Chihuly: Through The Looking Glass

Yesterday I escaped the summer heat by visiting the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and taking a stroll through the (crowded) exhibit of Chihuly: Through The Looking Glass. I missed the exhibit when it toured the De Young Museum of San Francisco, so was excited to get a look of the installations this summer (especially after the Howard Wright family of Seattle announced earlier this spring of a controversial 44,550-square-foot new Chihuly Museum to be opened next to the Space Needle).

Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist that has been capturing the imagination of collectors around the world since his first works in the 1970s. Chihuly revolutionized the art of blown glass by creating his large scale sculptures and installations. The exhibit at the MFA is a collection of both new and archival works spanning the four decades of Chihuly's career. (Photo of Chiostro di Sant'Apollonia Chandelier, 2011) Walking into the exhibit halls was like walking into a world of wonderland. I could spend hours looking at the details of my two favorite pieces, the Venetian Ikebana Boat (2011) and the Persian Ceiling.

Walking in "O'Keeffe Country"

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not." - Georgia O'Keeffe

On my recent travels in the northern New Mexico desert, I unexpectedly stumbled into what has become known as "O'Keeffe Country." Taking a pit stop in Albiquiu, New Mexico admist the beauty of Hwy 84 towards Santa Fe, my parents and I accidentally found ourselves at Ghost Ranch, where Georgia O'Keeffe discovered her inspiration, and later called her home, from 1929 to her death in 1986. (IMAGE CREDIT: Georgia O'Keeffe, Evening Star No.VI, 1917)

As I watched the smoke from the Arizona forest fires dance in the rising desert sun and reflect through the primitive landscapes of Kitchen Mesa and Chimney Rock, I can see how O'Keeffe fell in love with the surrounding imagery and found peace from the harried pace of modern life.

Inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's home and her "country," my parents and I later visited the O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. Although I was initially disappointed by the small amount of her paintings on display, on later reflection I realized the subtle and simplistic displays of the exhibitions are a testimony to the great artist. I was fascinated by the biographical movie and current exhibit, "Shared Intelligence: American Painting and the Photograph." The exhibit surveys the relationship of painting and photography in 20th-Century American Modern Art. (IMAGE CREDIT: Leopoldina Photography, Shadows of Ghost Valley, 2011)

As a photographer myself, I was surprised to learn how O'Keeffe (and other contemporary American artists) was so closely connected and influenced by photography. I also didn't realize the significance her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and his movement to consider photography as its own fine art form, affected her art and world views. O'Keeffe was photographed and friends with many of my photog heroes including Todd Webb and Ansel Adams, and yet her struggle with her public image and how it affected the public perception of her art is still a subject of debate amongst art historians today. (IMAGE CREDIT: Todd Webb, Photographing the Chama Valley, New Mexico, 1961)

Overall, I walked away from "O'Keeffe Country" both inspired and curious to learn more about both the artist and the surrounding landscape.

Three "Must-See" Summer Art Exhibits in NYC

1) "Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L’amour fou," at the Gagosian Gallery
“Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L’amour fou” brings together the paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints inspired by Picasso’s greatest muse, as well as photographs from Marie-Thérèse's family archives. On view at the Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21st Street, New York, through July 15, 2011, the work included in this exhibit spans the years 1927 to 1940. More than any other woman, Marie-Thérèse, with her statuesque body and strong, pure profile, fueled Picasso’s imagination with a luminous dream of youth and she became the catalyst for some of his most exceptional work, from groundbreaking paintings to an inspired return to sculpture in the 1930s, according her an almost mythic stature and immortality as an art historical subject. This exhibit is unusual for a private gallery and gives you the unique perspective of experiencing a love story through the eyes of one of the 20th century's greatest artists. For more information, check out the interesting article "Picasso's Erotic Code," by curator John Richardson in May's Vanity Fair.

2) "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met's Alexander McQueen show "Savage Beauty," has already made it's way into the museum's record books, with Bloomberg reporting that it has attracted over 350K+ people since opening in May, outpacing the extremely popular 2005 exhibition of van Gogh's drawings. Organized by The Costume Institute, it celebrates the late Alexander McQueen’s contributions to fashion—he challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. The show features approximately 100 ensembles and 70 accessories from McQueen’s 19-year career. On view through August 7, it is the must see exhibit of the summer, if not the year. Listen to curator Andrew Bolton discussing the exhibit here. ADDENDUM: There is a great review of the exhibit on the blog "Two Nerdy History Girls."

3) "Picasso Guitars: 1912-1914," at the MoMA
"Dear Braque, I am using our latest papery and powdery procedures. I am in the process of imagining a guitar and I am using a bit of dust against our horrible canvas..." - Letter from Picasso to Georges Braque (Oct 9, 1912).

Taking a deep dive into a short two year period of Picasso's long career, the "Picasso Guitars: 1912-1914" exhibition at the MoMA gives you a detailed look into a period of intense experimentation in sculpture and multi-media cubism for the artist that revolutionized the art world and has later been defined by art historians as the development of "synthetic cubism." The exhibition takes you back in time and submerses you in Picasso's studio and processes at the time. A great overview of the exhibit can be found in the Feb 10th Newsweek article "Pablo Picasso: Guitar Hero," by Blake Gopnik.

EXTRA CREDIT: The High Line Section Two Opening

The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. The last train ran on the High Line since 1980 and was left untouched until 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the City of New York, were able to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. The first section, from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, opened June 9, 2009 to much success. If you haven't had the opportunity to voyage down to Chelsea to enjoy this park, I highly recommend it. The second section, from West 20th Street to West 30th Street, opened earlier this month doubling the length of the park. The High Line website lists the year-long events that include children's play groups, dance lessons and even film screenings, in this unique park in the sky.

A Tale of Two Artist

Recently, I have discovered two local west coast based oil painters that I admire and thought I should share. The first artist is Amanda Blake. Recently my friend saw a couple of her pieces at a gallery in Texas and forwarded me a link to her oil painting, "Rebecca Wore a Dress of Wildflowers." (Image to the left.) I instantly loved the piece and ordered a print to frame and hang in my flat. Doing some research, I found that Amanda lives in Portland, OR. Inspired by religious and literary symbolism, art history, superstition and found photography she works to create narratives that are at once familiar and mysterious. I love how each peace tells a story. You can check out more of her work at her blog: http://amandablakeart.blogspot.com/

The second artist, Leon Roulette, has many of his beautiful oil paintings scattered amongst the vineyards of Napa. I fell in love with the painting, "Poppies in Sunshine," displayed at the Rutherford Hills Tasting Room a couple of years ago (image below.) and have been admiring his work ever since. His oil paintings are so realistic at times, sometimes you wonder if you are looking a photograph. Although he doesn't have a persona website, it appears that he has been teaching art in the West Coast for many years and his romantic styles are perfect for the Napa Vineyard settings.