Week 40: Oct. 6, 2024

Set of prints from an untitled series known as “Large Flowers”, Katsushika Hokusai, Japanese, 1833-1834, woodblock print(nishiki-e), ink and color on paper; Hibiscus and Sparrow, Chrysanthemuns and Horsefly, Hydrangea and Swallow, Bellflower and Dragonfly, Poppies, Peonies and Butterfly, Morning Glories and Tree Frog.

untitled…

I have become so familiar with Hokusai’s Great Wave that I was surprised to find that I really was more attracted to his floral woodblock prints. This series, which was untitled, is gorgeous. The museum displayed it in a lovely way that complemented the color and the design perfectly.

An untitled series - as a concept - also intrigued me. Perhaps it was untitled because he didn’t view it as a series but as unique prints, each with flora or fauna. Who gets to decide if art is grouped or individual? Just a curiosity…

Week 39: Sep. 29, 2024

Day and Night, Hour by Hour, Ross Bleckner, American, 2023, oil on linen

Night lights…

I enjoy when I notice something that is new to the museum. There is a sense that the ‘permanent collection’ is somehow static and unchanging, but it actually changes all the time. Today, I walked through the museum and turned around and got this fun surprise.

The lighting and depth are surprisingly powerful when, in many ways, the image is rather childlike. But I wanted to look at it for a long time to take it in, and that made me choose it for the photos of the week.

I took this from a bit of an angle because it seemed to amplify the effect of the 3D nature of the leaves and flowers.

Week 38: Sep. 22, 2024

Rush Hour, George Segal, American, 1983, cast 1995, Bronze

Rainy day…

I chose to photograph this sculpture on a rainy day because they are dressed for a rainy day. I’ve walked by this sculpture for nine years, and it looks more ominous to me in person than it does in the photo. It startles me frequently when I’m not paying attention and then come around the corner and see this group of people coming toward me. They seem somber in person - especially on a sunny day. But on this rainy day, and in the photo, they simply appear to be trying to get where they are going in the rain.

I am always amazed when artists are able to sculpt hard, solid materials into the appearance of fabric. All the trench coats show wrinkles and bends just as they would in an actual fabric coat.

Week 37: Sep. 15, 2024

Shuttlecock, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, American, 1994, Fabricator Merrifield-Roberts, Inc., Aluminum

Shuttlecocks…

Four giant shuttlecocks adorn the grounds of the Nelson Atkins Museum. When they were commissioned and added to the grounds they were enormously controversial. They were seen as frivolous and in contrast to the grandeur of the museum. I spoke with family members of the couple who commissioned and donated the pieces, and learned that they had even received death threats from within the KC community for ruining the museum in this way.

Today, the shuttlecocks are the emblem of the entire city. They are seen on t-shirts, postcards, Christmas tree ornaments, jigsaw puzzles. They’re everywhere.

I chose to photograph this one because it is close to the building and shows the modern appearance of the shuttlecock in direct contrast to the classic grandeur of the building. I think this is now the image that best represents the Nelson in its role in KC. Welcoming of art from all view points; welcoming of diverse people; serious minded yet playful and creative; incorporating something for everyone.

I considered waiting until the gentleman on the steps had left, however, there is almost always someone on these steps. So it seemed appropriate to just include him. The steps look across the south lawn which is a long sloping yard with two other shuttlecocks and a large grassy area that is sometimes quiet and scenic, and other times filled with picnickers, frisbee players, and dog walkers.

Week 36: Sep. 8, 2024

The Thinker, Auguste Rodin, French, 1880, probably cast ca. 1940, Bronze

Thinking…

I spent much time thinking about The Thinker: How odd it is for the caster to be someone separate from the artist - and for this statue to have been made even after the artist had passed; how different his face looks up close than how I imagine it from far away; and…of course, doesn’t it kind of look like he’s sitting on a toilet. Sigh…

But what I ended up being most intrigued by when I started photographing it was the wonderful coloring of the bronze in relation to the blues and greens of the sky and the trees. I specifically chose this shot because it didn’t show any of the building to the back of the statue but instead surrounds it with the natural beauty of the setting. And it was a perfectly cloudy day so the light brought all kinds of nuance to the colors.

