Memories & Nightmares

It’s Shrove Tuesday today. I’ve just finished making up some Chicken Curry Pancakes ready to warm up in the oven this evening.

A couple of things are on my mind this morning.

The first is the result of memories provoked by watching “The Culture Show: Henri Matisse – a Cut Above the Rest” on BBC2 last night. Much of the programme featured the Chapelle du Rosaire at Vence which we visited a few years ago & I duly tried to describe here in my blog. I was struck again how fabulous a chapel it is, how complete the vision Matisse aspired to fulfil.

And yet, at the same time, although the way the light came through the coloured glass onto the white marble floor was magical, watching on television just didn’t capture the real magic of the place. It failed to capture atmosphere & the need for quiet contemplation the chapel evoked.

I suppose at the end of the day, nothing captures the communication between artwork and recipient like actually being in the presence of the artwork itself. There is an intimacy, a spiritual experience, the reproduction be it on TV, film, or in a book or on a postcard, stands in the way of. You don’t see the textures, the artist’s marks in the same way.

I tend to feel the same with music. There are some great CDs around, often exceptional performances, and yet they cannot replace the reality of an actual performance. Though I will admit I have been to some live performances where a good CD would have been infinitely preferable.

The other thoughts were provoked by listening to “Woman’s Hour” on Radio4 while I tossed & filled my pancakes. The subject under discussion was care for the elderly, now so many people live so much longer. Independent living was encouraged as much as possible. On that I can’t help agreeing. But I couldn’t help noticing all those advocating such independence, some over 100, were also in good health. I’m only too aware if anything happened to the Fox it would probably mean a home for me. I don’t think I could cope on my own. Equally I’m also aware of how many elderly people are like Fran & Den, refusing to even admit they need help when they desperately do. I have visions one day Den will have another heart attack or stroke (as a result of the amount of care Fran requires these days) & Fran will have forgotten to even dial 999 for an ambulance, she seems so much in her own world of dementia now. It’s nightmare all too likely to come to pass.