Treasures in the Bookstore

Tonight I spent some time in one of my favorite places-the bookstore...I love the hidden treasures that beckon my wandering eyes as I peruse the shelves. From the magazine section- with various art magazines spattered with beautiful covers and striking designs-to the poetry section-with concise and thoughtful prose-I cannot help but savor my time in such places.

I love the quest for something good, something true, something interesting/striking. Sometimes it takes hours to find a book that I really enjoy, but I always leave with a feeling of joy after exploring the offerings of almost any bookstore. The fact that I have ready access to so much intellectual product is pretty crazy. As I looked at the magazines, I considered how privileged I am to even be able to appreciate thoughtful writing. Many people cannot read or do not have the resources (or free time) to visit such a wonderful place.

During tonight's quest, I found a magazine called "ARTnews." The cover listed three story topics, which all intrigued me:
"Shock Art: How Far is Too Far?"
"Michaelangelo: The Drawings Debate"
and "What Rauschenberg Taught Us"

I hope that I can draw others into a discussion about the themes of these articles, perhaps about all three. I'll post some thoughts about the articles later on. Admittedly, the Rauschenberg piece is what drew me in...I am fascinated by his work. Sadly, I did not really develop an interest in him until after his recent death, when articles starting coming out of the woodwork about his legacy.

For now, i'll leave you all with a quote from the Rauschenberg piece and a link to an article about Rauschenberg that I ran across earlier this summer:

"What I always liked about his work was that there was a mess of stuff going on in there and it wasn't too cleaned up. I can't see the art world without him. He celebrated life, both the dark and the light." -Polly Apfelbaum

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/arts/design/14rauschenberg.html