all the hockey games, but the cnbc lineup does not include seperate recording opportunities for just the hockey.
In any case, the Swedes look really good as do the Americans. The Canadians need to be a lot faster if they want to reach the gold medal round and you can never take your eyes off the Russians, they still could win it all!
My dark horse for the medal rounds is the Chek (Czek, Cezk, Cechkz???) Repuclic to earn at least a bronze.
Ancient Olympic champions wore laurel wreaths, so he was premature and presumptuous.
I wanted to fix that Emo hair with my #1 clipper. It was also stupid to wear a white top over white ice if you're an artistic skater--you want the judges to see your arms and posture. So much for gay judgement on clothes.
And Evan is too tall and lanky to wear tight black outfits. OTOH, because he skated cleanly, it may have helped him with the judges, since any error would have been accentuated. Did you see the sprig of his hair stick up on the spins?
The UK dancing pair were brother and sister, doing a thankfully unsexy tango.
the Chek Repuclic
See ironrails ironweights about this.
I believe the country is Czech Republic.
WV - frock - fewer sequins on the boys', please.
CatherineM, this is how much he "can't do a lot of jumps":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK0PB5vpbaQ
Take a chill pill. He's a great skater; if YOU don't consider him "all that", that's some lofty standards you have. And if you already "can't stand" someone you apparently found out about only recently, that's quite a judgy self-righteous horse you seem to be mounted on.
"If one is gay, as am I, one is supposedly predisposed to adore figure skating."
Land down under - Men at work
For Tiger Woods, why is the religion substitute — therapy — preferable to Buddhism?
Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson
"I am Dr. Amy Bishop."
I don't Know
Tube in... tube out!
Billie Jean Live
What is it with these women not getting abortions ;)
At the Alienation Nightclub...
Music sounds better with you .
Hes not one of ours.. must be one of yours.
The question whether Weir is gay is invited by Ms. Althouse's allusion to "Boy with a Pipe." The painting itself is often a source of speculation about Picasso's sexuality. It is quite possible the subject of a series of sketches done in advance of "Boy with a Pipe," was Max Jacob, who was believed to have referred to Picasso as "my beloved." There is an interesting Princeton blog post that analyzes Picasso's relationship with Jacob in relation to this painting specifically, if anyone is interested.
Picasso was paying homage to the beauty he saw in androgyny and the boy was the vehicle but I suspect, not the inspiration. Sotheby's mentions that Picasso abandoned the painting in frustration only to pick it up a month later when he added the crown of roses almost on a whim. It seems unlikely, as someone who paints, Picasso acted on whim here. No doubt something or someone inspired him to put that crown on the boy. This begs the question whether Weir, an artist in his own right, donned the wreath on whim or was inspired to give a tip of the hat to Picasso. There are many obvious reasons Weir would be drawn to Picasso's painting that celebrates androgyny. It seems reasonable to conclude he knew of it. If he did I would guess he is making a deliberate allusion. If he did not the coincidence is almost astounding.
Hurt - Tiger Woods
That's a picture of two people who need sex therapy.
I've seen that before. Did he wear a similar rose wreath on his head in a previous olympics or skating competition? I rarely pay attention to these things, but he looked so incredibly stupid it stuck in my head sufficiently to recall it after seeing this post.
Well, love him or hate him, Weir looks like the only skater out there having fun.
These are beautiful young people in the peak of physical condition, and it's almost painful to see how little most of them are glorying in it and being happy.
Even the medalists might look back on this in 20 years and feel like they missed out.
To CATHERINE
You're an idiot (albeit a sick one.)
Your venom and need to have this gentle artist conform to YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS is psychopathic.
Catherine, you say nothing about Johnny Weir here... but say much about your own inner turmoil.
Get psychological help... you'll be less bitter and angry.
LOLL - NO, there's absolutely no allusion to Picasso's portrait. Was this the best topic idea you had for your blog... excuses, excuses. ;-)
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