Afternoon at Bonaventure Cemetery

With a mix of locals, semi-locals, and tourists, I joined a large group to take advantage of the Bonaventure Historical Society's Free Tours that take place second Sunday of each month.  There were three tours-one at 2p.m., another at 2:30 and the last one at 3p.m.  The last group was large and I was ill prepared.  I walked away unscathed but tired and thirsty.  Although the tour would be by the river with some breeze relieving some of the heat (I fought for shady spots), I would recommend to anyone wishing to take advantage to think about water, sunscreen, and bug spray.  Our guide did offer repellant  and warned to watch where we stepped or stood as there were fire ants to keep an eye out for...

Although I had been out visiting Bonaventure before, it had been quite a bit of time and after reading a lot of Savannah history, it was fun to have a guide show us around and point out the founding fathers of Savannah. He connected the graves and family names to the homes and squares in the historic district. 

We walked by where the inspiration to Hard Hearted Hannah is lain, spent some time talking about Johnny Mercer, and said hello to little Gracie Watson, the monument of the little girl is a likeness based on a photo taken of her in her Easter finest, shortly after, she caught pneumonia, died and was laid to rest.

Once plantations, the cemeteries are said to be for the living.  My experience has been that of meeting family gardening and taking care of the plots and tourists in our group referenced "the book" where the author has cocktails in the cemetery.  Our guide pointed out that just recently Bonaventure had been named one of CNN's top ten list and I thought it funny that a women next to me commented how it's unusual to visit a cemetery on a trip, but I find just like museums, I have visited a number of cemeteries and the amount of history is amazing, like Our Town and Spoon River Anthology-the lives are celebrated and they seem to whisper stories to us and demand to be remembered.

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Trip to Milwaukee Art Museum 2

The weekend was good! -I came home for a wedding and a visit with the family.  The wedding reception was at the Milwaukee Zoo and it was beautiful.  The hall was big and the weather was gorgeous.
Saturday we went to the gift opening but then had an early dinner as we were 5 plus a baby-a very tired baby from the night before- she wouldn't give up, trying to keep pace with her Croatian cousins.
Dinner was a birthday celebration since myself, my brother and my sister in law all have birthdays in the first two weeks of October.  We were all full and instead of having full plates, we hit the small plates menu and were not disappointed. We went to my restaurant request, CrazyWater,  since when I was visiting on my birhtday 3 years ago we went there.
We ate well! --Hoppin John Shrmimp and Grits, Ginger Chicken Wantons, grilled artichokes,
the day's special Tacos, and a Cheese Tart plus the waitress brought us a molten chocolate cake!

The next day I met up with the neice and sister in-law at a place called HoneyPie.  The family loves this place but has never taken me there before.  Who knew you could get some great Southern tastes in Milwaukee.  I had the ham biscuit with egges and potatoes and the biscuit was amazing.  Dad had the biscuits and gravy and the ladies had breakfast burritos.

Last request on this weekend was to go the the Milwaukee Art Museum.  It's a favorite haunt of mine with great American painters as well as an interesting collection of German especially Fauvist painting.  I was interested in the photography exhibit-Taryn Simon: Photographs and Texts and all we could wonder is how does this artist get access to the places she photographs?
They were beautiful but in an ironic twist- the information next to the photos was so small and placed on uneven walls that it was hard to read.  It has become obvious that the trend is for curators that hate info cards to get rid of them or place them where the observer can't get the desired info quickly but to make it so small one almost needed a magnifying glass is a little ridiculous when the background of the artist talks of how much research she does.
Then I had to ask where this was since the hallway it was placed in is an area we don't normally walk through anymore.  The Chinese statues were fun and a way to interact with art and statement of the artist in an interesting way.
Once again, the Milwaukee Art Museum didn't disappoint since I also checked out the kids room and went to the Kohl's Art Studio.  There was art-both seeing and making (printmaking that is)-A true original by Erin Scott _______________________ _________________________________

LACMA last Friday

Last Friday I hit the art museum for a little inspiration. LACMA-LA County Museum of Art just keeps getting better and better.  I feel that since moving here in 1998, I have seen Los Angeles awake and grow up in art and theatre since it always was a film town-not only have I discovered more but I think LA has discovered some things too.

