As mentioned before, I recently saw the Apostles of Beauty show at the Art Institute of Chicago. I really enjoyed this exhibit.

The exhibit features a wide range of objects, such as textiles, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, metalwork, and surprisingly, photography. The exhibit is broken up into a loose timeline, in reference to the tagline “From Britain to Chicago”. It starts with the section “English Beginnings” focusing British manufacturers like Morris and Company in the 19th century. It comes to a close with the two sections “Chicago and Reform” and then “The Prairie School” with a major Frank Lloyd Wright piece. Of everything in the exhibit, the textiles and the photography stood out to me the most.

Left: Screen, 1885-1910, designed by John Henry Dearle; A three-panelled furnishing screen with embroidered panels showing ‘Parrot Tulip’, ‘Large Horned Poppy’ and ‘Anemone’ designs.

Right: Textile, Sutherland pattern, 1870-1871, designed by Owen Jones

I was surprised to see photography in an Arts and Crafts exhibit, but the connection between pictorialist principles and craftsman ideals were easy to understand. In addition, the work on display is very impressive. It features important names in the history of photography such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and one of my favorites, Gertrude Käsebier.

Gertrude Käsebier, Heritage of Motherhood, ca. 1904, gum bichromate print

My only complaint with the exhibit was that it felt a little spare, and it could have benefited from more objects. But overall, it was very enjoyable.

The Apostles of Beauty will be at the Art Institute of Chicago until January 31, 2010.

The Art Institute of Chicago is showing works by Konstantin Grcic in a show entitled “Decisive Design” through 24 January 2010.  As the ARTIC website puts it:

“ This significant exhibition is the first in America to explore the work produced by German designer Konstantin Grcic, one of the most important industrial designers working today. Grcic is known for his logical designs, driven by an honesty of materials and an appropriateness of production methods, yet injected with an inventiveness and originality that set his work apart. Although his production continues to be characterized by simple and distinctive design solutions, Grcic has more recently harnessed an interest in new technologies and materials research—a shift in practice that has afforded him a progressively ambitious portfolio of furniture and product designs that are transforming the landscape of contemporary design.”

Take the time to blow through the Windy City (don’t forget your scarf and ear-muffs) and see for yourself.

Konstantin Grcic in Wikipedia (There is no article for him in english!! Shame on all you english speakers interested in product and/or industrial design!  But you all speak french anyway, right.) 

And here is Grcic’s own site.

designalog@live.fr

“Design Real” is a contemporary design show currently on view at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The exhibit, curated by German product designer Konstantin Grcic, focuses on “real,” mass-produced products that have been made in the last decade. The objects highlighted range from household products to industrial innovations that have had an impact on everyday lives. There is an accompanying website, www.design-real.com, which includes additional information on each object in the exhibit.

Grcic is also the focus of a solo exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago entitled “Konstantin Grcic: Decisive Design. Grcic, currently one of the world’s most important industrial designers, is known for his “logical” designs that are conceived based on what an object will do rather than how it will look. Below, are his Myoto chairs (2008) which were produced by Plank.

Good

• Getting to mooch around the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park taking photos
• American Gothic – the city is crazy for it!
• Architecture River Cruise was fascinating but freezing
• TWers are a fun bunch
• Enterprise 2.0 key note speech was surprisingly interesting

Not-so-good

• They don’t call it the windy city for nothing
• Not enough time with Alex which was compounded by us flying out of different airports
• Didn’t study enough *sigh*

Age 81 and still taking pictures every day, Barbara Crane’s career retrospective, Challenging Vision, at the Chicago Cultural Center (CCC), hardly scratches the surface of her incredible body of work. She has shown in 170 group exhibitions, 75 solo exhibitions, and her work is included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Crane also taught at the School of the Art Institute for 28 years, making Chicago a central player in her canon of work.

Ever since I saw “Beach Blanket Bingo” I have been in love with surfing. I have interviewed a lot of surfers and most of the original gang of surfers will tell you, “Those movies killed surfing as we knew it.”

Beach Blanket Bingo is credited as the best movie in the “Beach Party” series. William Asher directed the movie and also wrote parts of the script. A light hearted feel good movie. It is summer season and what else could be the best way to enjoy, than partying on a beach. Frankie and Annette have rented a place near the beach and all the gang is there. To their surprise and excitement there is flying school nearby and everybody becomes euphoric. Even Annette enrolls much to the dismay of Frankie who thinks this is dangerous for Annette. Meanwhile there is a singer on the beach named Sugar Kane. Her agent has some sinister plot about her. Frankie heroically thinks that he is a savior of Sugar Kane and has a crush on the singer. The crush makes Frankie forget Annette. However comes Eric Von Zipper and falls in love with singer and in the last remains victorious. Deadhead has chosen a mermaid for himself. The film ends with gang saving the pop singer from buzz-saw.

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Lots of art today.

