Once upon a time, when I was a feisty college-aged feminist, I could hardly stand to watch a James Bond movie. The sexism just pissed me off. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily shell out money to see Bond in the theater, but if he turns up on the television, I’m mostly amused. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about sexism in the media. I’ve just learned, with age, to pick my battles.
Gustav Klimt painted a lot of women. Not all of them would pass a hypothetical “feminist correctness” test. (Was Judith really so sultry, and so bloodthirsty?) But you know what? I have very little desire to critique his paintings. I just want to enjoy them. I think that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes pleasure just is. Sometimes it can be left unanalyzed. Even on a blog dealing with gender and feminism.
Here’s Klimt together with Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Enjoy! (Or if you don’t, you can be the critic in comments.)
(Go here if you can’t see the video.)
Video via the Suspect Guru Museum, which has lots of other wonderful art clips.
Patron cat of Kittywampus (1985-2001)
Very nice. Haven’t listened to much Mahler; I enjoyed the score. The two Gustavs work well together.
Then all I can say is listen to some more Mahler! I’ve loved him since the first time I heard him. I was 18 and had just gotten a couple of wisdom teeth removed. I was seriously stoned on codeine or vicodin or whatever the dentist gave me. It was transcendent. But he’s pretty great without the drugs, too. He brought me and my husband together, so even if I didn’t like his music, I’d have to be grateful.