Joke: Art Interpretation
Posted: 2003-08-06 11:47am
A couple attending an art exhibition at the National Gallery were
staring at a portrait that had them completely confused. The painting
depicted three very black and totally naked men sitting on a park bench.
Two of the figures had black penises, but the one in the middle had a pink penis.
The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble
interpreting the painting and offered his assessment. He went on for
nearly half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of
African-Americans in a predominately white, patriarchal society.
"In fact," he pointed out, "some serious critics believe that the pink
penis also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced
by gay men in contemporary society."
After the curator left, a young man in a West Virginia T-shirt approached
the couple and said, "Would you like to know what the painting is really
about?"
"Now, why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of
the gallery?" asked the couple.
"Because I'm the guy who painted it," he replied. "In fact, there are
no African-Americans depicted at all. They're just three West Virginia
coal-miners, and the guy in the middle went home for lunch."
staring at a portrait that had them completely confused. The painting
depicted three very black and totally naked men sitting on a park bench.
Two of the figures had black penises, but the one in the middle had a pink penis.
The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble
interpreting the painting and offered his assessment. He went on for
nearly half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of
African-Americans in a predominately white, patriarchal society.
"In fact," he pointed out, "some serious critics believe that the pink
penis also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced
by gay men in contemporary society."
After the curator left, a young man in a West Virginia T-shirt approached
the couple and said, "Would you like to know what the painting is really
about?"
"Now, why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of
the gallery?" asked the couple.
"Because I'm the guy who painted it," he replied. "In fact, there are
no African-Americans depicted at all. They're just three West Virginia
coal-miners, and the guy in the middle went home for lunch."