I went to the Art Institute of Chicago for the first time in a long time. I was there primarily to see the Apostles of Beauty exhibit (more on that in future posts). But my art history background has drilled into me a great respect of the masters, so first I had to go see the Caravaggio on loan from The National Gallery, London.

Once I reached the top of the grand staircase, I was distressed to see that one of my favorite paintings, El Greco’s Assumption of the Virgin was no longer there. Upon entering Gallery 211, the temporary home of Caravaggio’s The Supper at Emmaus, I discovered why. The El Greco, along with Guido Reni’s Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist (another of my favorites), had been relocated to share this space.

The effect was rather disconcerting. The gallery was crowded – both with people and art. It made experiencing Caravaggio’s work all the more difficult. This arrangement does a disservice to both Caravaggio and the artists displayed alongside him. Reni’s painting is rather large, and The Assumption is monumental; by comparison The Supper at Emmaus seems small and insignificant. Having so many large-scale paintings crowded together also makes it difficult to get the space needed to fully appreciate each one. It’s not hard to imagine a viewer getting overloaded. As incredible as it was to experience a Caravaggio firsthand, the setting in which it was placed seriously hampered my enjoyment of the work.

And a part of me is just sad about ascending to the top of the grand staircase and not seeing El Greco’s Virgin rising to the heavens above me.

German Sitting Room of the Biedermeier Period, 1937. Mrs. James Ward Thorne

I’ve always been intrigued by the Thorne Miniature Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago, but I knew little about the story behind them and their creators – until today. Mrs. James Ward Thorne, born Narcissa Niblack, was the creative inspiration and designer behind these 100 period-style rooms. She was a collector of miniature furniture and amassed her knowledge of various interior designs through extensive travel and reading. Photographs from her journeys served as models for her and her workshop of artisans who made the to-scale (1 inch = 1 foot) rooms and their accessories. Thorne even had the intricately woven rugs made by her acquaintances!

English Reception Room of the Jacobean Period; Wentworth Gardner Dining Room, New Hampshire 1760

Most of the rooms showcase European or American interiors from the 13th (European) or 17th (American) centuries until the 1930s. They were conceived of and constructed between 1932 and 1940.

Shaker Living Room, 1800

Japanese Traditional Interior

Thorne’s rooms were an immediate sensation; they were on display in the 1933-34 Chicago Century of Progress exhibition as well as the 1939 and 1940 World’s Fairs in San Francisco and New York City. Her scale of one inch : one foot became a standard for miniatures. Thorne also influenced museum trends of her time. It was becoming increasingly popular for museums to build full-scale period rooms which raised spatial as well as monetary concerns. The miniature rooms offered a captivating, economic alternative to the full-sized rooms. She also made accessible to thousands what was previously only accessible to those wealthy enough to travel.

Pierce Mansion Entrance Hall, New Hampshire 1799

The Thorne Miniature Rooms are currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago (68), the Phoenix Art Museum (20), the Knoxville Museum of Art (9), the Kaye Miniature Museum in Los Angeles (1) and the Indianapolis Children’s Museum (1).

New Mexico Dining Room

Sources:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne

The Art Institute of Chicago has recently opened the new Modern Art wing designed by Renzo Piano.  Piano’s Design Workshop is probably the most consistently innovative and interesting big-name international architecture office out there.  Every building they execute is marked by an acute attention to detail and they all seem to serve their clients rather than the architect’s ego.

So, on a recent visit, I found myself really appreciating the building, but not loving it.  As mentioned, it is beautifully and simply put together – the spaces flow nicely, the materials are clearly and cleanly brought together.  Maybe most importantly, and in light of Denver’s Art Museum, it is clear that the building is there to serve the art that it displays, not the reverse.

However, in its simplicity and lightness, it lacks the robust material quality that I think distinguishes the best of Chicago architecture.  For while the Chicago skyscrapers and the Chicago window of the early twentieth century championed a kind of structural determinism and rationality, it exerted this as the primary formal expression.  The Modern wing more like a series of screens, horizontal and vertical, that wrap the building.  So, while this is a great response to the program of the building, to the housing and display of art,  it does not have to be the primary driver of the building.

This is a photo of the Gage Building, near the museum on Michigan Avenue, designed by Louis Sullivan.  You can feel the frame and weight of this building, the decorative medallions seeming to hold up the middle piers.  This is what I think of when I  think of Chicago architecture – taut buildings that are both light and heavy, rational and expressive.

Piano’s addition is a very good building, a great addition to the museum and the city.  But it speaks more to an international, place-less design than one rooted in a city of a great architectural tradition.