After finding a great discount deal in a tweet, I am now a member of LACMA and it feels as valuable as my library card.  Just like my visits to the Art Institute in Chicago, I have my favorite rooms and I stop by for a visit to my favorite art and painting and say “hi!”.  I noticed that the Jasper Johns studies I like to see were off the wall for now, but there was plenty to take a look at I wanted to peek into the new exhibits that were in ‘member preview’ only.

I was more interested in how my eye kept looking at shadow and play with shadow. This was more interesting to me--that my brain and eye were focused on that than the new work.  It was a different way of triggering ideas and I was blown away by it! It started with Richard Stankiewicz's work which took me back to the artist's loft I stayed in last November for my sound seminar put on the Association of Independents in Radio.  I found the place cheap at the site roomorama and I saw how the woman I rented from put things in a place of honor as well as reminding herself of how to make art through art.  She told me that people look at artists in a different light and she called herself a creative.  Since I was just starting to embrace after all these years that I have to make art, I felt like this was a great time to hear this from this creative.
This discovery of shadow kept popping up in my walks through the gallery and I was enjoying these surprises saying hello back to me, it was my own treasure hunt!
This was a good thing since I was somewhat disappointed in the new exhibits that were in 'member preview'. Edward Kienholz, Five Car Stud 1969–1972 but the work didn’t really grab me.  The gallery is dark and quiet with a bed of sand covering the floor. I didn’t expect to wear my sandals to the art museum and get sand in them! The viewer is only allowed to enter one way and leave through another exit. Part theatre, mostly social commentary and part sculpture the work depicts a group of home grown terrorists that are castrating a black man after coming upon a scene of an inter racial couple “parking” in a truck. The literature to explain and comment on the work reminds us that scenes like this happened throughout the southern United States.  That type of writing always turns me off in others trying to say this never happened in our backyard but those in the northern states were segregated in other ways, not to mention the fact that Indiana in the early 20th century had the most KKK members per capita of any state or the area in LA County I live in had cross burnings and problems up into the 1980s.  Since the work hasn’t been seen in many years, it seems as if LAMA is as proud of the fact that this work is out of storage and is on display again as the content and discussion itself.



I then went out into the Rodin sculpture garden since the writing of how sensual it was to work in clay, always made me a fan of the works and yet again, I saw more shadow on the staircase up above and in the garden itself.  Yes this was probably nearing movie "magic hour" as far as light was concerned but I still saw so much as far as play with shadow and how it will probably find its way into my work in the near future. I even found it among the Giacometti collection.  I have never been a fan of the work (it's no Rodin) but even with my eye and brain playing this game, I found something to love/like about the work on this visit!
It's my hope that the idea of Pacific Standard Time (Five Car Stud and the curation of Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972–1987 are a part of this) has work that grabs me more at other participating institutions.  And so onto look at other works in other museums- this included a visit to Downtown Artwalk Thursday as well as MOCA, where there wasn't enough Warhol and Cy Twombly but company and dinner after kept me happy.





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My Savannah

My Savannah from Erin Scott on Vimeo.

AAA Motorclub's magazine, Westways gave a page in the March/April edition for visiting Savannah.  They title is Big City on a Budget.  So much has been written on the squares, stellar example of city planning and how it's a great place for pedestrians, that it's no surprise that the article talks no money fun by  taking a "stroll through any of the city's 22 enchanting squares".  The article then goes on to reference "the book" Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (something I would advise against with locals).  It's a great pre-destination read and a preparatory for the feel and pace of Savannah, but most of those characters/people have move on and there is always a whole set of new, just as quirky ones to meet on your strolls or crawl home from bar close.

