Completely Enthralled
"The story of painting is
one that is immensely rich in meaning, yet its value is all too
often hidden from us by the complexities of historians. We must
forget the densities of 'history' and simply surrender to the
wonder of the story."" --Sister Wendy Beckett
This four-DVD set presents every Sister Wendy episode from
her Story of Painting series, plus Sister Wendy’s Odyssey,
Sister Wendy’s Pains of Glass, Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour and
an interview with Sister Wendy.
When watching these DVDs, you will become as enthralled with
art as Sister Wendy is herself. As a long-time fan of her books,
I was pleased to finally be able to view the art all over Europe
and to hear her poetic explanations.
When explaining the paintings at the Caves of Lascaux, I was
surprised when she mentioned evolution. However, it was so
delightful to hear a nun explaining the cave art and concluding
that art is about being human. What made me laugh out loud was
those times when she just breaks free from reticence and says
things like “male erotic fury” when describing the cave
painting.
At times Sister Wendy says the most amusing things. They are
all in innocence and show her beauty, yet slightly mischievous
side.
She is not your “everyday” nun or at least, she is not
what I expected. She fully embraces art with an aesthetic
sensibility all while exploring the very human and at times
erotic side of art. Kids will never catch onto this as it will
go right over
their heads.
I just find the way she becomes so intoxicated with art to be
very entertaining. Sister Wendy seems to view the world with a
sense of childlike wonder and yet has the knowledge of a
scholar.
The way she presents the art awakens a love and appreciation
for art that becomes so strong you might even find yourself
overwhelmed by beauty.
Not only do you get to view the art, the environments in
which it was created and see how art changed over time, Sister
Wendy explains color, symbolism and the spiritual, political and
personal aspects of the paintings. Art comes alive and is no
longer just a painting. It is a combination of the experiences
that make up life. She explains the emotions the characters are
feeling and even gives logical explanations for the Mona
Lisa’s smile.
I learned many things while viewing these DVDs. You can read
many books on art, but viewing Sister Wendy’s programs is a
much more enlightening way to go. There is also a “special
feature” where pop-up notes on artists and their work appear
so you can view additional information while watching the shows.
You can also pause the program to zoom in on the paintings.
What makes these shows a thing of great beauty is the natural
settings in which the art was created. You have waves crashing
on rocks as she discusses Scotland in 800 AD. You view Venice in
all its beauty and see Pompeii like never before.
I had a difficult time writing anything down while watching
the shows because I was so completely captivated. If this
doesn’t inspire you to go to Europe, nothing will!
~The Rebecca Review
Other books I have found to be of great
beauty:
Sister Wendy's American Masterpieces:...
Love: Meditations on Love by Sister Wendy
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