Bohemian Genius

And no, that title does not refer to myself - but to Amedeo Modigliani. For anyone interested and in Toronto, rush down to this exhibit, pay the exorbitant $15 and the extra $2 for the audio guide, and check out the paintings. Magical. Hilariously, I have a picture of the guy hanging on my room door at Oxford and didn't even make the connection until arriving at the AGO this morning with tea from Chinatown in hand. Some truly magical quotes all around, but my favorite has to be the following: "I do not seek the real or the unreal, but only the subconscious - the mystery of instinct inherent in human beings." He also wrote some poems that have been lost, but a few fragments remain. One refers to a man in tears because he couldn't reach the stars. A truly magical (and fellow) Kerouacian, checking out his art is certainly worth your time. I especially loved the references to his relationship with a "confident, strident" Picasso. Apparently Pablo had 2 Modigliani pieces in his possession - and thought so much of his friend that he painted over one of them himself. Quickly redeeming himself for posterity, he commented: "It was the only crime I ever committed.