MIXED THOUGHTS
Following the documentary on Monet, I saw that the following day there was one on James Ensor (1860-1949). Admittedly I fell asleep in the first five minutes and kept on nodding off during the hour. Most unusual for me but the woman in front slept during the whole film and then appluded enthusiastically at the end. I am not there yet. Ensor, was a major figure in the Belgium avant-garde art scene of the late 19th century. Some people say that he was important in the develoment of Expressionism in the early 20th. He is quite eccentric, macabre and probably quite modern for his era. Definitely politically engaged but what I enjoy most is his satyr and interest in carnaval, masks, role playing and a theatrical approach to his work. Death and the Masks Apart from his Mother’s portrait, a few self portraits and several other paintings, from what I have seen to date, no-one has a real face. A mask, or something which is exaggerated in terms of a face. His colour