So I hiked to the Art Museum while waiting for the Democratic Rally at Forest Park (photos tomorrow). My intent was to take photos of my four favorite pieces. Turns out three of them are in storage. However, I was able to ask the nearest staff member questions like "Okay, so what happened to that portrait of the eighteen-year old guy with the really arrogant expression that used to be in the same room as the Titian?" and "You know that maroon German Expressionism piece that looked like a gnome?" and he knew all the answers. The answer was "in storage."
This was the only one not in storage: St. Peter's Basilica.
Viewed from the left --
Viewed from the right --
Weird! The perspective changes. (Yeah, and on the upper floor there's a painting that can be two faces OR a vase!)
But, in the Contemporary Art section I have a new fave. It's a room full of flimsy stacked plastic cups:
Well, okay, the photo doesn't capture its beauty. But your five-year old could NOT stack cups that well.
I'd like to see the punch bowl that goes along with it.
Posted by: Becs | November 06, 2006 at 04:52 AM
St. Peter's Basilica is my absolute favorite at the Art Museum. I don't want to look at anything else until I move around and study it from left, right, and center. Then, I always go for the portraits. I love portraits.
Posted by: KC | November 06, 2006 at 10:13 AM
When I was a teenager, the Virginia Museum had a portrait of Henry Wise, a governor of Virginia. This guy was hot. I used to visit Henry on a fairly regular basis. The last time I went back, where was Henry? You got it. Storage. Ack.
Posted by: Becs | November 06, 2006 at 05:07 PM
The cups are waaaay cool.
I once new an artist that did an installation piece that consisted of a barrel of oily water and a piece of wood on top of it.
Wow........but he smoked a lot of weed.
Posted by: crunchy carpets | November 06, 2006 at 05:37 PM
I wanna kick those cups over so bad.
Posted by: melati | November 06, 2006 at 05:56 PM
How do they dust it?
Posted by: Becs | November 06, 2006 at 07:54 PM
Becs - my guess is they use compressed air, or a blow dryer. Plus, have you noticed it is impossible to find a museum's collection on-line? And is this your Henry? http://www.amazon.com/Good-Southerner-Henry-Wise-Virginia/dp/0807849448
- Because unlike you and I, he didn't age well.
melati - have you stopped smoking? What's with the hostility? Do you need a hug?
KC - I know - the guard was laughing that people just walk back and forth in front of that painting all day.
Crunchy - Virgil the ex-boyfriend makes art out of old couches now. I probably would have loved the barrel. Modern Art makes me laugh, and this pleases me.
Posted by: TheQueen | November 06, 2006 at 09:42 PM
I'm in a great mood! It's just that when I see stuff like that, I have an nsuppressible urge to knock them over.
I can't be the only one who feels like that!!!! I don't believe it!. I WON'T believe it.
Posted by: melati | November 07, 2006 at 01:56 PM