Week 35: Sep. 1, 2024

Shoulder Bag, Seminole, Florida, ca. 1830, Wool cloth, glass beads, silk ribbon and wool yarn

Bags…

I’ve been surprised by the fact that what I continually notice as I walk through the art - pieces created over thousands of years, and across different cultures and continents - is how much stays the same. I assumed I would be more surprised by how much everything changes. But no.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this was the hand bag featured in the photo I posted on May 12 from a stone carving made in 800 BC. It could have been a hand bag from 800 AD, or 1800 AD, or today. I believe that bag was meant to carry seeds, and here this bag could easily carry seeds, or books, or an ipad. Apparently, human kind across all time and space, has a need to carry things and bags don’t need to change that much to keep up.

Week 34: Aug. 25, 2024

Balcony over Rozzell Court, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, 1933

Rozzell Court…

Rozzell Court is my favorite part of the museum. They created a replica of an italian courtyard and turned it into a practicl space for visitors to enjoy lunch or a glass of wine. The fountain, the architecture, it’s all wonderful.

This area is in the balcony of walkways that allow you to pass between exhibit halls one floor above the courtyard. The grandeur of the structures - columns, arches, soaring ceiling, contrasts with the painted detail on the vaulted ceilings.

This was another phote in which I had to work hard to remove the elements of modern life that popped up - exit signs and the like. But it really forced me to figure out how to show the elements that I wanted to highlight and I was happy with how it turned out.

Week 33: Aug. 18, 2024

Two pieces: End of the Trail, James Earle Fraser, American, modeled 1894, cast 1918, Bronze; Teaching a Mustang Pony to Pack Dead Game, Remington, American, ca. 1890, Oil on canvas

The wild west…

I grew up not far from the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK. Arguably the best museum of western art in the country, the Gilcrease has been closed for remodeling - or a complete building overhaul from the sounds of it - for at least 4 years now. I look forward to the next phase. But in the meantime, I’m excited to see these two powerful pieces here in KC.

The bronze work of Fraser is wonderful. The depth of the emotion that it transmits seems counter to its bronze medium. But I was especially struck by the use of ‘black and white’ oil paint in the Remington. There are a lot of works by Remington that show up in enough places to become commonly known - but I’ve not seen this one before. Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve seen any painting that I can recall use the B&W approach.

Then I read the title and was again startled. It had never occurred to me - but now seems obvious when you think about it - that horses would need to be taught to pack a dead animal. I’ve seen it portrayed so many times in images and movies but I never thought about making that incredibly unnatural act seem safe to a young horse. I think the combination of the B&W and the dramatic content of the image helps set up more strongly the sense that ‘this is not natural’ to the viewer, just like it must have been to the horse.

Week 32: Aug. 11, 2024

Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha), Japan, 1392-1568, Lacquered and gilded wood

The Buddha of Infinite Light…

Amida (as you would read on the card under his display if it were large enough to see here) is the personification of eternal life and vast compassion, and one of the most popular representations of the Buddha in Japan. He is positioned at the other end of the room from the carving of the Bodhisattva that I shared in an earlier post.

The peice sits on a landing between two sets of stairs and the lined wall behind the statue keeps your eye moving upward toward the very high ceiling.

Week 31: Aug. 4, 2024

The Green Domino, Albert Bloch, American, 1913, Oil on canvas

Domino, domino, domino…

The word domino comes from the latin for lord or master, but we know it more commonly as a tile game that originated in China in the 14th century and came to the US by way of the railway workers that labored building tracks across the west. It is domino tiles that became associated with the common face paint used on circus clowns in which the eyes are surrounded by black against a solid white face.

Here, the Green Domino is meant to represent a character from an earlier century of Italian comedic theater. But I think it actually foreshadows women’s dress in the twenties across the US and Europe. The shape of the costume, the tight fitting hat, the brazenly bright color, and the contrast of black and white.

