My New Obsession: Art

Perhaps this is a result of the fact that I've voluntarily thrown myself into an intense 3-month crash course on modern art, but I have a new obsession: art. If I have a little extra time or need a break, I'll look for random artists and themes with the term "art" on Google Images to see what comes up and just gaze at the pieces. I have LOVED sitting in class and hearing about how Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" questioned how we define art in addition to just being really funny (this sculpture consists of a ceramic urinary turned upside down and signed in black ink). I get to learn that Edgar Degas, although a very interesting and revolutionary sculptor, was also a sexist, racist, misogynistic, anti-semitic asshole. I get to learn that Medardo Rosso's sculptures "disappear" if you look at them from the wrong angle or in the wrong light because the way he molded the bronze, the figure is only distinguishable from a certain point of view. SO. FREAKING. COOL.
I have also gotten really into looking at my surroundings a little more carefully to see what I can find. That's what we're supposed to do while we're abroad, aren't we? Slow down, take a deep breath, and absorb everything that we can. Here are some examples of the artwork or beautiful images that I have seen around town and at the Fac:


This coming weekend, Fay, Jacqueline, Jacqueline's friend Alicia, and I are going to Lyon, a big city north of us for its annual Festival of Lights which goes for 3 days straight. Every night, the city lights up with tons of art installations, concerts, activities, and such with the theme of light for those three days. We're going to be spending a night there so we can stay out late and look at everything. That should be fun!