Love Or Liberation

Chapter 5

The first gallery was on Madison Avenue at 81st Street. It had sculptures from several artists. At the second gallery, on Madison Avenue at 79th Street, there were abstract watercolors, which Elaine could only comment on whether she liked the colors or not. She didn't feel anything from the paintings

As they walked, Jack kept an arm around Elaine's shoulders. It felt very intimate to her, although they didn't talk much. The next gallery was on East 67th Street, and that gallery had paintings and drawings of American artists, which were more interesting to Elaine than the previous gallery show, but still defied her complete understanding.

Jack kept his arm around Elaine's shoulder when they walked from gallery to gallery and when they were strolling through the galleries, looking at everything together. This contact, the arm around her shoulder, made Elaine feel loved, cherished and protected. She felt more strongly about Jack than she would have expected, considering they just met the night before.

It was late afternoon when they got to a diner. They both ordered cheeseburger deluxe plates and chocolate milkshakes.

While they were waiting for their order, Jack asked Elaine what philosophies interested her or that she subscribed to.

"Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism."

"I heard that Sartre is a communist. You should read Ayn Rand."

"Sartre's existentialism focuses on freedom and individual authenticity, not collectivism. By the way, I heard that there's an outdoor art show at Washington Square Park."

The waitress came with their food. Elaine was famished. She really appreciated the chocolate milkshake. The burger and the fries were good, too.

"I don't like Washington Square Park. It's too Bohemian. The works we saw today are from artists recognized in the art world. Those pieces are worth a lot of money."

Elaine said, "I've read The Fountainhead. Ayn Rand is not against authenticity. She values honesty and sincerity. The true artists are often ignored by the art establishment, like Howard Roark and Cameron in the beginning of the story. Van Gogh didn't make money for his art work."

Jack took another bite of his cheeseburger before answering. He looked at Elaine intensely with his blue eyes behind his glasses. Elaine felt he was looking at her intensely even though she couldn't see clearly through his glasses.

Jack said, "Van Gogh's work is worth a lot of money now. Someday I want to invest in art. Didn't you like the galleries we saw today?"

Elaine dipped a french fry in catsup and ate it in a jerky motion. It was frustrating to try to get her ideas across. Jack was still very attractive to her. Elaine never thought that art and philosophy would come between her and love, but she felt compelled to say what she thought. It didn't feel feminine on her part, or romantic. Elaine did want romance, and felt she was losing the chance for it.

She said, "I enjoyed going to the galleries. The paintings didn't move me but they were interesting. I liked Jean Arps work, but not the other sculptures. Some of them looked like they came out of a junk yard. I'm just saying that art has an objective value other than its market price, an aesthetic appeal."

They ate for a few minutes. Elaine wondered if Jack had read The Fountainhead. Jack drank some of his shake. He looked at Elaine intensely again.

"I don't know about that. Everyone has their own tastes and some are more knowledgeable than others. I want to see what is valued."

Couldn't he see how that was inauthentic? He wasn't encountering art directly.

Elaine said, "You should trust and express your own tastes."

"Well, I think you are beautiful and very bright as well. Those are my tastes."

Elaine blushed and said, "Thank you." He could be charming, but was he laying it on thick? What reason could he have for that? Or was he being ironic?

Jack said, "Maybe we don't agree on art, but what about music? There's a Juilliard student recital next Saturday. He'll be playing Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Would you like to go hear it with me?"

"That sounds wonderful."

"Great. It's another date."