DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Sue Hudson, Community Member

Run Time: 1.51 minutes
Recorded by Sue Hudson, CultureALL Community Ambassador /

Le Bain, this piece struck me because of the immediate reaction that it brought. This picture feels heavy, it feels human, in the way graphite is so harshly colored. It feels earthly, in the way there is no color at all, only human emotion. This piece strikes me as isolated, totally and completely curled into oneself. With the solid brick wall between humanity and themselves. Distantly on a completely different planet but existing as man. It’s an odd feeling to describe, as I believe there is no true way to narrow down and describe the origin of art. But this piece struck me as human. This piece feels like silence or white noise, within itself is indescribable.

The name Le Bain or “the bath” is so simplistic in the way it feels real, yet in the way it cannot be properly contained by words. No words apply because the thought process behind this piece was too complicated for sentences or even paragraphs. Looking at this piece it feels dissociated. It doesn’t really feel there. They thought, and there is nothing, no feeling behind it, eventually it all just boils down to the dull heaviness. This piece strikes me as the end without the means. The tiredness after the storm, exhaustion. Simply, this piece strikes me as exhaustion, without much more else to give.

DES MOINES SPEAKS

DSM Speaks are short audio reflections on artwork in our permanent collection, written and voiced by diverse members of our community. Contributors to this program were selected in partnership with CultureALL and the Des Moines Art Center. We hope by elevating these diverse ways of seeing we can encourage all visitors to connect more deeply and to see themselves and their identities within our walls.