By Julie, settling into post-St. Petersburg life in Boston
Barb, Sherry and I went to Bouchercon this past weekend. It was in St. Petersburg, Florida. Bouchercon is a huge mystery convention, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed the first time you go. But this time around I didn’t have a panel so I could spend time seeing folks and catching up. I was also cycling off the national Sisters in Crime board, so it was my last board meeting with a terrific group of folks. The highlight of the weekend was seeing Sherry assume the role of President of SinC. She’s going to be great.
St. Petersburg was a fun place to visit. I didn’t stay in the conference hotel, which meant that I got a lot of walking in, which was terrific. It is an excellent food city, and we had some great meals. The conference hotel had a frozen Rose (Frose) drink that was delightful, and helped mitigate the heat a bit. All wonderful.
I also gained a new perspective while I was in St. Pete. The Dali Museum is there, and I paid it a visit. I’ve known of the work of Salvador Dali, of course. But the visit to the museum, and the ability to see his work in person offered me a chance to reflect on it with fresh eyes. The painting of his estranged father, The Average Bureaucrat. Yikes. Not only that it was of his father. But the bowed head of the bureaucrat hit me hard in its truth.
When I was younger Dali amused me. I’ll admit now I didn’t get it. As a middle-aged woman, I see a depth to his work that moves me. I still don’t understand it all, but I want to try. Maybe it’s all the research I did for the Clock Shop series, but his exploration of time , science, and the human condition is incredible. His technical skill can’t be disputed. The mind behind the work is fascinating. I bought a book so I could begin to learn more about the man and his work.
I’m not sure why, but his painting Still Life–Fast Moving fascinated me. Does that ever happen to you? Something hits you hard, and you have to keep looking at it? I liked it so much I bought this small print of it. I think it was the cauliflower in the clouds that did it. The more I look at it, the more I see. How great is that? Could that be a metaphor for this next phase in my life?
The timing of my visit to the Dali Museum was perfect. I was open to letting Dali into my subconscious, and am enjoying the effect. I’m not sure if it is the work of Dali or my reconsideration of it that has given me pause, but something shifted in me after my visit. A desire to get back into a museum going habit and use art to challenge my perspective is blooming, and I have no intention of ignoring it.
PS, I also got a mug with melting clocks. Because how could I not?
How about you, dear readers? Have you ever revisited an artist or a work a few years later and understood it on another level?