GUESS THE MESS!
12August 15, 2016 by kittynh
This is a game, called “GUESS THE MESS”.
In the commentary, guess who these messes belonged to, and win a prize. (I’ll find something to send along!) Also what does your work space look like? Any other examples of a mess, humble or of genius, are welcome. Were geniuses often messy? Or were they often as not neat?
ONE: A room in the house of a New York City hoarder, who was quite unhappy with the mess. His trash lives on, much of it saved in special cardboard “time capsules” that are opened at intervals at public exhibitions.
TWO: A rather untidy recording space. Don’t trip on the wires and clean up the crockery later.
THREE: Some might find it hard to work with this not Phallic representational statue collection, really sometimes a statue is just a statue.
FOUR: Why not paint in bed? I have a chronic illness and keeping the bedside neat is almost impossible. But let’s meet another creative, messy, and often bed bound, genius.
FIVE: Even an illustration can not clean up the mess that was this bedside work space, or his bed, or those papers a little too near the fire! His bedroom is now all neat and tidy and open to tourists. But this contemporary image gives a truer view of how the writer worked while confined to bed.
SIX: Let’s admit, working in bed works for a lot of us. Readers know I suffer from two chronic illnesses. I usually write and edit posts while resting in my very messy office/bed. Here a favorite French writer is hard at work. She overcame her husband claiming her work was HIS, and in the end gained fame and respect. He now is simply known as the man who stole his wife’s work.
SEVEN: Who doesn’t love this man? I also have a Snoopy. 100% genius, though I’m not sure where this photograph was taken, but he appears comfortable and at home here.
EIGHT: This author also took photographs. Not in a fancy studio. I enjoy the backdrop and general feeling of “What is important are the subjects.” Forget perfection, like the sun cutting into the corner, this genius enjoyed his hobby even if he hadn’t a perfect studio.
His tea parties were not conducted in a neat manner at all! They could get quite messy!
NINE: Pick a painting, any painting. I truly enjoy the works of this modern artist/businessman (the two go together). His homes and studios were always a clutter of canvases and creation. It was a combination works space/sales room.
TEN: If you look up the word “Genius” in the dictionary, his photograph is there. This is the desk of someone that lives a tidy life of math and science in his mind, but likes his desk a mess.
ELEVEN: A two parter. This studio is like many artist studios. While a minimalist, he liked his cleaning kept to a minimum also….
Part two: This photograph is a work of art, by Man Ray, of a work of art by the messy artist. This work was so covered in dust, as he took his time finishing it, that the mess itself became art. So both the piece and the photograph are considered genius by art historians today. If not for dust….
TWELVE: Your first book might have been written by this man using his messy desk.
THIRTEEN:A rather neat desk that now belongs to a terrific skeptic, who would be thrilled to be NUMBER THIRTEEN…and there was a previous owner that has a tie in to number EIGHT.
SO GUESS THE MESS!!!! Answer in the commentary below…..let’s see who can guess the most (and I would say win a prize). It’s not too hard… but I’ll need two answers for number thirteen!
BONUS MESSES!!!!! you don’t get to guess these, but please share your own MESS and I’ll gladly add it to the blog. This is from one of my favorite artists, who has made a name for himself with his incredible depictions of SPACE. If you haven’t checked out his site, you are missing out. His work combines technical skill with the ability to convey the spirit and personality of the subjects. The work space of SIMON KREGAR JR. (seriously, visit his site, you’ll be glad you did)
Yankee Skeptic 
My first thought when seeing no. 13 was Martin Gardner. So I began wondering who had it before him? Then I remembered reading somewhere that it was inherited by someone known to me. I think I read somewhere that it was James Randi. Now, who was the author of that piece?
1. Warhol
2. Beatles
3. Freud
4. Kahlo
5. Proust
6. Gerard
7. Schultz
8. Liddell
9. Carroll
10. Picasso
11. Einstein
12. Duchamp
13. Duchamp
14. Geisel
15. Randi and Geisel
I am unclear why you put the comment about the link to number 8 in the caption for the last image. That link should be between 8 and 9, I think.
just number six is wrong!!! and also Randi, and Geisel…..nope but almost.
Phew, some easy some require a “WAG” (Not you, Jeff, just a Wild Assed Guess). So with a few WAGS:
1. Not the Collyer Brothers. Maybe Andy Warhol?
2. Lots of groups to consider. Perhaps the Beatles.
3. Sigmund Freud.
4. Frida Kahlo.
5. Was thinking Poe, but I believe Marcel Proust.
6. Just read about this case recently. Colette.
7. Guessing Charles Schultz.
8. Charles Dogdson AKA Lewis Carroll
9. Looks a lot like Pablo Picasso
10. Albert Einstein.
11. Could be any modern artist. Guessing Jackson Pollack. Need to think more on this.
12. One of MY first books was by Dr. Seuss- Theodor Geisel
13. Ah, one I DO know- James Randi’s desk previously that of Martin Gardner.
well I sort of give the double one away…..as Man Ray wrote “Duchamp” at the bottom of the photograph!!
Okay. Tried posting over an hour ago, but it hasn’t shown up. Here goes again:
1. Warhol
2. Beatles
3. Freud
4. Kahlo
5. Proust
6. Gerard
7. Schultz
8. Liddell
9. Carroll
10. Picasso
11. Einstein
12. Duchamp
13. Duchamp
14. Geisel
15. Randi and Gardner
On 15, I’m not sure why you say there is a link to #8; that link should be between 8 and 9.
sorry I have to approve posts…. almost there………Martin Gardner was known for being one of the world’s foremost experts on Alice, and wrote the Annotated Alice, that is still the masterwork on the subject. Number six…..almost.
I would say, you got Gardner this one and if you combine with Chip, you’ll have it right… I should say a mix of the two is perfect.
oh also Snoopy was a BAD HINT, it’s not Schultz……but a sic fi writer.
One I know for sure is Seven….that’s Uncle Ray! 😀 (not my uncle, just my pet name for one of my fav authors)
Corrections to earlier post:
6. Colette
7. Bradbury
a WINNER!!! now you have to PM me so I can send a prize…..thank you! That was pretty darn good!