Falling in love

So many years back when I was in my first year at uni I'd never thought I'd say this: Falling in love is simply a stupid trick of nature to make sure we jump each other's bones and don't spend all our time thinking about Platonic universes. Now there even is scientific proof! For things I discovered with myself nonetheless! I always thought I was a bit strange when it comes to falling in love. It all happens on such a subconscious level that I can actually walk around flirting with someone without being aware of what I'm doing, until I suddenly – in a stunning moment of clarity – see my hand hanging in the air right above his knee, and I wonder "What the hell?" (That's the point where the stuttering, blushing and inapropriate smiling starts.) Well, it seems falling in love is subconscious.

Commitment, on the other hand, is something else altogether and some people simply aren't able to feel attached to someone else.

(From an old entry by Elin)

The puzzling impact of modern art

Well, I'm moving through some clippings from the last couple of days on my Bloglines account.

I was struck by this story on Boing Boing. I had never heard of Cy Twombly, but now I'm interested:

With evident pleasure, the artist recounted the painting's effect on a young Frenchwoman who visited the gallery some years ago. The lone guard found her standing in front of the vivid whorls, scattered verses and bright splatters of color, totally nude.

[...]

The guard, Guillermo Leguizamon, recalls gathering his wits and telling the museum visitor, "I can admire your beauty, madam, but if you don't put on your clothes, you'll be more famous than Cy Twombly himself." She dressed and departed, leaving a message in the guest book: "The painting makes me want to run naked."

It reminded me of Karel Appel. The incident is actually completely different, but very much the same: When asked by a good looking lady when he'd paint her, Appel replied that if she'd take her clothes off he'd do it right then and there.