Supper at Emmaus (1601), Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

There has been quite a bit of hubbub recently about a new painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum is exhibiting Supper at Emmaus (1601) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio which depicts the moment when Jesus, upon returning to the earth after his crucifixion and resurrection, reveals himself to two apostles. The painting is on loan from the National Gallery of London to which the AIC loaned its work The Crucifixion (1627) by Francisco de Zurbarán. Now The Crucifixion is a fine work, but we may have gotten the better deal here; Caravaggio is a very well known and well loved Italian Baroque painter and Supper at Emmaus is counted among his very best works. And since masterpiece is a term oft thrown about for this work, I was eager to see it.

I went to see the painting and I was genuinely impressed, but when I sat down to write this, I thought I should be considering the work more critically. I mulled things over, then I went back to see it again. I thought more and then read about it and then looked at the work from different angles. I explored the paintings around it and then I thought some more.

I’m still impressed, and more so now than when I first saw it.

Supper is on display in one of the AIC’s larger corner galleries alongside other massive works like El Greco’s gigantic The Assumption of the Virgin (1577–79). Even next to these giant works though, the painting commands a presence. The characters are life sized and the frame surrounding the work is thick and textured lending the work a sense of heft and mass. The Caravaggio is flanked on each side by Caravagesque works, one larger and one smaller, but both brighter. Again, however, Supper holds its own and draws the eye.

Upon approaching the painting, I felt the work to be both subdued and dynamic. Jesus is calm with one hand raised and the innkeeper to his right is completely oblivious. However the two apostles are mid-stride with one leaving his chair and the other with arms stretched, one hand in the far background and another reaching out of the frame. The faces are clear, emotional, and charged, but somehow the painting does not come off as chaotic or frenzied. Even the food on the table mirrored this. A cooked fowl sits in the center, brighter than perhaps any other part of the work and an exquisitely rendered basket of apples and grapes – great among any of the still lives I’ve laid eyes upon – lies precariously close to tipping off the table.

The secret, I think, is in Caravaggio’s eloquent lighting. Vermeer tends to get the fame as the master of realistic light, but the true forefather was the Italian; Caravaggio’s use of live models allowed him to do something magical here. The background is dark and the foreground is dim, but the work still shines with a brightness that comes not from the color palette but from somewhere else within. I walked away from the painting to the rear of the gallery and still the work popped with crispness and contrast while many of the other works in the gallery faded from the gulf I had created. Those that did still glow seemed artificial; the white gown of the angel in Cecco del Caravaggio’s The Resurection (1619-20), for example, seemed just too much compared to the subtle reflection off Christ’s face in Supper.

Old Master works are impressive. They often depict a realism that is deep and touching and the painter’s skill is awe-inspiring. In looking over Supper at Emmaus and forcing myself into deeper reflection, my admiration is now only stronger. As I first struggled to put my thoughts into words for this blog entry, I wondered what makes a masterpiece. I’m not sure I’ve got that nailed down yet, but I’m training my eye and honing my thoughts. There comes a deep satisfaction to looking at all the angles and considering all the details and such rumination is a worthy pursuit.

The exhibition Caravaggio and The Supper at Emmaus is on display until January 31.

Art Institute of Chicago by Pinotgris/Wikimedia Commons

How Much do You Know about the Paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Take this quiz and find out!

All photos are from the Public Domain in Wikimedia Commons except photos:

4) Terren/Wikimedia Commons

5) Fair Use/Wikimedia Commons

Currently at the Art Institute of Chicago, an exhibit, Playing With Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage. Be sure to take a look at Madame B’s marvelous album. A book with the same title as the exhibit is available at the shop of the Art Institute and on Amazon. This would be a very nice Christmas gift for someone who loves collage, wouldn’t it? (Hint, hint!)

One of the wonderful things about installations with sound is that they call to you from across the gallery.  They demand your attention.  In the Art Institute’s new modern wing, manic screams from Bruce Nauman’s “Clown Torture” beckon tourists and art students away from whichever minimalist painting they may be contemplating, toward a dark room.  If they are brave enough to enter, they find themselves in the midst of a neurotic carnival of sight and sound.

 Two stacks of monitors sit against the far wall and large projections are on the walls on either side.  One of the monitors is upside-down, another on its side, giving a disorienting, funhouse feeling.  In one, a clown dances around.  In another, which is on a tight loop, he walks into a room, shrieking when a bucket of water is dumped on his head upon opening the door. The other two videos show clowns trying balance objects – goldfish bowls and more buckets of water – with little success.  In the projection on the right, he spouts off an elliptical story, “Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence.  Pete fell off.  Who was left? Repeat.”  He repeats the story with various moods and facial expressions, as if trying to make the story end by telling it in a different voice.  The projection on the opposite wall voyeuristically and comparatively placidly shows the clown sitting on a toilet, reading a newspaper, as if seen through the lens of a surveillance camera.