What I noticed as I walked through the galleries today was that there is ongoing work, seemingly all the time, to update and change displays, and when they do so, they, of course, make very deliberate choices about the wall color behind the art. I first noticed this in the newly rearranged room holding Monet’s Water Lillies, set against a bright deep blue wall. I would never have chosen the color and yet it is beautiful. Here, we see Bloch’s bold Expressionist painting against a deep grey wall and within a golden frame which seems to amplify the ‘simplified forms and intense color.’

Week 30: Jul. 28, 2024

Floor Lamp, Tiffany Studios, United States, 1902-1919, Glass and bronze

Lighting up, lighting down…

Tiffany lamps are always appealing to me, and I love that they have positioned this one in a setting with era-specific furniture and art. It gives them the means and excuse to display it plugged in, throwing light on the Arts and Craft Bookcase next to it. But what I chose to focus on is simply the glasswork and the colors. Spectacular.

I was limited by my own height in getting the downward angle on this that I truly wanted. It is atop a beautiful wooden Arts and Craft stand and on top of a platform. however, I like that it also captured the light coming out below the shade.

Week 29: Jul. 21, 2024

Vaulted ceiling and light feature, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art south entry

Unknown…

As I’ve mentioned, I really love the setting of museums nearly has much as the artwork that is held within them. I’m learning, however, that it is frequently not treated as art in that there is no information to be found about much of the adornment of walls, ceilings, and lighting fixtures. I asked several people if there was information about the craftsman for the vaulted ceilings or the light fixture and no one could find anything.

This beautiful setting greets visitors if they were to enter through the south doors. These are the doors that are photographed on the opening page of this diary, and they are no longer used. However, this entry way opens into Kirkwood Hall and looks out over the south lawn.

Week 28: Jul. 14, 2024

Guardian of the Heartland, Adrian Painter, American, 2024

Individual artist selected to decorate one of 154 hearts across Kansas City in the 2024 Parade of Hearts. Original heart created by Dimensional Innovations.

The dragon…

I have always loved the Year of the Dragon because I was born in 1964, so it’s my dragon. Good luck, strength, health…many good things.

This heart was chosen to decorate the lawn of the Nelson to honor their significant collection of Chinese artwork - a bit of which I have highlighted in this diary.

I chose to photograph him from this angle so that he was looking into the camera. He has a powerful but not evil look to him, and the bright reds and yellows jump out from the tan stone of the museum walls while also accenting the reds of the bushes.

Week 27: Jul. 7, 2024

Dawn [Yellow], Niki de Saint Phalle, French-American, 1995, Painted Polyester

Rebellion and Joy…

This special exhibit of the work of Niki de Saint Phalle was new to me, although some of the works were familiar. I had not heard of the artist, only seen elements of her work. Seeing it all together in one place along with video of interviews with the artist was interesting. However, I found it a bit overwhelming. She had a lot to say - and she said it in big bold ways.

I think my favorite aspect was the amount of joy that exuded all her work. She was usually using her work to make sociopolitical points - but putting that aside - it was simply filled with joy at every turn. The colors, shapes, sense of movement. Joyous.

My favorite was Dawn [Yellow]. It turns out there’s also a Dawn [Blue] but yellow is apparently more well known and more beloved.

I photographed it from almost every angle but again I found myself enjoying the use of the shadows to amplify the sense of movement. You can see her dancing and moving through the multiple shadows of her arms below.

Week 26: Jun. 30, 2024

Heirloom for an heiress to not much but love, Jonathan Boyd, Scottish, 2016, Oxidized and gold plated silver and lacquer

…not much but love…

This is, without doubt, the greatest name for a piece of art of all time. It is a lovely and unusual piece - and what we can’t see too well is that the band holding the art pieces in place on this tiara is covered in text, the words of the mother and father sharing their hopes for their daughter. Everything about it is touching.

The piece was encased in glass against a white background and I photographed it from about 4 different angles. Each showed different elements, but this one really made the tiara appear to hang in space against nothing but white.

