Welcome to another Tuesday with TED. Today we have art expert Luke Syson who was formerly a curator of Renaissance art, of transcendent paintings of saints and solemn Italian ladies — serious art. Then he changed jobs and inherited a collection of ceramics —- pretty, frilly, “useless” candlesticks and vases. He didn’t like it. He didn’t get it. Until one day….

Luke Syson joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2012 as the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Curator in Charge of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. As a curator, Syson accesses the richness of European history through sculpture and explains why seemingly “useless” art may in fact serve a quite useful purpose. This is a funny and surprisingly inspiring talk. Enjoy!

What do you think of the pink elephants? Do you like them better or worse than Syson’s little figurine? Go on. You can tell me….

Until next time,
Cynthia Patton