FF – Modern Art
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Ted Strutz.
To read the other stories, click on the blue froggy.
Copyright Ted Strutz
“Jeez, mate, what the Hell is that? What a mess!”
Pedro looked the passer-by straight in the eyes. “It’s new, it’s bold, it’s modern, it’s art!”
“Yeah… it’s not though, is it? It’s crap and you’re a hack.”
“Hmm, maybe it could use a little extra something…” mused Pedro, eyes flashing angrily. “Wait right here.”
For days the artwork “Man With Head Smashed In By Sledgehammer Next To Toilet Of Flowers” took the art world by storm. That is, until the sun came out and the “beautifully detailed figure” (Modern Sculpture Magazine), the “utterly lifelike mannequin” (Art Today), started to stink.
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
Dear Ali,
A little two lifelike, I presume. The ending made me choke and gag a little. Well done, you warped man.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thanks :-). The ending still makes me feel a bit “ick”, but two weeks in a row now I’ve had an idea but no ending and “going dark” always supplies me with something…
Ali
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Oh, DO NOT cross Pedro. And I love the name of the sculpture.
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It’s all in the name when it comes to modern art!
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Gross!!
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Yeah, right? 🙂
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🙂
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Wait. You’ll see this in a museum near you. Yesterday and today’s too weird to be real is tomorrow’s darling of the critics! You and Pedro are just men ahead of your time.
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We could make millions (from our jail cell).
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Hahahaha! Fabulous art until it starts stinking! LOL!
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Yes, it has quite a short shelf life 🙂
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Hahahaha!
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Give it a title and anything can be art… blech! 😉
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Yep. Paint a whole canvas red and call it “The Angry Man” and it’ll sell! 🙂
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Crazy… And so true!
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Eew Vivid details in this one.
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Yeah. Made me feel a bit sick thinking about it. Thought I’d just click “publish” and move on to happier things… 🙂
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Remind me to never criticize Pedro’s art! 🙂
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Very wise. Though you could end up immortalised 🙂
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Is Modern Art married to Thoroughly Modern Millie?? 😕 🙂
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Lucky chap if he is. Julie Andrews… 🙂
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Oh my God!
Safe to say he doesn’t take critism too well. In Nigeria when someone says wait till I come back under such circumstances you take off unless you KNOW you can beat em.
XD
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Yeah, I’m surprised he stuck around! I guess he was wondering what the addition would be, little realising…
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Ew…ew…ew…Ali. You’ve gone all dark and messy on us again. Between this and Game of Thrones episodes, they’re finally showing on TV here, my memory is getting overloaded with horror scenes.
The writing is good, though. 🙂 — Suzanne
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It’s been all darkness and gruesome overload lately! Go read my “sunbeams and kittens” Limerick again 🙂
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No one likes a critic. 🙂
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Very true. Overreaction? Maybe 🙂
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Maybe. But I think there’s room for debate on that. 🙂
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🙂
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Dark and truly disgusting (ugh, just the thought), but done well
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It was pretty vomit-inducing!
Thanks 🙂
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Ouuu, that was good… disgusting, but good! Great Job! I plunge the flush to you!
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Thanks for the flush plunge!
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is it art or is it a crime?
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Art. Definitely art. And also a crime 🙂
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Suffering brings out the best in any artist. I guess it doesn’t technically have to be the artist who suffers, though!
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Anyone’s suffering makes it art!
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So funny! Everything you write is brilliant!
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Thank you 🙂
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he must be a real artist at heart. he could even turn a critic into art. 🙂
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good one! HaHaHa!
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Ha yes, he’s a real pro!
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ha ha. He could always say the “smell” is part of the art experience. Nicely done gruesome story.
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It the full experience 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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after my daily look at the news and a check of my emails it is a delight to read your stories. I have a childish distaste re mean literary critics. My good friend had a nasty review once (plus many good reviews) and I felt VERY cross. ❤
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I hope your friend didn’t take such drastic action 🙂
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The name of the sculpture…the quotes from art magazines…the bald honesty of the hapless observer…hysterical!!!
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Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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LOL now that’s the D-man we’ve come to know and love so well 😀
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Dark and gruesome 🙂
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with a touch of marshmallow inside 😉
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I love the quotes at the end. Hey, I’ve seen worse things pass as art…well, maybe not worse. But some of it, it makes you wonder what qualifies something as art. Your piece captured this well!
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You just need someone to think the artist it trying to say something deep and then it’s art! Everyone else goes along with it because they don’t want to be the only one to admit it’s just a toilet full of flowers 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Wow, you killed it! lol
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Thanks! And him 🙂
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Gruesome. But still better than an unmade bed…
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Only marginally 🙂
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I enjoyed your story very much. It also shows how normal it can appear for art to be so outlandish and somewhat gruesome in nature.
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Thanks! It seems that in the modern world landscapes are out and the weird and gruesome is in.
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Something must be wrong with me because I started cackling from title to end, and still am silently laughing about your gruesome piece. I think it’s wonderful.
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I’m glad you liked it! It was quite a light-hearted look at modern “art”, I also had a bit of a chuckle 🙂
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HAHAHA! I’m laughing out loud, my neighbors might think I’m insane. Geez. I enjoyed this very much. 😀
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Hee, I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
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Note to self: never comment on bad art if you don’t want your head smashed in with a sledgehammer. Artists are a touchy lot.
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They’re not so good at taking criticism, but you’ve got to admire their ingenuity!
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Pedro’s not a man to take criticism, evidently. And to say he has a short fuse would be putting it mildly. Best not to leave any sledgehammers lying around in his vicinity, perhaps,
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No, he’s a bit of a psycho. Or since he’s an artist, is that “eccentric”? 🙂
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