Since this is a tourist article, there are references to the numerous walks and tours, recommending a ghost walk.  I have over heard many and been on one that one of my students led. They are lots of fun and something you should do when visiting one of the most haunted cities in America!  Also recommended is the Ogelthorpe Trolly Tour but if you're there to walk, I just don't see the fun of sucking in gasoline fumes on a fancified bus.  I have however, when playing tourist in my town, taken a group horse drawn carriage ride, which was very enjoyable and interesting and somehow felt less touristy.  Word to the wise-look out for girl scouts that invade the area as it's the birthplace of Juliet Gordon Low, the organization's founder.

I am in complete agreement that a visit to the Telfair Museum is not to be missed and the $20 admission price is fair in that it gets you into all three properties and use within a week of purchase.  Besides the galleries all over downtown, the newer edition of the Jepson has contemporary works, while you get a taste of the old with the other two properties.

If following the article on where to stay and eat, one would think the writer didn't leave Bay Street (Inn at Ellis Square and Mulberry Inn and B.Matthew's Eatery).  I look forward to trying B.Matthew's on my next return to the fair city, but also now know the chef and have a need to taste, 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Restaurant. My last visit had me at my old haunts for drinking and some eating- The Rail, Bar Bar, Sixpence, and Churchill's, Pinky Master's and the American Legion Hall. New to me but old and spruced up was the Olde Pink House- where I shared an surprisingly filling cheese platter and appetizer. For pizza, there seems to be two camps, but I always hit up both-The Mellow Mushroom and Vinnie Van Gogo's. For burger's my date preferred to eat at Five Guys, but I still like B&D Burger for the choices and sweet potato tater tots!

Savannah also has issues with the eateries coming and going and evolving into something else--one bar is still referred to as the Velvet Elvis even though it's had a different name since around 2002! One of those great places that closed was Carlito's Cuban Cabana on Whitaker, tried a great tasting platter and never got back to sample their interpretation of paella.  Beyond that, date wasn't trying it- so I had to put it off--there are a number of Thai Restaurants on Broughton that I hope will be there on a return visit.

AAA also says there are free maps from your auto club branch but all the information as well as parking passes for downtown on street parking is at the Visitor Information Center on MLK. _______________________ _________________________________

First trip to the California African American Museum

Saturday was my first trip over to the California African American Museum, where there was a reception for the exhibit Allensworth.  This exhibit found its way to the galleries after an artist excursion to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, originally the first all black settlement/town in California.  The prints from the collectiveof photographers in the exhibit are all reproduced by Mel Carll from the SCV Center for Photography.  It's a large body of work, documenting the faded glory of a utopia or commune of the past, with many subjects explored by different artists.  The exciting thing for Santa Clarita and the SCV Center for Photography is that there is talk of this show traveling.
The California African American Museum is extremely large, with many galleries.  Also on display were two exhibits that flowed into each other, Camera and Community and Daufuskie Island. I had a big interest  in the Daufuskie Island photo exhibit since Pat Conroy's book,  The Water is Wide is one of my favorite books and was set on Daufuskie, fictionalized as "Yamacraw Island." It's of interest as well to see documentation of a life that no longer exists and thinking of the gullah dialect, so well preserved there for so many years now quickly being lost since most of the living there is gone.  The pictures are of an era gone. Now the remains is golf courses and an end to the oyster fishing.
With Camera and Community, there were many political pictures of aftermaths from riots (Watts) and the documentation of Caesar Chavez's hunger strike and work.  What was of interest to me were the pictures of musicians many performing while in SoCal but also performing all over the U.S.  The two pictures I took the time to jot down information on were funny.  One was a work title Parade from 1940, with three dads holding kids on their shoulders and we get of glimpse of a great little baby butt crack-somethings never change!  Also of interest was an undated work of Harry Adams the was of a dance class with 13 little girls lined up at the barre.  This photo took some time to study as it was difficult to count the number of girls with their teacher and it was surprising to see only three girls with shoes on.  Granted this looks to be from the 60s and the class is all black, but as a child taking class, we all were required to have proper attire and it amazed me to look at this class, learning with what they had.
Lastly, How We Roll, was an interesting curation of African Americans in the sport of surfing, skateboarding, and roller skating.  Lots of info and lots of displays, it made me sad to see a 16mm film camera in a display case, but there were some longboards on the wall that were so beautiful and crafted with different wood, they were a work of art on a wall and it would be of interest to see them out on the asphalt jungle so to speak.
Overall this was an amazing museum with a variety of galleries that showed many different aspects of the mission of the museum.  The foyer was so large and had high ceilings and plenty of wall space to feature artists inspired by the exhibits and they took advantage of it, with large possibly 2 story high art collections hung on the walls.  It was so much to take in, at one point my friend and I couldn't believe we had missed part of the art in that space, but we were so focused on another that we just missed it.  Take a trip out and discover this gem--First Sundays of the month are free to the public, but since it shares parking with the coliseum, know your game days and avoid them! _______________________ _________________________________