Week 25: Jun. 23, 2024

Our Lady of the Rosary, José Manuel Benvides, Colonial New Mexican, ca. 1830-1840, polychrome wood and cloth

Warmth…

Representing the Roman Catholic church of Spain in New Spain, now New Mexico, this sculpture of the Virgin Mary caught my eye because it exudes warmth and welcome. The colors are bold and warm, her face is gentle and kind. Her arms are outreached, and are presumed to have held a rosary and the Christ child at one time.

I find it fun to photograph three dimensional art and, in particular, to pay attention to the shadows they cast. Here I thought that the shadow on the right showed her figure bending down as she might do to interact with a child.

Week 24: Jun. 16, 2024

Coffered Ceiling and Sculptured Frieze from the Porch of a Hindu temple and Columns from a temple Cart, South India, Early 17th Century, carved wood.

Creating the setting…

Sometimes the art is in the room, other times the art is the room. The Nelson does this so beautifully. Several different areas of the museum bring an entire setting into the museum and transport you to a different place and time. It’s hard to know where to begin photographing because all of the surroundings are part of the experience.

So, I moved in up close to capture one of many gargoyle-like carvings around the upper corners of the walls. Each appeared to have a roll or responsibility as guardians or protectors of some sort. Most had the appearance of a horse or a dragon. But there was no specific information about the figures.

Based on others in the room, the horse was rearing originally and had his front legs extended, but they are no longer there.

I was challenged to photograph something that I could only view from below and that was surrounded by the walls of the corner. And…I’m just going to ignore the gentleman in the front, and whatever it is he’s doing….

Week 23: Jun. 9, 2024

Ushebtis of Meret-it-es, Egypt, 380-250 B.C.E., Faience

Responders…

Ushebtis translates to “responders”. This drove of responders was buried with an Egyptian to serve as the agricultural workers that might be needed in the after life should there continue to be governmental requirements of hard agricultural labor even following death. Ongoing government in the after life was apparently a big concern!

The ushebtis would have been bright blueish-green when they were made. Created from a clay made from ground quartz and lime, and coated with a glaze containing copper pigment. Faience was believed to hold magical qualities, to be imbued with the shimmer of the sun and to represent the power of rebirth.

What I love about this display is the way it shows the vast quantity of ushebtis that were created and buried with just this one man. He had 305 ushebtis going along with him to the afterlife. The 14 larger ones were sent to supervise the 291 others.

Week 22: Jun. 2, 2024

Two pieces: The Benton Farm, Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1973, Oil on canvas;  Armchair, Frank Lloyd Wright, American, 1940, Cypress and plywood

Midcentury midwestern…

The works of both Thomas Hart Benton and Frank Lloyd Wright are at once so exceptional and so comfortable that I am always drawn to them. Each of them has a powerful presence in the west/midwest where I have spent so much of my life, as well. These two pieces were created 30 years apart but work together beautifully, and once again create a mini-setting that invites you to ‘sit a spell’ but in the most sophisticated way.

Again I found myself struggling to manage a photo that wasn’t upstaged by a sign or electrical outlet in the background. It will be miraculous if I make it through this one-year diary of the Nelson without getting in trouble for rearranging the furniture! I would have liked to show the chair more from the front but it was placed near a door way, signage, and other challenges. So instead, I struggled to determine how to use the line created by the front railing to help the photo. I liked how this angle turned out.

Week 21: May 26, 2024

Apollo and Daphne, Unknown artist, German, 17th Century, Boxwood

The pursuit…

This one caught my eye for two reasons…

First, it was a chance to play with the challenge of photographing a three dimensional piece within a clear, four-sided box. I decided to play around with portrait mode and got the look I was hoping for. I still struggle with reflections and lighting challenges but I liked the look of the red walls faded in the background and how they brought out the red tones in the wood.

I was also intrigued by the fact that this was a copy of the original piece which had been a bronze sculpture. This copy was carved in wood, which I think made it more powerful because the story it tells is of Daphne trying to escape her suitor, Apollo, and going so far as to turn herself into a tree. That story seems to be enriched by being carved into the wood of a tree as well.