 As much of Nauman’s work does, “Clown Torture” speaks to our neurosis, the insomniac moments at four in the morning when we cannot sleep due to stress and too much coffee. The caked makeup on the clown’s face and his clowny overacting imply a sense of artifice.  We are reminded of the Guantanamo torture scandals, though the piece was made over a decade prior.  The work speaks of apathy by making the viewer a self-conscious participant.  Are we amused, disgusted, or just there for the spectacle?  Do we enjoy watching others suffer? The dark room in which “Clown Torture” is installed is not a pleasant place, yet most of us are compelled to linger and see if the patterns of yells and crashes are ever broken.  Some of us laugh, some grimace, most of us nervously smile while we look around the room to gage other’s reactions.  Nauman cunningly makes us participants in this bizarre spectacle, whether we like it or not.

I’ve often heard that you create your own career success and there isn’t one “correct” path to follow. Tonight I looked up the academic backgrounds of the museum directors leading 17 of the top 25 most visited museums and I found that it’s true: there isn’t one path to success–at least not in the museum world, and at least not in terms of a specific graduate degree.

Whenever I visit a museum that impresses me (for any number of reasons: innovative exhibits, creative outreach efforts– things that require an element of risk, in the name of education, on the part of the museum), I immediately look up the bio of the museum’s President/C.E.O. It’s just a habit that I have. I’ve often wondered what it takes to reach the top of the museum-ladder. What do you need to do to be that person who gets to make decisions about cutting-edge exhibits and programs? How do you get to be the great mastermind behind the community partnerships?

I am not arguing that these are the only innovative museums out there, and I am especially not displaying a survey of what degrees are common for all museum directors… but I think these findings are interesting as there are several types of degrees represented; and there certainly is not a clear path indicated here.

When possible, I included the field in which the degree was received. The eight missing institutions from the list of the 25 most visited were omitted because bios were difficult to find. Please post a comment if you find the academic information for any of the other museums that are not included on this list!

Here’s a quick summary of my findings:

1. The only type of degree that all 17 leaders have is a bachelor’s degree.
2. Directors with master’s degrees and doctorates: 8 (slightly more than half)
3. Master’s degrees only: 2
4. M.B.As: 3
5. J.Ds: 2
6. Directors with a only bachelor’s degree: 2
7. Percent of included directors with an MBA, JD, or Ph.D:  76.5%
8. Number of directors with degrees from Harvard: 5 (29%)
9. Total number of degrees earned by these 17 directors: 41
10. Average number of degrees earned by each director: 2.4
11. Number of directors with degrees from top-ten Universities: 11
12. Male directors: 14 (82.3%)
13. Female directors: 3 (17.6%)

Take a look:

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.

• Cristián Samper- B.A.-Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá; M.A. and Ph.D. - Harvard University

National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

• Earl A. Powell III- B.A.- Williams College; M.A. and Ph.D.- Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.

• Thomas P. Campbell- B.A. (English) University of Oxford; M.A. – Courtauld Institute of Art

American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y.

• Ellen Futter- B.A.- Barnard College; J.D.- Columbia University

Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y.

• Glenn D. Lowry-  B.A.-Williams College; M.A. and Ph.D. (History of Art)- Harvard University

Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, TX

• Joel Bartsch- B.A.-Concordia University; M.A.- Rice University; Ph.D. candidate- Rice University

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.

• Sara J. Bloomfield- B.A. (English)- Northwestern University; M.A. (Education)- John Carroll University

Museum of Science, Boston, MA.

• Ioannis  N. Miaoulis- B.S. and Ph.D. (mechanical engineering)- Tufts University; M.A. (economics)- Tufts University; M.A. (mechanical engineering)- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.

• Kevin Grover- B.A. (public and international affairs)- Princeton University; J.D.-  University of New Mexico.

California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA.

• Jeffrey N. Rudolph. B.A. University of California at Berkeley; M.B.A.- Yale University

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

• Peter C. Marzio. B.A.-Juniata College; M.A. and Ph.D.- The University of Chicago

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center Museum, Los Angeles, CA.

• Michael Brand- B.A. (Asian studies)-Australian National University in Canberra; M.A. and Ph.D.- Harvard University

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, OR.

• Nancy Stueber- B.S. (environmental biology & terrestrial ecology)- University of Pittsburgh

St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis, MO.

• Douglas King- B.S. (engineering)- Stanford University; M.B.A. (finance)- University of Washington.

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

• Martin E. Sullivan, B.A.- Siena College; M.A. and Ph.D. (history)- University of Notre Dame

Guggenheim Museum, New York , N.Y.

• Richard Armstrong- B.A. (art history)- Lake Forest College

Field Museum, Chicago, IL.

• John W. McCarter, Jr.- B.A. Princeton University, M.B.A.- Harvard University

Information supplied through comments  regarding missing museum directors (thanks for your help in filling in the blanks!):

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• James Cuno- B.A.- Willamette University; M.A. and Ph.D. (art history)- Harvard University

(147:  Chicago River from Michigan Ave. bridge)

I think I walked about 100 miles today.  Or maybe it was a little over 6 miles.  But my body feels like it was 100 miles.  I’ve been walking around most of the day, getting oriented and doing a little shopping.  My winter coat decided this was a good time to fall apart.  I have to agree.  If you have to buy a new winter coat while traveling, Chicago is a good city in which to be shopping for one.  I got a fantastic bargin on a London Fog wool coat that I love.  It’s cute, looks good, and it will keep me warm and comfy.