Free Day at LACMA

I love going to a museum and turning a corner and having a sweet surprise.  My favorite happening of this sort was in NY in 95 at MoMA and when I turned the corner and found Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, staring back at me.  My visit Monday had a wonderful surprise as I was just breezing through a collection I already thought I knew and had seen.  I found a new treasure or Easter egg in the back of the Art of the Americas Building, 3rd floor. It was R.B. Kitaj's Covers for a Small Library, a temporary exhibition of interesting prints.  It's on view through July 4, 2011.
It's the artist's personal collection from his time in New York when he had self proclaimed "bibliomania".  Authors included Kafka, Joyce, Nabokov, Camus, and (my favorite) T.S. Eliot.  The body of work is enlarged photo facsimiles prints of book jackets, showing all the damage and handling and love these books had before coming into Kitaj's personal collection.  The prints are large, (I am guessing 11x17 possibly).  Most of the prints were marked 63/150-not sure of who owns the collection on display. Favorites of the artist (and mine) are titles like Ezra Pound's How to Read, Margaret Mead's The Coming of Age in Somoa, Dimestore Paperbacks like Jack London's The People of the Abyss, A Pelican Book published by Penguin Books, a beautiful cover of a book about Edward Weston, and the City of Burbank Annual Report.
The last treat and something new to see, was Steve Wolfe on Paper, 2nd floor of the Ahmanson Building. As an ex-scenic painter, the trompe l'oeil of the artist's vinyl records was amazing.  It was hard to believe and it always begged for a closer look, one of the record works had a slight thumb print that finally saidI'm not vinyl, quit doing double takes! Besides the record renderings, there was also mixed media and collage. My favorite was a sweet little piece of a spider web that was framed at a right angle and demanded being hung in a corner.  As an artist, it's time to start remembering it can be and sometimes should be fun-for both the artist and the observer. _______________________ _________________________________

LACMA's Fashioning Fashion

   

There were many things of interest at the Fashioning Fashion exhibit, running now through March 27, 2011. It lays out in amazing ways the changes in fashion and differences of dress for both men and women. I found it of great interest to know that the modern/current men's suit really hasn't changed since the turn of the LAST century as shown in a suit from England from around 1906 or so...

It gives me a grin to see the things humans find sexy since there are so many things that people find erotic. Displayed in a corner of the exhibit were some fetish items. Odd that that corner gets congested! (this was my second visit to the museum and that spot) The curation talks of how Toulouse-Lautrec was an artist of the time documenting, living, and depicting brothels and the women in them. The plaque near these items also talked of the idea of restraint and release (the words alone are quite weighted and powerful) and how tantalizing it could be to have to wait, take time and unlace all those laces on the boots!
When taking a costuming class for theatre studies, it was stated that when men's breeches were short, that a man's calves were like today's abs or arms. Women would swoon and there was even enhancement and padding that men would use to give 'em better calves. It sounds silly but I do know of times where I find myself looking at a man differently after seeing their strong calves so I guess anything is possible erotic or fetish.
Also of interest in the serpentine path of items behind the fetish boots is the other item of fetish interest. Less people go back there as it's the last part of the exhibit. It was a display of ladies stockings. The stockings were bright and elaborately embroidered-all for the slight opportunity of a flash of the ankles of a woman. Under all those skirts, seeing a woman's ankles and tease of a leg was something that would make men go wild.
In these days of showing so much, what is still seductive? What in fashion is something that brings interest and excitement? In these days of celebutantes behaving badly and exposing all sorts of "stuff", what is shocking anymore?  Can't wait to see what will be curated 50 years from now on fashion and fetish. _______________________ _________________________________

Last week in the cold...

