monday night

kendall and i attended the whitney museum's member night and had a fun time sketching.

spring with summer weather

the trees on the high line are turning a light spring green with all their young leaves. my heart leapt inside of me when i saw the view from the whitney museum window. seemingly yesterday the brown branches were all bare, and now i've turned around and everything is green.  

i'm always amazed.

i stopped by the whitney for a tour of the 5th floor biennale. it was definitely helpful . . now i have information about the artists whose work hadn't held my interest at first. i can see what their influences are and understand better the message or story they're presenting. this piece is by pat oleszko. the docent shared a quote that is attributed to her, "amuse is my muse." 

(i did not sleep well last night. it was too hot. so, i'm so tired today.)

museum visit

 

greg and i visited the whitney today for their biennial show. i was looking specifically for two artists janet thought i would like, but i couldn't find them. i'll go back when it isn't as crowded. 

janet had mentioned this artist to me, jasmine sian. she works with paper deli bags, creating lacey motifs with an x-acto knife and painting living beings at the center with a very fine brush (often with only one bristle). it's difficult to see the center as the work is so fine and detailed. (a close up view can be found at this gallery's link which happens to have good photos of her pieces.)

another interesting art work? freely, haphazardly, naturally created? and flapping happily in the breeze.

i loved these large photographs taken from civic workers' buildings' windows by emilio martinez poppe . . 

the artist's words about his photographs . . 

now on our way to chelsea market . . it was cold and grey today!

everyone was bundled up.

shrimp and fish tacos with pineapple celery juice.

the clouds on the way home were like frosted glass . . 

sunday morning poem and a museum visit

last snow

dumped wet and momentary on a dull ground

that’s been clear but clearly sleeping, for days.

last snow melts as it falls, piles up slush, runs in first light

making a music in the streets we wish we could keep.

last snow. That’s what we’ll think for weeks to come.

close sun sets up a glare that smarts like a good cry.

we could head north and north and never let this season go.

stubborn beast, the body reads the past in the change of light,

knows the blow of grief in the time of trees’ tight-fisted leaves.

stubborn calendar of bone. last snow. now it must always be so.

by heid e. erdrich (born 1963)

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(pre-brunch snack . . )

after having a big brunch with chanda at noon, the three of us walked to the museum to see the alexander calder circus exhibit. kendall had taken aurélien a few weeks ago and said we should go before it closes on the 9th. 

(these first three photos are of his wire sculptures . . )

before entering the exhibit we watched a video describing how the museum staff maintains the circus figures calder made and how they repair them. he made everything himself and carried the figures around for performing in five big black suitcases, along with thread, bells, sewing needles, etc. in 1925, while a student at the art students league in nyc, one of his assignments for a newspaper he worked for was sketching the ringling brothers, barnum and bailey circus. it greatly influenced him and he began creating his cirque calder in paris in 1926. 

it was quite dark in the exhibit and i actually thought it would have been better more brightly lit.

his signature, wrought so well with the wire.

the flying trapeze, 1925, oil on canvas

calder's flying trapeze set . .

a cloth camel . . 

the rolling dachshund . .

and fanni, the dancer.

video with the trapeze artist figures . . 

more trapeze work . . 

and the lion tamer. his circus figures were based on real people he had seen in new york: the ringmaster, the lion tamer and the bareback rider. i'll have to watch the video at the museum again for the names of the circus artists.

looking out at the river and the snow in the "beach" park . .  

admiring the portrait of museum founder gertrude vanderbilt whitney by robert henri.

and . . dinner at home - leftover linguini with clams.

art exhibit(s)

i went to the whitney specifically to see the amy sherald exhibit, or rather, to see the painting of michelle obama.

which is what i think most everyone does.

of course, then there are so many other beautiful paintings of hers to see.

i hope to return soon . . they also had a short documentary interviewing her and showing her work studio and how she begins a painting. i liked how they included her mom and childhood influences.

mary heilmann . . long line.

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walking home with greg after stopping at hudson and charles and the health food store for ingredients for dinner.

chicken paprikash.