The X-Project

Backdated like whoa to May 31

After Adrienne posted about going to the Met, Marie-Ange uses her powers to help Matt better explore and understand art and sculpture



It had been a very long time since Marie-Ange stood in the middle of the Danger Room with a handful of photographs, ready to make image after image. Long enough ago that she couldn't tell you exactly when the last time was, only that she'd been in leather body armor then, and not a comfortable pair of workout clothes and trainers.

The tightly braided hair and cards tucked into every pocket were still the same.

She supposed that she could have given Matt a quick art lesson outside, or on the roof of the Brownstone, but the Danger Room offered advantages over both - privacy, and quick cleanup. Recreating Michelangelo's David in full size and scale would be easy - but when it was done, it would end up as half a litre or so of sticky goo.

Marie-Ange turned as the doors slid open, and waved up at the control booth before the room shuddered into an illusory background of the outside grounds of the Lourve. "I was not sure if you could detect the Danger Room's holograms, but this was already programmed in, and it seemed like a good choice for an art lesson?"

"I can hear the machinery and when things move, I can sense it, but if you mean there's like...a setting? Sorry, no," Matt replied, unbothered by it. He was blind, no sense in crying over it after all this time. "It's good though."

Like Marie-Ange, he was dressed in workout clothes, skin tight black Spandex pants and red sleeveless shirt with bare feet. He had an X-Men uniform, but had left it in his locker. This was much more comfortable and showed his athletic body moreso than his usual street clothes.

"Well, then I will spare you the explanation of why I like the big glass pyramid, even if people hate it. But if anyone ever says, you can tell them you know an architect who thinks it suits the location" Marie-Ange clearly had opinions. "I think we could begin with some of the classics that you might have heard of." She smiled impishly, and her voice carried the expression. "Three hundred years of the Greeks and Romans carving naked men and women out of marble."

"Good to know," Matt agreed, wondering what big glass pyramid she was talking about. He wasn't going to ask though, it didn't seem important. "I like naked. Women more than men, being different than me and all that," viva la difference and all that jazz. Matt liked the opposite sex, even if he didn't have a lot of experience dating them.

"I am just going on notice that I warned you before you put your hand on somewhat anatomically correct parts." Issues of perspective might be tricky to explain, Marie-Ange thought. David had been sculpted with overlarge hands and head, so she thought it might feel odd to Matt. But, it was -the- famous work of art, so it was what she was going to start with. Dutifully, she slipped the print out from her pocket and unrolled it.

The statue appeared between one blink and the next, a foot in front of Matt. "Does that... do you sense that, when the image appears?"

"It appeared from no where!" Matt marveled, impressed. Reaching out, he started with the statues head. It wasn't solid, not like marble or rock was, but it wasn't jello either, something in the middle. Strange, but not bad at all. "Yeah...I can see it. Funky...." he ran his hands over it carefully, exploring the different features of the hair and face first, "So cool..."

"That is what I do." Marie-Ange said, amused at his surprise and admiration. "There are reproductions of this that have a fig leaf over the... er... fig leaf area, but I copied the original, just a bit smaller for you, since the original is seventeen feet tall. We would need a stepladder."

It was one thing to know what someone did and another to experience it though, "Most people's powers, I can't see. I might see the results or something, but not the actual ability. So I gotta take them on trust," which was true for a lot of people, especially with the psychic powers, but it was still absolutely amazing to actually touch the results of a mutation like this, "I think this is a good size..." Matt trailed off giggling as he reached the fig-leaf area as Marie-Ange put it. Now THAT seemed small.

"I promise not to take any pictures of you fondling statues." Marie-Ange had bit off a amused laugh when Matt had gotten to the statue's fig-leaf area. "Michaelangelo was during the Renaissance, which was between the 14th and 17th centuries. He painted the inside ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and I am not going to try to present that to you today because it is very large, very detailed and it would take up the rest of the time. But later, yes, because, you are Catholic and should get to see it, even if I have to cheat a little for you."

That was a good thing, he didn't need that sort of blackmail following him around! "I know who he is and the Sistine Chapel," Matt replied. He had at least taken basic history, but other than that he painted it, he had no idea what it was about. Probably something religious. "That'd be cool. I learned about da Vinci and Galileo and all them and I know they did art and science and made huge inroads for knowledge because it was all kinda intertwined back then, but actually what they did? Meh," Matt shrugged, "I knew the answers for the test."

"Oh, let us do DaVinci then, since you know who he is." Marie-Ange shuffled through her laminated cards. Her frown was almost audible - her tiny grunt made it clear she was concentrating very hard.

One moment, the statue was there, and the next, it melted with a loud slurping sound. Cool goo hit the ground, and splashed a bit, and then everything was gone just as fast as it all had appeared. In the wake of the disappearing statue and goop, there was the hiss of air being pushed away, and another statue replaced the first.