A Cold Day View  from the Museum

The middle of last week had me crawling the walls with cabin fever in the North Suburbs of Chicago.  Not only do I not like the cold and snow (never did), staying in the house where one spent their teen years in can be a little trying after a few days!  So I took myself up to the Kenosha Public Museum to see The Printmaking Revolution in America and the Wisconsin Presence and get a little inspiration.

I had breezed through the website and it wasn't until I was using google maps app on my dad's iphone that I came to discover that there is a Civil War Museum next to the Kenosha Public Museum as well.  I didn't have the time to check that out but Kenosha is more than a reference in That 70's Show and it's more than an outlet mall nearby.  The town is our family's meeting place- halfway from Libertyville and Milwaukee.  There's a cool farmer's market that has sparked my dad's interest and we have eaten at a wonderful eatery called the Wine Knot Bar & Bistro where I have had some wonderful seasonal meals--my favorite being the duck stroganoff I had there last winter.

But.....

Arthur Secunda's Self Portrait

Back to the Museum--I really enjoy small museums and was inspired by the permanent collection/display of natural history of the area.  I foresee a work of modern mounds like the Indian mounds of the area.
I also learned that wooly mammoths and mastodons ate different things and didn't compete for territory. Just a fact.

The printmaking exhibit is a personal collection of Ronald L. Ruble and what was different about the display was the placards of the work had many personal comments of Mr. Ruble's. Inspiring work included Arthur Secunda's silkscreen work inspired from Kettle Moraine State Park- a place I used to visit in winter and go cross country skiing as a kid.  His self portrait was something that grabbed my attention graphically and color wise.

Lois Mogensen's Chair Suite

One thing of interest was that the poster for the exhibit had a work I couldn't find in the collection/gallery.  I went through there twice trying to find the work and never located it!  The other graphic interpretation of an everyday object that was of interest was Lois Mogensen's Chair Suite, a color mezzotint.  The identifying plaque was of the collector's commentary and a favorite of mine, stating that Mogensen is a personal friend and that "Mezzotint is not a medium for sissies and this gal tackles it head on".  Love her treatment and representation of the object and love the idea of tackling art head on...I hope to do more of that in my life! _______________________ _________________________________

Closing day for shows at the Armory.

Took myself to see the closing day of 2 shows at the Armory in Pasadena.  I went with the intent on seeing NewTown: Convergences--a look at new media and installation. I was curious to see what people are making was was blown away. Saw a work inspired by Helen Hill.  I have a few friends that knew her and she must have been a remarkable woman to have so many talk of her and work to keep her memory alive. Nancy Buchanan and Ismael De Anda had a sweet little piece playing with the idea of pinatas. Heidi Kumao worked with projected image and different planes/surfaces for projected image. Robert Ladislas Derr played with a box and explored confinement . This reminded me of the arts walk in St. Paul where there was an installation of a man in a box.  At the end of the night, I went back to see the man in the box-most kids loved it, thought it was funny.  As I returned to the St. Paul installation I saw parents with a child saying LOOK LOOK!  What I got to look at was a kid freaking out!  She started climbing up her dad onto his shoulder saying I DON'T LIKE THIS!
Robert Ladislas Derr's work was video of his wife and himself moving in a box.  The observer then looked through a box to see the video.  It was a very intimate work.

Lastly, my favorites, (can't find my notes to credit them) were works that played with technology in the great outdoors with a fire projected on a bunch of logs, a shadow play of a man online in a tent, a cell phone tower looking like a tree that gives one four bars and projected images of our parks and encroaching technology.  The other was titled Looking Glass that had a new twist on voyeurism in spying on a diorama of a man watching tv across the armory.