Now all I need is a new winter hat to go with it.

I met M for lunch (he had a 2-hour lunch break from the conference he’s attending).  Part of all the walking I did this morning was a search for a place to meet for lunch.  It turned out to be easier for me to go where he was, and we had lunch at Beef & Brandy, just around the corner from the Palmer House.  Before meeting with M I went inside and had a look at the magnificent lobby.  Amazing.

Lunch was excellent.  It was a good pick.  M had an autumn salad that was fresh and delicious.  I had a tuna wrap that was also fresh and delicious but M’s salad looked so good that I regretted not ordering the salad.

(Skyline from Millennium Park.)

After lunch M and I were strolling around Millennium Park when two women asked us if we would like  two free tickets (they couldn’t use them for some reason) to the Art Institute of Chicago.  Well, I was on my way back for an afternoon break and M was due back to the conference in about an hour or so, but it didn’t take much to talk us into it.  We took the tickets and spent a little while exploring Impressionism.  I let M pick where we would go because I’ll be going back on my own to spend most of the day there sometime before we leave Chicago.

We parted somewhere on Michigan Avenue and  I slowly made my way back to the hotel where I now have my feet up and I’m getting in a bit of a rest before meeting friends for dinner.  We’re going to a Greek restaurant tonight (OPAA!) where they set the cheese on fire (“flaming saganaki cheese” flambed tableside).  Tomorrow I’m meeting up with a friend that I haven’t seen in over 20 years.  We’ve kept in touch all this time but haven’t managed to get together.  I’m really looking forward to it.  (Note to those that don’t know:  M and I used to live in the Chicago area, a long, long time ago.)

(American Gothic in Chicago.)

Virgin vacations put out this list a while ago of the best 16 museums in the world.

I believe this list is a little American-centric, but I decided to put it to the test and see what real travelers thought about each one anyway.

1. Musee du Louvre, Paris, France

Dan of Dan-and-dee with an elaborate tomb in the Louvre

To be perfectly honest, we both enjoyed the outside of the Museum (ie the architecture of the buildings), more than the inside, the pyramids alone were spectacular and a lot less people to move between for a photo, or even just a glimpse! – Dan-and-dee

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA

Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Jimandlaura

Took the subway uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wow, what a place. We loved it and we only scratched the surface. Particularly liked the modern art (Hirst, Pollock) and the ancient Japanese silk prints. You could spend a week there and still not see everything. Great cafe too! – Jimandlaura

3. Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Rome, Italy

The ceiling in the Vatican Museums

The museum was extended in 2000 for the millennial year celebration of Christ’s birth, and the renovations included a large spiral ramp leading to the entrance to the museums. We had fun by challenging the group to run up the spiral ramp while they took the escalator.

We saw a number of interesting sculptures while waiting in a courtyard to enter the first of the museums. One was of a pine cone from 1 AD or 2 AD, that was a symbol of fertility and was first made as a Roman fountain. In the courtyard, we also learned about the story and significance of the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is used as the place where the cardinals choose the next Pope. It was named after Pope Sixtus IV.

As we walked through various parts of the museums, I was surprised to see some art from Ancient Egypt and Greece, even including two marble sculptures of Diana the fertility goddess and Diana as the goddess of the hunt. Worship of Diana was notorious in the New Testament. It seemed to me as though the presence of the artwork indicated the idea that the church acknowledged and saw itself as the fulfillment of many earlier traditions and religious practices. My interpretation could, however, be incorrect.

I was awestruck by the tapestries depicting various events in Christ’s life. The tapestries were housed in a darkened room and one of them gave the impression that Christ’s eyes were following you as you walked past. Another interesting room was a room of ancient maps. – Woodsfamily

4. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Ruthperelstein on the terrace of the Uffizi Gallery

Tuesday we visit the Uffizi Gallery. This is another place where you have to have a reservation. It does make it less stressful and you do beat the lines, which are long and full of grumpy tourists.

The Uffizi Gallery has the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere, including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. It is beautiful. The time periods this museum are not my personal favorites but again the sculpture knocks us out.

