The store was really just an excuse for the owner to surround himself with all his decaying crap. And everything was so expensive, that only the seriously addled and obsessed would consider buying any of the hoarded items. Oh, he had prebreens allright, but they all had Renoir prices, which, to the owner, were equally as valuable.
One painting always caught my attention, over the stairs, as you would go into the upper level. It was of a couple of prairie dogs, or wood chucks or something, and it was some kind of pun on home sweet home, although the exact text eludes me now. I really wanted that painting, a painting signed by some jokester named Van Goo. But when I asked the geezer about it, he'd tell me the painting wasn't for sale, that he was saving it for his son.
Year after year I'd ask him about that painting and he would tell me the same thing, that he was saving it for his son. After a couple of years I'd tell him to call his son, ask him if he'ld sell it to me - but the old man refused. I went back recently and the store was gone.
Last week I found a Van Goo in the flea market, It was a copy of Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'.
This Van Goo work took Vermeer's light hearted subject and gave her a look of desperation, as though she was seriously worried about something. Sometimes Mrs. Breen has that look when she asks me to look at the top of her head, to make sure that her dye is holding. Worried the world is counting her years tree-ring like through the never tiring stripe which struggles to emerge on the top of her head.
So I painted - 'In Hell, no matter how much hair-dye Helen uses, she always has a skunk stripe!
Satan plays to her worst fears by calling her old and smelly, Jesus rabbit says you look fine, which he would say no matter what. The angel, says, 'but I'm good! Why do I have a stripe?' Why indeed?
BEFORE BREENING
AFTER BREENING
If you want to bid on this work, go HERE!
Regards,
posted by Eddie 9/25/2000 02:53:03 PM