Art Masters

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Last night at the Art Museum I got to see a master at work.
As I’ve complained about before at shows we get folks who come up to us and
try and impress us with what they know.  Sometimes they outright say “I
know more then you about this”, but mostly they just imply it.  Usually it
is clear they just want a chance to show off what they know.
Stopping them from doing this is hard.  Especially when you’re there to
entertain them, as is what we’re there for at Phoenix shows.

Last night at the museum, the band playing said they had picked certain
songs to play based on pieces in the museum.  Two of the songs actually had
lyrics inspired by paintings in the gallery.
So, between the first and second sets, a tour was given of the pieces in
question.
Both where paintings by Winslow Homer of sea shores.
The woman giving the tour talked about the history of the first painting
and explained why it was important to Homer’s work and his theme of man
against the sea.
“That was painted in Maine?” a woman in the tour asked.  “My brother owned
a place in Maine.  We went there every year.  The ocean there was
wonderful!”
“Then you know all about the power of the sea,” the woman giving the tour
said.  “And you’ll really be able to appreciate this next painting over
here.”
The woman stood there for a second with her mouth open, then turned as
everyone else already had to look at the next painting.
The tour guide described the next painting, also of the sea meeting the
shore.  She seemed particularly interested in the brush strokes used and
the effect they had.  That is something I know almost nothing about, so
thought it was quite interesting.
“The painting is supposed to have a figure of a person in it that is far
away and hard to see,” a man in the front said.  “If you look closely you
should be able to see it.”
“I see we have an Irish man with us and he’s already making up stories,”
the tour guide said.  “Now for our third painting over here…”
The man looked like she had hit him in the face with a fish.  But, he
stopped talking and turned with everyone else to the third painting.

It really was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud about it.
It’s easy to tell someone to shut up or just try and ignore them.
I have a real appreciation for someone who can shut down that sort of
person and keep the people watching focused on the subject of the event,
not get involved in the interpersonal play between the presenter and the
person trying to interrupt.