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3.1.18

CONCEPTUAL ART - a story in one hundred words

CONCENPTUAL ART

Marcie wandered the exhibition, aware that her best frock was hopelessly unfashionable, but she didn’t care - when she cleared up afterwards she’d get the leftovers.
Meanwhile she eavesdropped as they told each other what it meant.
“Of course, it’s pollution – plastic resembling jellyfish and killing whales.”
“No, no – it represents the ephemeral nature of life.”
“I see a cloud of angels coming to gather souls.”
“How sweet! Isn’t she a darling?”

Suddenly Marcie could bear their braying voices no longer. “I’ve been sweeping round these bloody things for days – they just look like cotton reels and condoms to me.”
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Apologies to Roger Bultot, who took the photo and probably understood the exhibit, but once I'd seen cotton reels and condoms I couldn't write anything else. Thanks to Rochelle for posting the prompt on her blog https://rochellewisoff.com/  from whence you can follow the link to read how other writers interpreted the picture.
I would like to wish everyone who visits my blog a very happy and prosperous 2018. My own New Year got off to a good start as I had a pleasant surprise today - I've sold ten copies of A Volcanic Race already this year! This is probably nothing special for a seasoned novelist, but for a debut author it is wonderful - my family bought their copies last year so this means that people I don't know are reading my work. Have you bought a copy yet? The link is at the top of this page.
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52 comments:

  1. Anonymous03/01/2018, 17:54

    what fun!

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    Replies
    1. liz young03/01/2018, 18:07

      Thanks Neil. A light-hearted story for a change!

      Delete
  2. Helen Baggott03/01/2018, 18:21

    Ha! I've seen exhibits that make me wonder...

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  3. Susan A Eames03/01/2018, 19:46

    Haha - loved it, Liz. I'm clean out of ideas for this one so I might wait until next week before I start contributing again. :)

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:51

      Come on, Susan - it's only Thursday. Get your thinking cap on!

      Delete
  4. Iain Kelly03/01/2018, 20:04

    Knowing artists obsessions, Marcie is probably right!

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:52

      If a piece of art has to be explained to me, I'm not interested. Soes that make me a Philistine?

      Delete
  5. Alice Audrey03/01/2018, 21:17

    I'm glad I wrote mine before I read yours. Otherwise I, too, would only see cotton reels and condoms.

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  6. brudberg03/01/2018, 21:21

    Ha.. many artists would eaves drop, wondering what the heck people see in their art.

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    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:53

      Many artists would be devastated by what they heard.

      Delete
  7. Dale03/01/2018, 22:03

    That was hilarious! Now all I can see are condoms....

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  8. Christine G04/01/2018, 04:20

    Congrats on the most unusual take on a prompt ever.🙄 Possibly also the most unique interpretation of this "art."

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  9. Anurag Bakhshi04/01/2018, 07:22

    Ha ha ha. Finally, someone not afraid to call a spade a spade.

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    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:54

      I am glad Marcie had the guts to speak her mind.

      Delete
  10. draliman04/01/2018, 08:30

    Ha, I don't think these co-called experts ever really understand what the artist was trying to say (if anything!).

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:55

      One has to assume the artist had something in mind.

      Delete
  11. Sandra Crook04/01/2018, 10:53

    The voice of reason. She tells it like it is.

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:55

      She does - and she gets to take the canapes home at the end!

      Delete
  12. Patsy04/01/2018, 11:22

    Now you mention it, that is what it looks like.

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    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:56

      Thanks Patsy - I am so glad you see it too!

      Delete
  13. Anonymous04/01/2018, 12:39

    I think I'll go with the angels ...

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 12:56

      Fair enough - it is a happier interpretation!

      Delete
  14. Rochelle Wisoff-Fields04/01/2018, 16:12

    Dear Liz,

    Oh that last line nearly knocked me off chair! I felt the same way when I was a student at the Kansas City Art Institute. So much of art interpretation is just plain BS. Wonderfully written.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 16:16

      Thanks Rochelle - one day we should meet up, I think we have a similarly twisted sense of the ridiculous.

      Delete
  15. Keith's Ramblings04/01/2018, 18:08

    Anything goes as far as today's art is concerned...I often go to the Tate Modern!


    Click to read my FriFic!

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  16. Anonymous04/01/2018, 18:55

    just tell it like it is. some artists don't like to hear that. :)

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    Replies
    1. liz young04/01/2018, 22:14

      Some artists are too far up their own backsides!

      Delete
  17. Unknown04/01/2018, 22:59

    I think these types of installation art can be anything the viewer wants and that is probably rarely what the artist conceptualised.

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  18. moon05/01/2018, 16:44

    Hehehe.
    That was such a fun read. Thank you, Liz.
    Happy New Year.🙂

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  19. Scott05/01/2018, 20:28

    Ah, the voice of reason!
    Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2018/01/05/disappearing-act/
    Scott

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  20. Lynn Love06/01/2018, 13:35

    Ha! Cotton reels and condoms - nice one Liz

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    1. liz young06/01/2018, 16:32

      It rolls off the tongue nicely, doesn't it? That wasn't supposed to sound salacious!

      Delete
  21. Linda06/01/2018, 19:41

    Oh my. Hadn't thought of condoms. Big spools, but not condoms :)

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  22. Anonymous07/01/2018, 01:15

    I think yours is the most unique interpretation so far. Leave it to a down-to-earth woman to speak her mind. Congratulations on the book sells. I know if I ever publish I will be dancing a gig with 10 sales from strangers.

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    Replies
    1. liz young07/01/2018, 18:53

      Thanks spauldis. I sold 14 in 2017 after publishing late November, so that ten brings me up to a couple of dozen. I'm still waiting for an agent to spot it and snap me up!!

      Delete
  23. Dawn08/01/2018, 21:44

    They say art is subjective.
    So there ya go ;)

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  24. P.S. Joshi09/01/2018, 14:21

    Oh well, different people see different things. Congratulations on the success of your book, Liz. Happy New Year 2018! :) --- Suzanne

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    Replies
    1. liz young09/01/2018, 22:23

      Thanks Suzanne, though two dozen sales isn't a runaway success!

      Delete
  25. Sascha Darlington09/01/2018, 22:32

    Love this. I love seeing things in art, but there can also be an elitist pretension that goes along with it. Condoms and cottons reels kind of brings it back to earth.

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    Replies
    1. liz young10/01/2018, 13:34

      Thanks Sascha - pretension is exactly the right word!

      Delete

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