April Claggett Gets Big
March 6, 2020
art april, April Claggett, art, artist, New Hampshire, NH, Peterborough Leave a comment
Eighth Blackbird at the National Gallery of Art
February 23, 2020
art, music, Photography, plants Andy Akiho, art, art museum, baba, composers, concert, contemporary music, David Lang, dc, eighth blackbird, emily, emily shepardson, Fjóla Evans, gem, Holly Harrison, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Julius Eastman, Lisa Kaplan, national gallery, national gallery of art, Nina Shekhar, original music, Viet Cuong, washington dc Leave a comment
National Gallery of Art
What a place to see one of my all time favorite contemporary music groups. Eighth Blackbird played the National Gallery 2.16.20, and the show was free. As always, the group featured brand new music from living composers, including: Nina Shekhar, Fjóla Evans, Andy Akiho, Holly Harrison, David Lang, Viet Cuong, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Julius Eastman. This show included some ringers in for violin, flute, and clarinet.
Lisa Kaplan, fearless leader and director of eighth blackbird
My favorite set was the second, and my favorite piece was Viet Cuoug’s Electric Aroma (2017),
The most precious thing in the museum was Cora, of course.
Cora does contemporary
The setting (no pictures or recording during the show)
After the concert, there were a few minutes for art.
Then it was out and on the metro for cocktails and dinner at Baba.
Sundown on the mall
Smithsonian sculpture
Wholly Emily
Baba’s bar
How to top Proton Tuesday?! Radioactive Valentine’s Day!
February 15, 2020
art, mixology, nature, ocean, who knows alexandria, american visionary art musem, aquarion, avam, baltimore, bell ringing, boots, catoctin creek, gigantic champagne, greta, homeslyce pizza, jellyfish, last word, majestic, maryland proton treatment center, old town, parking angel, proton tuesday, radioactive valentines, spool, spoolia, the national aquarium Leave a comment
As usual, it started with zapping
But it was a special day! The last day of treatment! Which means bell ringing time. Pizza was devoured. Bells were rung.
Feels good to be done.
A happy spool
There was little time left for Baltimore’s museum collection. We headed directly to the American Visionary Art Museum.
AVAM
Das boots (slightly radioactive)
After purchasing some items, many of which were plastic, we headed to the aquarium, driving like lost tourists.
The parking angel (really does something indescribably to the Audi)
The National Aquarium was mobbed on a Valentines Day night.
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And then it was back down to Old Town for a very late dinner indeed at the Majestic. Super fun at the bar (happy Catoctin Creek day!), and a delicious dinner.
A VERY VERY LARGE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. VERY LARGE.
The bar at the Majestic
Scallops. If you can’t watch them in an aquarium, by all means eat them.
Last word
I will dearly miss Proton Tuesdays (and Radioactive Valentines), but I hope they never happen again.
Andy Warhol Looks a Scream, Hang him on my Wall
February 10, 2020
art andy warhol, art, gem, modern art, musem, photography, pittsburgh, rm, skulls, the andy warhol museum, titty art, warhol 1 Comment
The Warhol Museum. Yes. Go. Spend several hours.
Titty art. No really.
Self reference.
Born under the same sign on the same day.
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Sydney MCA
February 3, 2020
art, Photography, travel art, australia, photography, sydney, sydney mca, sydney museum of contemporary art, video 1 Comment
Another visit to the stellar Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art. Cornelia Parker was on special exhibition.
Falling Water
January 1, 2020
art, nature, Photography architecture, art, boyle, building, falling water, frank lloyd wright, gem, novel, photography, tc boyle, the women, video, waterfall Leave a comment
A trip to Falling Water has been on my wish list for years. Though I knew a fair amount about Frank Lloyd Wright and the house itself from studying architecture, I was not prepared for the power of the building itself. Just incredible. The way nature integrates with the structure filling all of your senses is stunning.
This visit was life affirming in all the ways. Part of a perfect day.
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DC Art Therapy: Hirshhorn, Phillips, Renwick, Plus
December 12, 2019
art, film, Photography art, cate blanchett, escher, hirshhorn, manifesto, phillips, phillips collection, photography, rembrant, renwick, richard danzig, video, video art, washington dc 1 Comment
The best layover ever is just about right. We made plenty of time for art on Wednesday. First stop after breakfast was the Hirshhorn. This museum is really going places. The new director has it popping. If you already did that once or twice and you have not been under the new regime, go.
Smithsonian in winter
The color wheel is the first use of the second floor circle that has perfect sensibility.
Downstairs had some cool stuff too.
The highlight of this Hirshhorn visit was the fact that Manifesto was playing. I saw this in Stuttgart in 2017 and was utterly blown away. This is a must see video installation, even if you don’t do video art (generally speaking, I don’t).
Here is the official trailer. Absolutely stunning masterpiece.
I now love Cate Blanchett. Watching her work in such a close stunning cinematic set of visuals is life changing.
After lunch, which may or may not have included a bottle of Gigondas, we headed to the Phillips.
Finally, parking karma still intact, we headed to the Renwick. Sadly, Jacob missed it.
Three museums was not enough to satisfy the art goddess. Fortunately, Richard rode to the rescue. His collection is world class.
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The Dead Bambis in Japan
November 30, 2019
art, dance, music dead bambis, japan, live music, music, photography, Rock and Roll, tokyo, video 1 Comment
Best bass ever
Rock and Roll baby
Up and down art
November 26, 2019
art, travel art, art museum, escalator, metropolitan museum of art, tokyo, video 1 Comment
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
LACMA 2019
October 12, 2019
art art, contemporary art, LACMA, los angeles, museum, photography 1 Comment
The LACMA is an excellent museum even when most of the permanent collection is stashed away during renovation. Contemporary art it is!
LACMA lights
The new building (not done yet)
NPS was here