A sweet surprise was the closing reception of Steve Roden: In Between, a 20 Year Survey. It was nice to be in the space with lots of people looking at the work and lively conversation filling the space.  I found it amazing that I had never heard of this artist and then this morning, there he was, posted on the LACMA blog, talking of the Blinky Palermo site that closes this Sunday.  I enjoyed looking at his comments since I know I breezed through this work and was much more intent and into the work of William Eggleston.  Eggleston's work brought tears to my eyes and put me on this newer drive to create.
Back to Steve Roden's work, it was very heady.  One can tell that each work comes from a place of deep introspection.  The sound/audio work was what of course I remembered.  Although not playing sound at the time of my crossing, Roden had a piece/sonic box that was naked speakers/horns inside different size bottles which really got me thinking about possibilities in my work.  He also did a mixed media/projected work about the moon that was in a vault gallery --the old vault of the building-  this work had a plaster cast record that took the projection but then the shadow beyond--the silhouette was a beautiful "moon rise" so to speak.  Roden also explored the dimensions of his body and proportion and made work related to that exploration.  He had a "bed of sound" that had a handmade quilt created by his mother as well as speakers and "tinker toys"/building blocks with it.  The color alone of the sculpture was amazing.
Roden's work made me think of how to play with words, concepts and an aural tradition.  It also makes me think that the vérité recordings I like to make and use could be enhanced by broader, more abstract or conceptual sculpture-or nothing at all--being confident of the sound itself. _______________________ _________________________________

The Visual Language of Herbert Matter

Yesterday, LACMA hosted the SoCal premiere of The Visual Language of Herbert Matter with director Reto Caduff, answering questions after the screening.

Most of those in attendance seemed to be graphic designers and rightly so--Matter is a huge influence on American graphic design, teaching at Yale in the early years of its design program as well as working with noted designers Charles and Ray Eames, companies such as Conde Nast, and creating a look and identity for Knoll Associates and New Haven Railroad. He also was close friends with Jackson Pollack, Alexander Calder and created a book showcasing the work of Alberto Giacometti.

His work is intimidating, beautiful, and inspiring. Matter worked and was influential in graphic design, photography, and montage as well as moving image (only one completed film-Calder's mobiles with John Cage's score).

The Visual Language of Herbert Matter had no recorded audio of the artist--possibly one interview on tape exists and there was very little writing or response from the artist.  Herbert Matter worked a good 12 hours a day, 7 days a week in his studio and let his work and language of image speak for itself.  Matter's work, commercial and artistic stand on their own as works of art.  The archives mostly residing at Stanford and tempts this gal to take a trip up there some time soon.

As a film- the filmmaker had to resolve the issue of stills and images, which he did with beautiful animation and motion graphics. The score for this film was unbelievable as well, complementing the image and narration.  Unusual and breaking the rules, Caduff narrated the film himself, putting a very personal spin on the information presented to the audience.

  

Check out the website of the film for more screening info

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Trip to Milwaukee Art Museum

 

So the first outing of my newish born niece was a day at the Milwaukee Art Museum this week.  The family is starting her early on her field trips and culture excursions!  My brother and sister-in-law are already reading to her even though she is just a month old! The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of my favorites.  My friend, the Englishman, (carpenter by day, painter by night) was surprised that of all the places to see American painters would be Milwaukee!  He stated this because his visit to LACMA-Los Angeles was met with the contemporary wing closed and a visit to Art Institute of Chicago was met with too much impressionist work in its permanent collection! Lots of people that think they know Wisconsin still seem to belittle Milwaukee and its arts and culture.  One friend recently poo-poo'd it saying that it's Madison that's the cultural seat of Wisconsin, the Berkley of the Midwest so to speak.  Hate to say it, but that idea is as old as the last century.  Welcome to the 21st century Wisconsin...Milwaukee has a lot going for it!

Back to the field trip--I saw all that I wanted to see!

Took a look at the main exhibition, European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century and immediately got in trouble for taking photographs sans flash but the guard still stopped me-- I guess they have a catalog to sell in the gift shop.  The categories and curation was a lot of fun but the sound in the gallery was hushed white noise of a dinner party- a complete contrast to last year when the same gallery hosted the last decade of Andy Warhol's work, it was packed and sounded like a party!  I always think that museums shouldn't be seen as places of the holy and should be a very welcome public space!  My brother noticed the plaque of one chair -Knotted Chair by Marcel Wanders from 1996--its commentary striking a chord with the statement "now one of the most important chairs in the past two decades"--pretty powerful statement--powerful to bring on the giggles!