Building of the palace was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de’ Medici as the offices for the Florentine magistrates — hence the name “uffizi” (“offices”). There is also a corridor that extends for the end of the building along the Arno river and through the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace that is no longer used by was the way the elite could travel without stepping a foot into the dangerous streets. – Ruthperelstein

5. Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain

Juliana of Paul-jules at the Prado Museum in Madrid

We got to our hotel, and headed out to the Prado museum immediately. It is one of the best museums we have seen on the trip. It has a large number of El Greco paintings. He has become one of our favourite artists. It also has many by Raphael, Reubens, and Durer. – Paul-jules

6. The State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

Fishtails04 found the State Hermitage overwhelming

The State Hermitage, located in the former Winter Palace of the tsars, in St. Petersburg, houses one of the finest art collections in the world, with more than three million pieces – it seems that Catherine the Great liked big numbers in more than just her lovers. And that’s the problem really: it’s estimated that to walk through each of the galleries would total about twenty-five kilometres – i.e. it’s just too big to cover in an afternoon. It’s also too excessive in style for me to really enjoy: all busily decorated floors, marble pillars, highly decorated ceilings, heavy furniture, dark portraits of gloomy monarchs, imposing sculptures, huge crustal chandeliers, and gold and gilt opulence. As the guidebooks says, “One must visit the Hermitage on a visit to St Petersburg…”, and it was worth it to gain an appreciation of its scale, but I felt something of a failure when, after an hour and a half, I’d had enough and, with that sense of panic I experience in large department stores when I can’t see a way out, started frantically searching for an exit. – Fishtails04

7. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles, USA

Inside the J. Paul Getty Center with Jeznkez

At length the road wound up through the hills and we arrived at the J. Paul Getty Centre, which is a gigantic art museum, housed in a purpose built series of monoliths amid the verdant grounds. The museum is perched on a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains, looking over L.A. and out to sea.

We had nowhere near enough time to do justice to the whole four buildings, each of which contains different styles of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, but had a good look around and enjoyed the peaceful and exquisitely conceived gardens, interwoven with sculptures and water features. The whole complex is constructed from Travertine (1.2 million square feet of it) which is a fossilized, textured stone that reflects the bright Californian sunlight, imparting the whole place with a luminous, ethereal glow. Overall an incredibly successful public space and a great example of modern architectural design and realization. And all free of charge! – Jeznkez

8. Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France

Londonpenguin at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Our long walk ended up at the Musee d’Orsay. I headed straight for the Impressionists upstairs, and leisurely made my way back down. Happened upon the Salle des Fetes, which is a glorious burst of gold, crystal and mirrors. I also found the Art Nouveau rooms and was really enjoying them when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that the museum would be closing in 15 minutes, which was half an hour earlier than we had been told. Slightly disappointing, but it was definitely worth going back to. – Londonpenguin

9. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA

The Enemans standing in front of a fountain at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

The style of the buildings downtown is such a far cry from anything else you’ll see. There were times when I thought even the Greek Gods would be impressed. I was surprised to see how brand new the art gallery looked, despite having been open for sixty years. The marble floors were pristine and the walls were un-scuffed as if it had been built last week. I was particularly anxious about the Ansel Adams beach photography gallery on display for a limited time. – Jeneman

10. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France

Mamakarpus at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

I really wanted to see the Pompidou Centre, so we went looking for that. It took us forever to find it, it was so annoying. We kept looking at the map backwards, so we were wandering around forever. Oh well. We eventually found it and it was pretty cool. It’s a modern art museum. I honestly didn’t care about going in to see the art, but I wanted to see the building and the fountains right beside it. So I was happy. – Mamakarpus

11. Tate Modern, London, England

Laohallo's friend at the Tate Modern in London

After borough markets we headed over to tate modern which is a modern art museum. Im blaming Tammy for picking this tourist attraction. Lets just say the art is very strange and modern. It was a good laugh though. – Laohallo

12. Museum of Modern Art, New York City, USA

Julesjb found this statue in MoMA's sculpture garden

After that I then went across to Manhattan to see the MOMA (Museum Of Modern Art) which was amazing. All my favourites were there including Cezanne, Magritte, Picasso and Dali. I also saw a few Jackson Pollack’s which I thought were very impressive in terms of scale and use of paint. – Julesjb

13. British Museum, London, England

Harmony at the British Museum in London

It was spectacular and we could not believe the size and the amount of artifacts, especially since it was free to get in! We saw the Rosetta Stone, a massive Easter Island head, many beautiful Greco Roman sculptures, and much much more. – Mikeandharmony

14. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, USA

Ineednewears found this to be one quiet place in the Guggenheim museum

Who would have thought that on a windy, rainy, cold Friday evening dozens of people were willing to queue underneath the semi-permeable dripping roof of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in their damp clothes and soaked shoes just to get in for close to free (for some, pay-what-you-can comes frighteningly close to nothing). I pictured a Friday night at the “Gugg” along the lines of a Friday night at the library or much like a sheep pasture with but a few bodies scattered around in the far corners, but what I got involved much more arm-against-arm rubbing and additional queuing as the spiral-shaped interior, seven-levels high, filled up.

