Bailey’s Top Ten Works Of Art (5/7/2023)
Been a while, hasn't it? Anyway, this is painting with possibly the largest brush possible, seeing as how art can be literally anything man-made. So I’ll narrow it down to a few concepts: Films, television, paintings, books/comics, video games, and music. This list is in no particular order, so lets just get on with it, shall we?
“Lovely Thing Suite” by Watsky (Music)
This is a four (or five, depending on how you look at it) part musical/rap suite created by the rapper Watsky. With each part being about a certain aspect of life. “Conversations” is about mortality, “Knots” about depression, “Roses” about expression, “Theories” about optimism. Then, the album loops back around to the first song, “Tiny Glowing Screens, Part 3” which is basically about living life to the fullest. Every piece of music here is exemplary, exquisite, and by far my favorite music of the past twenty years. Here’s a link to the full 18-minute piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvlpvcqM9kQ.
“War Pieta” by Max Ginsburg (Painting)
Not much to say here, as it’s a painting showing the horrors of the war in Iraq. It depicts an American soldier with their mother holding them, as well as an oil field in the background with that precious commodity that our politicians so need to get those precious votes to hold their precious offices. Here’s a link to the artist’s website: https://www.maxginsburg.com/war-pieta.
“Breaking Bad” by Vince Gilligan (Television Show)
Not a lot I can say about this wonderful piece of television that hasn’t already been said, so I won’t even try.
“One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” dir. Milos Forman (Film)
This emotionally draining film rips my heart in half every time I watch it. Adapted from the novel of the same name, this movie is about a man who pretends to be mentally unwell so he can spend time at a mental institution instead of a prison. This… Doesn’t turn out well.
“Daredevil” [Season 3] by Marvel Entertainment (Television Show)
This season of television is my absolute favorite. While Breaking Bad has my favorite through line of Seasons 1-5, this season is a standout. Whether it be Matt Murdock's battle with religion, depression, denial, or something more physical, it always hits all the right notes. Always.
“Daredevil: Born Again” by Frank Miller (Comic Book)
My favorite comic book. My favorite comic character. My favorite story with said comic character. High highs, low lows, and other tribulations await Daredevil in this paperback. Keep in mind Daredevil [Season 3] was an adaptation of this comic, so it's no wonder why both are on the list. Frank Miller just knows how to write comics. Like, really, really well.
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh (Painting)
Enough has been said about this. You already know what this is. Moving on!
“In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel (Music)
This is my favorite album of all time. No skips on this one. It's a melancholy inward look of the leading man of Neutral Milk Hotel, Jeff Mangum, as he ponders questions of morality with picturesque detail that make you think you're on drugs when you could never be more sober. What lies beyond I'll let you enjoy discovering for yourself, but just know, it's not for the faint of heart.
“Red Dead Redemption II” by Rockstar Games (Video Game)
My favorite western piece of art is also my favorite video game, is also my favorite character study, is also my favorite period piece. It's a game with hundreds of hours of gameplay to get lost in, with world building unlike anything I've experienced before, all to tell the story of a dying man on a quest for… Well, that's up for the player to decide. Depending on how you play the game, you can get four different endings, each one a reflection of how you've treated your fellow countrymen and women those past hundreds of hours in the world of the Wild West and South. The game is a reflection of not only the player, but society in 1899, society now, the main character, Arthur Morgan, and how we treat those that are different than ourselves. I recommend everyone who has the means to do so, to experience this masterpiece.
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” dir. Michel Gondry (Film)
My favorite film. A heartbreaking story of a two people in love who, in the end, know they won't work out, but try again anyway. This is of course told through some sci-fi doohickey that erases your mind from your most recent memories to oldest, but it makes us realize that our pain is what shapes us. Removing that pain just removes what and who we are. If we erased our minds of our failed relationships… What would we have learned? What would we have gained? If you don't see why it didn't work out the first time, why not try again?
And that concludes…
