The Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

     In English class the other day we were discussing "The Lady of Shalott", and it has gotten me thinking. My teacher was saying how the Lady of Shalott was like Tennyson himself, how this poem was his way of saying that if he actually were to enter into the world, he would in a artistic sense "die". He was kind of just observing the world, and if he was to join society and all that he would not be able to commentate on it in the same way. And then she was saying something about how people are doomed to continue seeing the world in the same way they always have, if people are negative about things chances are that they are going to continue the same thought patterns. I am not so sure about that, I mean maybe I just hope it is not so... I don't know, I think people can indeed choose to be optimistic about things or not. And things around you do influence your way of thinking.... So watch out who you hang out with!

     Anyway, the point of all this is that she also said that Tennyson as a artist (and artists in general) had a sort of distorted view of the world, just as the lady of Shalott did as she only saw the world through her mirror. And a mirror is a mere reflection, not to mention that the reflection is backwards! She surrounded her self with the web she was weaving and she stayed in her own little world, secluded and alone, that is until she saw Lancelot. But really artists do see the world in a different way, that is what makes art interesting. Each artist has a unique way of distorting reality, I can really see this in action in drawing class. Even though everyone may be drawing the same thing we all draw in very different ways. Some use very strong harsh dark lines, others make it look as though you were looking through the roof, despite us all having our feet firmly planted on the ground and the next person may amplify the halo of light around the subject. We all see differently, that is was makes art interesting. Art is sort of like a window to the mind, you can find out much from it.

     But the thing I really wanted to get to was that I have realized that a lot of artists do indeed see thing very differently, like a old baggy sweater. I would maybe see that as something beautiful, not because of how it looks, but because of how it could look. I can see the wonderful creation that I could shape it into! Most may think its a useless piece of junk, but I can see what they can not. I try to be critical of why I keep things because I am too aware of how I may end up, like my grandma. She has mounds of useless things in her house, but not because she wants to make things from them, no she is convinced that she can sell everything on Ebay for a lot of money. But there is a lady in my art class who kept some barbie texture panels (for doing rubbings) and she was telling me how she kept them because you never know when you may need them ten years down the road! Ten years!???!!! That is far too long, free yourself from the clutter! Please!

My English teacher was saying how it can be both a blessing and a curse. So be careful that you don't keep to much junk!!! NOTE TO SELF: Don't keep a pile of junk! It may fall on you and bury you alive!!! And go get rid of more stuff. Yep!

By the way, this piece is by Tim Noble and Sue Webster :)