eye candy

last night's foray into the city to see the 'speed, style and beauty' exhibit at the mfa was well worth the gut-wrenching near-accident lockup while braking on the pike. now i know why bostonians suffer the mismanaged transportation ministrations of the mbta.

the exhibit was smaller and more crowded than i expected, and the packs of old eccentric biddies in their bohemian shawls gesturing with wild interest at the automobiles was a delightful surprise. seeing the first half with bugattis, mercedes, astons, was like walking down marble halls lined with the beautiful faces of yesteryear, an eclectic grouping of zsa zsas, bettys, veronicas, marilyns. the idea of driving these works of art was as intangible as imagining a 40's movie star using the privy.

the second half with ferraris, porsches, jaguars, was like viewing the olympic women's beach volleyball team posed tentatively, as though they were straining to remain still and not take off in a burst of movement. each muscular behemoth was striking, harsh lines and curves merged on a sleek tiger. it was wrong to see them so immobile, and i found myself holding my breath, lest i wake them.

i left with a quiet reverence and stars in my eyes, and a greater appreciation for echoes of past innovations in modern chassis designs, a living homage to the automotive artisans of the 20th century.