SAM

In my previous post I forgot to mention one other valued experience while in america due to a lack of photographic evidence. I went to the Seattle Art Museum and it was amazing. Its right downtown and had a lot more to offer than I expected. Most of the galleries are filled with contemporary pieces mostly from Seattle based artists. one of my favorites was:

Man and Mouse

Katherine Fristch

I know this is a horrible picture of it but its the only one I could find. In this sculpture the bed is lifesize, if not bigger, so you can imagine how big the mouse is. I liked it for its simplicity. Plus it reminds me of one of my guilty pleasure favorites, The Nightmare.

There was another piece, which at first glance didn't seem too significant, that I really liked. It's sculpture of a bust with the head covered in a scarf that appears to be blowing in the wind. After doing a double take I realized it was carved out of a single block of wood. It was so detailed and smooth. All the grain matched so you knew it was one piece. It was remarkable, I wish I could have found a picture of it.

I was also astonished to find some pretty well known pieces. I like modern art, I know it is an acquired taste but I have acquired it. I have some favorites of the modern art world and two of them just happened to have a piece or two in Seattle.

I have a print by Mark Rothko that has hung in every apartment I have lived in, and nearly all who have seen it claim "I could have painted that." But did you, no.

no. 10

Mark Rothko

This is in Seattle. My first face to face experience with Rothko.

None of my roommates could have painted it.

I have dreamed of seeing a Jackson Pollock in person.

Textbooks just don't do him justice. I found one:

Sea Change

Jackson Pollock

This pretty much made my night.

To cap the night off, in SAM's traveling galleries were two main exhibitions. First was of Alexander Calder's sculptures.

Enseign de Lunettes

Alexander Calder

I enjoy Calder's work but once you've seen one of his mobiles, you've kinda have seen it all so an entire exhibit of mobiles was not my cup of tea. One day it would be awesome to hang one in my house from the ceiling of the great room, that is when I'm rich of course. 

The second exhibit was of Michelangelo's prep drawings for the Sistine Chapel.

I thought this was remarkable.

Study for Libyan Sibyl

Michelangelo

I was three inches away, yeah I pressed my face right up in there, from lines drawn from a pencil held by Michelangelo, the Master. I guess I am an art history nerd but it was pretty miraculous to see.

lengthy post, but I heart art.