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Bill Traylor
Posted by Tyler Cowen on February 5, 2008 at 06:19 AM in Current Affairs, Political Science | Permalink
Comments
Five legs?
Posted by: huh at Feb 5, 2008 9:09:23 AM
I saw Bill Traylor's work at the Menil in a special exhibition a couple of years ago. It was a good and memorable show. He had a very strong sense of form, and really knew how to hold the eye, both in his drawings and his sculptures.
Traylor died 60 years ago, there are no news about him that I'm aware of, he doesn't appear when I google him in connection with Tyler, and I'm pretty sure Traylor's work is only available for purchase by Major Institutional Collectors (tho I could be wrong on that count), so I can't figure out why this was posted, under Current Affairs and Political Science, and without comment. I also see no clues in the HTML source or the name of the image.
My first guess is that it's just a sign of general bullishness. My second guess is that Tyler is testing the "quality of blog comments." That's all I've got.
Posted by: Hovie at Feb 5, 2008 9:20:12 AM
I am pleased Hovie tried to figure this one out. But he didn't get it. Do you?
Posted by: Tyler Cowen at Feb 5, 2008 10:12:53 AM
is it about how the current election may just bring us more of the same that we have been having for what seems like forever?
(the guy seems to be an underdog as opposed to the bull)
Posted by: natalia at Feb 5, 2008 11:41:43 AM
I got it!!
It's the old saying: "When the five legged bull mounts the truncated rhombus, a man in a hat will always try to antagonize it with the use of karate."
It took me a while to figure that one out. Kudos, Tyler.
Posted by: mk at Feb 5, 2008 1:10:38 PM
OK, assuming that's not it...
The guy's clearly about to get mauled. He is taunting the bull with a really thin piece of fabric.
The bull's got big freaking horns. Not to mention, five legs! He also has the higher ground.
So Tyler thinks that someone's going to get mauled? But who?
The piece is called "Traylor Invitation." Someone's asking to get mauled?
Uh, Mitt Romney? I dunno...
Posted by: mk at Feb 5, 2008 1:22:19 PM
The man and bull are on a submerging box of some sort, and the man is pointing both to the bull and the water, suggesting that the bull jump off so that the box can float. However, absent an altruistic motive, the bull has no incentive to do so, as he is going to drown either way.
My guess is there are a lot of current events that this pertains to. Take your pick.
Posted by: AMW at Feb 5, 2008 1:32:01 PM
After reading mk's previous post, I'll say the bull is Huckabee, the man is Romney, and he wants Huckabee out of the race, because that's the only way he's got a shot against McCain.
Posted by: AMW at Feb 5, 2008 1:34:11 PM
The man's pointing to those very large horns and the image is blue(ish) -- voters choosing the "toughest" democratic candidate?
Posted by: Nat Almirall at Feb 5, 2008 1:35:36 PM
Looks like the piece is entitled "Invitation." I wouldn't bet on the most obvious interpretation of that, though.
Posted by: burger flipper at Feb 5, 2008 1:54:30 PM
Traylor, of course, painted African-Americans. And the painting is blue, which is of course the color for the Democrats. The picture portrays an African-American working very hard to pull a reluctant beast to the tipping point or past the halfway mark. The horns and the five legs aside, the beast even has some characteristics of a donkey.
When I thought of today being Super Tuesday and having Democratic primaries, this painting came immediately to my mind.
Posted by: Tyler Cowen at Feb 5, 2008 2:17:21 PM
That's not a bad theory, but it doesn't take the tail/bulb/whatever into account. A little too simplistic, methinks.
Posted by: Oblivious at Feb 5, 2008 3:49:08 PM
"Now the Dove and the Leopard Wrestle" (http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/bearden/images/wrestle2.jpg)
by Romare Bearden who could pass as white.
Posted by: Yan Li at Feb 5, 2008 4:30:12 PM
Boooo! I want my money back.
Posted by: Hovie at Feb 5, 2008 6:36:01 PM
blue wasn't the color of the democrats back then.
Posted by: Douglas Knight at Feb 5, 2008 11:34:27 PM
Meh, I like my interpretation better.
Posted by: AMW at Feb 5, 2008 11:38:58 PM
I was hoping Tyler posted the pic just because he liked it and wanted to share ...
Posted by: Michael Blowhard at Feb 6, 2008 4:36:52 PM
Thank you, mk, for giving me the best laugh of the day.
Posted by: philds at Feb 6, 2008 6:14:54 PM
"When the five legged bull mounts the truncated rhombus, a man in a hat will always try to antagonize it with the use of karate."
I think there's a market for edgier fortune cookies.
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