Also overheard in that gallery was "look at that lamp"--it was a bird wing lamp--woman responded "I couldn't have that, I have cats!"

Since I have been wanting to make work/sculpture out of blown out tires on the side of the interstate, I was extremely interested in the work of Chakaia Booker.  Her work welcomed you from the underground heated parking lot, so much so that my sister-in-law walked over the line on the floor to keep a boundary around the art---and she wanted to touch it.  Viscerally you could still smell the rubber/petrol smell of the media and it was fun to see when chose to use black or silver screws... Striking installation in the white halls of the Santiago Calatrava designed edition of the museum.  

We also hit the permanent collection and took a look at the Walk-In Infinity Chamber by Stanley Landsman.  Like the Extreme Angles and work at the Hammer, this work plays on your senses because it does give the illusion of infinity.  Very interactive in that you have to put on boots/cloth covers on your shoes to even walk in it--it's a dimmed room that feels like through the looking glass or the wardrobe into  Narnia or the movie 2001!

Lastly, this entrance is my favorite of any museum I regularly visit!  The view is of Lake Michigan and in the summer, visitors see the sailboats glide by on the horizon line and in the winter one sees the frozen tundra and harsh nature, framed by the same white starkness of the grand hall again designed by Santiago Calatrava.  This visit, there was an installation-Under the Table (1994) by LA artist Robert Therrien.  Inspired by images he took under a table, he later created this ten foot high table and chairs.  My brother said we'd get an idea of what the niece was seeing but he also knocked on the table--and was reprimanded by the guard--who we chatted with and was very nice--talking about how he must me in guard hell in an installation that one can walk through and begs to be touched.  We related to him my cousin's experience at the Dallas Museum of Art where there was a work with many mobile type sculptures dropped down from the ceiling--she was there when a 3 yr old ran through the middle and the guard was trying to fish the unruly toddler out!  Our Milwaukee Museum guard told me I gave him nightmares with that story!So glad the baby loved it and the new parents were able to get out and about and I was able see the art and share it with my family!

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Extreme Angles in the New Year

Graham Norton's New Year's Eve Party Set

11 Minutes into this video, the party gets started!

I've been thinking about my day at the Hammer Museum a lot lately.  Two weeks ago, I took advantage of the free admission anniversary promotion and headed down on a rainy day Sunday to see the museum.  I was excited as it was my first visit ever.  It was a great trip and I spent over two hours looking at the permanent collection and exhibits.

Seems as if durning the holiday season, there is a trend in museum curation of truly interactive work that forces the audience to stop treating a museum like a church or sacred space and have fun and play in the museum.  Up until January 23, the Hammer has this something in Julian Hoeber's work, titled Demon Hill.  It's a work that deals with a room on extreme angles and extreme lighting.  There  was a sign posted in front of the work that upon entering, some people may experience disorientation and I was a naysayer and shook my head, thinking it funny there should be a warning sign stating that one could experience the list of maladies, but once in the work, I did feel light headed and tried to force myself into the work and act like all was well.  That  feeling was a bit exciting as it forced other senses into the experience of the sculpture/mixed media work.

The memory of the work has stayed with me for the last 2 weeks and when watching Graham Norton's New Year's Eve program, I saw how this experience can be applied to entertainment.  When sharing a description of this work, my mom reminded me of the house at Six Flags Over Texas- a tilt house-Casa Magnetica that was in the park from 1962 to 1997 and then a resurrection in 2004-07.  The pictures and spiel for the simple attraction are at this link, along with an explanation of the phenomenon here.

All this makes me want to make work that gets people recalling it weeks after.  This also makes me want to see how living extremes this year could influence the work I do make.  Should be an interesting kick start to all my work- be it installation or photography. _______________________ _________________________________