I complained not about the crowds but about the barriers along the spiraling platform being too low, and constantly feared toppling over to free fall and be torn open by one or more of the suspended cars on my way down. - Ineednewears

15. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA

Toddfamily had a "Rocky moment" at the Philadelphia Art Museum

The next day we spent the morning on a bus tour of the city and ended up at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We really enjoyed this museum too and were once again lucky to join a tour with a very knowledgeable guide. We met Mark at the front of the museum afterwards and had a little Rocky moment on the front steps – those of you who know the first Rocky film will know this scene! – Toddfamily

16. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA

Traveled loved the Chicago Art Institute

We took the Metro to Union, then walked down Adams to the Art Institute. We saw more exhibits in one day than I recall seeing on any of my previous visits. We started off in the European area, then lunched at the cafe, which was surprisingly satisfying, and finally we took a couple more hours to walk through the American and photography exhibits. One my favorite works of the day was one that probably does not receive the attention it deserves, located in the corner of the same room as “American Gothic” by Hopper, called “Nightlife” by Motley. But of course, I also loved almost everything I saw there. – Traveled

Nicht wirklich, aber in dem Moment vielleicht schon.

Mein momentaner Tagesablauf  beginnt damit jeden Morgen nach Downtown zu fahren. Von meiner momentanen provisorischen Unterkunft in der nördlichsten Neighborhood Rogers Park dauert das 45 – 60 Minuten mit Bus oder Subway, mit dem Auto (je nach Vekehr) meist 15, 20 Minuten über den genialen Lake Shore Drive, der beste Highway überhaupt. Neben der Arbeit (offiziell 8 Stunden am Tag) bin ich ansonsten beschäftigt mit der Wohnungssuche, die sich nicht leicht gestaltet, wenn man die Stadt nicht besonders gut kennt und ein nur sehr begrenztes Budget hat. Ansonsten versuche ich die Stadt besser kennenzulernen.

In Downtown zu arbeiten bietet den Vorteil nah an einigen Sehenwürdigkeiten zu sein. Und mit meiner Mitarbeiterkarte vom JCUA komm ich dann mal eben kostenlos ins Art Istitute of Chicago rein. Angeblich das zweitbeste Museum der Welt, hinter dem Louvre in Paris.

Auch wenn ich nicht wie ein Tourist hier bin, muss ich mir nach und nach einfach mal manche Touri-Sehenswürdigkeiten geben. Es wird kälter, aber noch sehr erträglich, und Fall. Hat den Vorteil, dass, wenn der Himmel klar und blau ist, die Stadt, besonders Downtown, noch schöner aussieht. Perfekt um auf das Skydeck des Sears Tower (offiziell inzwischen Willis Tower) zu gehen, dem ehemals größten Gebäude der Welt. Heute mit 527,3 m bis zur Spitze nur noch eines der größten Gebäude der Welt. Der Ausblick ist dementsprechend überwältigend.

Ansonsten versuche ich bezahlbares Essen in Chicago zu finden, von dem man auch satt wird! Berlin ist definitiv sehr affordable im Gegensatz zu Chicago. Empfehle Noodels & Company oder Subway. Wenn es nichts anderes bezahlbares gibt, muss leider ein Menu bei McDonalds herhalten. Im Mutterland von McDonalds gibt’s ja genug davon!

Chicago gefällt mir trotzdem immer besser. Mehr Fotos, überwiegend aus Downtown:

Public Address by Chicago artist Ellen Rothenberg

Buttons take on many forms of expression— art, commemoration, and politics.  Art Institute of Chicago professor Ellen Rothenberg unites these elements in unique one-inch round, 1.25-inch, 2.25-inch and square buttons produced by Busy Beaver Button Co. for a storefront installation called Public Address.

Click here for more about Ellen Rothenberg’s work and upcoming show with buttons at Northeastern University.  Click here for Busy Beaver Button Co.

Buttons displayed on fabric at Public Address by Ellen Rothenberg

It’s been a busy, busy week.  I just got back from Chicago and two days later headed down to San Diego for the Get Up Kids Reunion Tour.  I wanted to recap everything that happened:

Wednesday:

Nothing much, just hung out with my family and then began watching The OC: Season Four.  Was I feeling homesick already??  HAHA.  Oh yeah, also went to Portillo’s for a massive meal.  We ordered ribs, cheese fries, chili dogs, and italian beef sandwiches.  I’m pretty sure I gained five pounds from that meal alone.

Thursday:

Got some deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s.  At night, met up with some doctor friends and was shocked to find out they’ve all become right-winged Republicans.  But I understand, they’re rich people now.

Friday:

Headed down to Evanston to eat some wings at Buffalo Joe’s with Mike and Bola.  They questioned whether the three of us could eat a party platter made for 8 people.  Well we showed them!  We then headed down to UIC to meet up with Schmitt and Brian.  We ended up at a bar called Drum and Monkey which was actually pretty nice.  You could play shuffle board for free.  The downside?  It appeared to be some weird Irish Chicago Police Bar and every ten minutes a bag pipe band would come in and play songs that I only want to hear on Unofficial and the Departed.

