Vacation
Event 25: A Little Line
"That," Bowser pointed, "is a little line." The painting hung in a prominent spot in the art exhibition, with more lights than it deserved.
Peach looked nervously at the offended faces around them. They kept saying that Bowser had no culture. In their eyes he was uncivilized and wouldn't know art if it stomped on his tail, punched him in the nose and kicked him out of the exhibition.
"No, Bowser, this one is titled War and Love, I'm afraid we couldn't get A Little Line to be exhibited here this time, but I'm sure we'll have it next time." Peach actually pretended there was such a painting titled A Little Line, and that Bowser was merely confused. But the fact still stood that the white canvas before them hosted nothing but a little black line in its center.
The Koopa King looked at the Princess on his arm with the most adorable confused expression, "but it is a little line!" He insisted like a child.
Peach laughed nervously, hoping that her date would understand that claiming that this work of art was nothing but a mere line was insulting to the high society guests. Truthfully, it was a little line, but they didn't want to admit it.
"Ehem!" The author of the painting War and Love, which was nothing more than a mere line, cleared his throat louder than needed. "May I have your attention please?" He sounded as if the request was directed more at Bowser than anyone else. "I will explain my painting."
The crowd that gathered around began to mutter about how the meaning of the painting was so "deep" and "amazing" and that anyone with an once of culture could clearly see the "strong emotions" reflected in this "fine work of art." Bowser only pouted, knowing full well they were referring to him, but Peach tugged at his arm and kept him from saying anything.
The so called artist then began his explanation, "this painting tells the story if a brave warrior who has to leave his beloved in their village to fight along his fellow samurai. He felt so lonely in the battle field; look at the warrior bravely marching on!" He pointed at the line, "there he is with his sword!" The little line represented not only the warrior but also the sword.
"This is his lady, his beloved, awaiting the samurai's return!" The lady was also the little line. "There she is in the vast flower fields that her beloved has gone to protect." The artist moved his hands in circles pointing at the white area that occupied most of the canvas, save for that one little line in the middle.
"The lady in the village feels alone as well, for she misses her beloved. Look at the emptiness of her heart; it is the same emptiness that the samurai carries in his heart as well!" So the white canvas was also their empty hearts, and the flowers, and the battle field... right.
"There they are in the vast flower fields and the chaotic battle field, but those places are nothing to them, for they can only think of each other. The war that drew them apart would not defeat their love. There they are, together again, forever joined!" Now it sounded as if half the line was the warrior and half was the lady, "surrounded by their neighbors, their family and their comrades, victorious!" It was all there, everything was represented by that one little line in an otherwise empty canvas.
A few people in the audience were getting teary with emotions as the artist explained. Bowser thought they were insane, but for Peach's sake he remained quiet as the artist finished his story.
"There they are! The path of love must be walked without looking back and without straying from it." The artists' finger went up and down along the little line. "This is the path of love, with no alternate routes, no shortcuts, no easy ways to get to end and absolute loyalty!" The straight line symbolized fidelity, to look forward without looking at any other. "When you have love, war crumbles, and you have it all even if you have nothing but each other!" The white canvas, nothing and everything...
The audience clapped, applauding for a full ten minutes. When the crowd finally dissipated, Bowser and Peach snuck away as well. They went to see the paintings about them, Bowser really liked those.
"Maybe I should host an exhibition with my art," Bowser decided.
"Your art? How come I've never seen it before?" Peach curiously asked.
"I'll show you soon, I'm sure you'll love it." Bowser knew it was a good idea to save all those Peach doodles he made on the back of his kingdom's official documents during boring meetings. If a little line commanded that much admiration, then people would adore his drawings; and no one would say they were similar to the doodles of a love struck school boy. Not that they dared to say it anyway, at least not to Bowser's face.
End of Event 25
Disclaimer, I don't own the Nintendo characters. This was inspired by one of Razzi's blog posts about art and specifically by the painting Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue by Piet Mondrian. I joked about drawing a little line and making up an epic story to go with it, thus turning the little line into a great work of art. XD Happy Birthday Razzi!