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...jen o'connor's...Artful Adventures & Daily Inspirations

I Love Art, Adore the Handmade and Treasure the Vintage. I am the Fun Mom, the Silly Friend and the Writer who wants to make more room for beauty in the everyday.

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Friday, April 4, 2008

Red tops my "Color Chart"














Red, wonderful red. Apples and barns and skies before storms. This is red. It has the taste of fall's harvest, the glint of Christmas, and the succulent warmth of summer's cherries. It emblazons each season with its hot brand.
It's cheery red toenails peeking from sandals and lips dressed for their evening out. It's every pair of shoes I've ever loved.

Red is bold in its hunger for acknowledgement, eager to prove, confident and decidedly happy about it. It makes people dance and others cower. It's vibrant, strong and brave. It is most welcome in my home and I dash it about almost recklessly among textures and patterns.
As a color-aholic, I wonder what does this addiction to red mean?
"Color Chart" is the title of a wonderful exhibit at MOMA that is up through May12th. It explores the use of color and color trends from the 1950s through the present day. The exhibit begs the questions, "Did you once cook on an avocado-colored stove?", "Did you embrace beige?", "Did you ever own neon colored socks to coordinate with your Madonna-esque rubber bracelets?" (Actually, I asked that last one...)
The Museum of Modern Art exhibit explored artists' works and their color stories and how color entered the mainstream and impacted the new age of commercialism that was born with TV and weaned on POP culture, breakfast cereal, and the exploration of space.
"Midway through the twentieth century, long-held convictions regarding the spiritual truth or scientific validity of particular colors gave way to an excitement about color as a mass-produced and standardized commercial product."
The exhibit explores how some artists abandoned the use of developing their own pigments and reached for cans of pre-fab paint, and what resulted.
Look, at Ro and red, it practically belongs to her... do you remember this red letter day Robin and Heidi?



















...here's Theresa, another red friend, in a sweater to match our cheer, and my Bakelite bracelets... (I admit they are, yet another, addiction!)























Ahhh, yummy red, brave red, intense red...it's pink's bossy big sister and everywhere in my home. Can you paint the town red? Do redheads have more fun (we'll need to ask Dawn about that!)? Do you love it? Does it have to be in small doses? Do tell the truth and shame that red devil!
How can I help myself from loving it and its hues, from tomato to wine and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates..
And, here's a link to the exhibit on-line...think and dream in your colors!
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/colorchart/
xxoo Jen O'Connor

11 comments:

Katie said...

Now this is one of my favorite colors. I love the hooked rug on the first picture - oh my! You display your goodies so well. I could take lessons from you!

Anonymous said...

Your red walls are the perfect shade of red! Red is a magical backdrop for entertaining with candlelight.

Especially like Ashley Carter's little lady perched on the heart, and what is the object on the top picture( to the right) with the three pretty strawberries hanging down? I like that too.

May the end of your day be celebrated with a toast to 'Red' with a glass of burgundy.

Michelle Legler said...

I Love to add red to my soft colors of aqua, green and pink. It adds a little kick and a dose of fun to the calm. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I always dream that I am a red-head... Love it too! Another FAB post!

Anonymous said...

Red is such a delicious and sweet color... warm and inviting too. I'm in the process of painting our living-room red.... the paint is called Fusion.

The photos of all the wonderful goodies are so YUMMY!!! It makes me want to have one of everything.

Rosanne said...

Red....the color I love the most. Goes with everything....turquoise, green, brown, pink. It is a happy color for me. I see red and I smile. Can't get enough of it.

Jen you have been a great inspiration to me and I love the fact that we share our love of fun, folk art and RED!

Anonymous said...

WOW!!! What a COLOR!!! I have to admit that I Love the Burgundy Shade of Red Best...but all shades of red have always been a favorite for me!! I used to have a Red Bedroom when I was growing up! Can't believe my poor parents agreed to paint it that color. It probably took 6 coats to cover the walls!!

All of your beautiful artwork is just wonderful!!! I am in awe of all the handmade creations! To be in the same room as all of those wonderful pieces would make my heart melt! Thank you so much for sharing pictures!

Many Blessings!
Michelle Sylvia

Jennifer Lanne said...

oooh now I have no excuese not to wear my new 1940's red "Ruby Woo" lipstick at the Spring Soiree, right?
you'vew been duly warned!

Dara said...

I LOVE red too!!!! My neighbors all had a hissy when I painted one of the front parlors in the old Victorian house I used to live in red ...(we still own the house and boy do I miss it). My dining room is red and I love it...Red makes a fabulous back drop for all kids of great artwork! And yes, as a redhead I do have lots of fun....maybe even more than when I was a blond!
Dara

Anonymous said...

I juts bought a deep red paint to repaint a cabinet shelf. My grandmother who recently passed away had lots of red in her kitchen and some of those red things will be passed on to me. It's an exciting color and for someone who's not known for being loud it's a great way to express how I feel on this inside. It's a powerful color:)

Charmingdesigns said...

I LOVE red! I did a whole week of red photos on my blog.I really enjoyed your blog! Laurie


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