At First Glance

The above posted painting is "Nell Blaine," painted by Jane Freilicher. I want to talk about this painting in relation to the O'Hara poems we have already discussed. Dr. Watson said in class yesterday, about both Pollock's and O'Hara's work, that it looks very easy and simple. Of course, it isn't. The above posted painting makes me think of a first glance or (and I hate to use this word) first impression. The first time you see anything, unless you are extraordinary, you do not remember absolutely everything about that moment. Instead you remember in thoughts like Freilicher's painting invokes: I am painting the scene I saw this morning and oh! how blue the floor was or she was sitting, but on or in what, a chair, obviously, but what did the chair look like? What was it's color? I think O'Hara's poem invites the same type of questions, but he doesn't quite answer them: I looked at watches and then I-- Oh! There were cats, but who was working the table? Were the cats afraid of someone taller than them? Doesn't matter, I am writing about death here!

I realize that both artists choose to leave out some details while capitalizing on others, but it obviously isn't simple or easy because they both have to make those choices while maintaining an over message. I will never forget that the woman's mouth was red in the Freilicher painting, and that O'Hara wrote or was inspired to write all of those poems on his lunch break.