Saturday:

Played the Beatles: Rock Band with a few of Mike’s friends.  We tried to complete the career mode, but failed.  We did, however, create a custom mic stand out of tape, a lamp, and a Disney’s High School Music mic.  We then headed over for a birthday party to meet up with everyone else.  I was glad to find out Dirty Jon’s brother is now part of the crew.  Even glader, that his nickname is Sloppy Joe.  Ended the night with a polish sausage run at Maxwell St.

Sunday:

We watched the Bears destroy the Steelers over at Groot’s house.  Then, we drove back home to eat some sushi with my parents.  The rain had already started and my mood was getting worse.  I started realizing why I live in Orange County.

Monday:

Still Raining.  I met up with Josh and Nik at the Subterranean to watch the Antlers.  I’ve never heard of the them but they were really good.

Tuesday:

I visited the Modern Wing at the Art Institute and then met up with Rome to eat some Joy Yee’s.  At this point I’ve gained probably ten pounds.

Wednesday:

I took my sister and mom to the Lincoln Park Zoo.  Got to see some monkeys.  We had dinner at VIP Restaurant for Korean-Chinese food and then McDonald’s for some ice cream cones.  Exhausted, I jumped on the plane and passed out from all the fun.

What I’m Listening To:

Jay-Z and Kid Cudi.  Hip-Hop is back!

What I’m Reading:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

What I’m Watching:

The OC: Season Four….OMG Ryan is a cage fighter!!!!

By Kristen Prosise, published in TravelHost Magazine September 2009

Enter with an open mind, the Art Institute of Chicago’s new modern wing that is home to over 1,000 works of art ranging from architecture and design to contemporary art, photography and European. Start outside, with easy access to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, an ensemble might be performing on a lucky day. Take a stroll up the 620-foot bridge and arrive at the extension of the well-known, Art Institute of years past. However, this modern wing is different. New. Sophisticated. Fresh.

Natural light warms the interior, skylights and a flying carpet structure are used to save energy and provide quality lighting for the showcase of artwork.

“This is a three-hour building to really digest it” says Erin Hogan, director of public affairs. “But you can spend anywhere from a half hour to a full day here.”

Stop for a cup of coffee and a muffin between architecture and contemporary art – the rest stops along the way are designed to help you digest the gallery without feeling overwhelmed. Take it all in.

Cy Twombly, a contemporary favorite, is on display on the first floor. The pieces look oddly the same – acrylic, wax, crayon, pencil and collage – nonetheless captivating. Cloud-like masses that drip strategically to the bottom of the canvas with his words scrawled across the mid-section, creating poetry in motion.

Venture upstairs to the contemporary European gallery that features well-known productions from 1900-1950. Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Yves Tanguy, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky and many more. Find a miniature version of Picasso’s welded steel sculpture you’ll otherwise find perched on Daley Plaza in large monumental form.

This is just a glimpse of the peaceful and eye-opening experience the modern wing has to offer. Check out the rest of the gallery Mon-Wed 10:30 am – 5 pm, Thurs-Fri 10:30 am – 9 pm; Sat-Sun 10:30 am – 5 pm. Thursday and Friday evenings have free admission to the public from 5-9 pm.

Chair, from the Snail Room c.1902

I went to the Art Institute of Chicago this past weekend and explored a bit. Just to note, if you have a Chicago Public Library Card then you have access to Museum Passes that grant you and three other people free admission into Chicago museums. There’s a lot to see at the Art Institute, but I’m giving attention to the pieces that instantly caught my eye and drew me in for a closer look. So consider this post the first in a series in which I share what I admired and talk a little about the artist.

Carlo Bugatti (1856 – 1940) was a prominent furniture designer and an intrinsic part of the Bugatti Dynasty, now widely known for their high-end vehicles. Born in Milan, Carlo studied at both the Brera Academy in Milan and the Académie des Beaux Arts in Paris. His style was distinct, inspired by exotic cultures, namely Japanese and Islam, his work differed from the European furniture traditions of that time. Carlo built his pieces using  a combination of wood, copper, vellum, mother-of-pearl, or silk and he hand-painted animal and plant designs. His work was exhibited in Milan, Paris, and London and he developed an international following.

Bugatti Frame & Table - Image Taken by Man of Steel

The pieces that left me in awe were the Bugatti Frame and Table. The frame is a vellum-covered inlaid wood mirror inset with pewter, but I am unsure about the table. Bugatti pieces have an estimated value in the thousands. I would love to own one of his works, maybe in the distant future.

Read more about Carlo Bugatti or take a look at more of his furniture.

Creative exploration (def): To investigate that which sparks your interest, (damn the naysayers’, those who might reject your new found curiosity as fickleness),

and throw new desires out into the universe based on your novel likes and dislikes.