"This is not really a statue in real life." Marie-Ange's voice was a little strained. "The Mona Lisa is tiny, really, and a painting, but that would not help you see it, so I am trying to make it a statue. It is -the- painting." She explained. "That almost everyone thinks of when you say DaVinci."

"Did it just disappear?" Matt asked, equally impressed at the statue leaving as it had appeared minutes earlier. Investigating the Mona Lisa statue, Matt made a face of concentration, "She's kinda....not all that hot," he commented, surprised. "Isn't she supposed to be hot? She's got a weird expression and her proportions seem off. Her eyes are really small. Did you forget eyebrows?"

Despite her concentration, Marie-Ange managed an amused noise. "I did not forget. She was either painted without them, or the paint is so old that the fine details of her eyes have been lost due to time and restoration efforts." She explained. "I do not know if she is supposed to be considered attractive, but there is a theory that DaVinci was painting her just as she looked, but no one knows exactly who his model was. And yes, her expression is confusing, even to those of us who can see it. The best theory is that it was done on purpose."

Scratching his head Matt examined the statue again. "And this is art?" He asked, doubtful. "I don't get it."

"I do not think I can explain it, except that it is iconic, and the first painting to use certain techniques, but I did not include the background...." Marie-Ange explained - though the more she talked, the more the statue version of the famous painting grew soft under Matt's fingers. "And I am probably not..." it fell, going cold and gooey before sloshing onto the floor - and their feet. "Converting it properly. My apologies, that is actually very difficult to turn something I know is flat into a statue."

"Eh, it's cool," Matt wasn't overly bothered that Marie-Ange couldn't maintain the image or make it exact, it was just awesome that she was doing this, "Your powers are awesome. I've never gotten to check out art like this, but it seems like fancy people like it and stuff."

"More than just fancy people. Art is important, it is one of the ways we record our culture, and what we think is important. Plus, it is fun." Marie-Ange said. "And it gives people ways to express what they are thinking..." She paused, and flipped through her cards. "Which reminds me, another iconic statue." She could create The Thinker in her sleep, every other class she'd taken on art history had covered it or the work it was part of. "When you rest your chin on your fist and people say you look like a Rodin statue, this is the one they mean."

"Yeah, but graffiti isn't consisted art. A lot of stuff people do isn't," He pointed out, impressed by The Thinker. This one made him think more, "I like this one the best so far. Kinda feel bad for the dude with all the world on him, you know?"

Marie-Ange nodded before catching herself - Matt wouldn't be able to see it. "He is part of a larger artwork as well, and the whole thing is tragic, but I am not up to creating the whole series. It is intricate, and a lot of the meaning is in the little details." She paused, and waited for Matt to step back before dismissing the image. "Some graffiti is art, and the style is unique and specific to a particular era, so it has been studied very much as a special art form. Oh, you have heard of Banksy, on the news, yes? His art is graffiti. He is a wanker, but he does make art."

"Yeah, I've heard of him," Matt agreed, he did follow the news, "He makes political statements and such. Using graffiti. Why's he a wanker?"

"He makes a lot of statements about politics, and does very little to actually make changes. So he is costing people time and money, and accepting money for his art, but not doing very much with that money. He is all shouting and no work." Marie-Ange explained. "I am not very impressed with his messages. They all seem to be for awareness and who is not aware of poverty, hunger or how oil companies are evil?"

Point. Good point. "That's useless," Matt agreed. "Make the change, don't just talk about it. That's why I'm thinking about going to law school after college, to help kids who need it," he hadn't actually decided on what type of law he wanted to pursue, but he wanted to help people, not just be some corporate shark. "It's why we all do what we do, I think. To try to make the world better."

"Or prettier, at least." Marie-Ange added. "I think I have probably one more in me, and I can give you one appropriate for your choice in possible career." She patted her pockets, and then Matt could hear her flipping through a few pieces of paper. "The expression justice is blind you may find ironic, yes? Most of the sculptures of her have her with scales and a blindfold. This one is actually outside on the roof of one of the courthouses in the city, and is a little different." There was a little rush of air, and then the statue was there, three figures, two male, seated on each side of female figure that was standing and holding two torches.

Justice might be intended as blind, but Matt knew it was far from it. Maybe in an ideal world, but not in this one. "I've heard of it, yes," he agreed dryly. Touching the newest sculpture, Matt was surprised to find that she wasn't blindfolded, though that made sense with what Marie-Ange had said about it being a little different. "How come the men are sitting at her feet?" he asked, kneeling down to find their heads and check them out along with the Lady Justice.

Marie-Ange laughed a little. "I have no idea!" She admitted. "It just happened to be in my box of sculpture photographs when I was sorting them to find images for you today, I have only seen it from a distance until today."

That was fair. "That's still cool though. I like it," Matt grinned, "Thanks, Marie-Ange. This is really awesome."