Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Unwatered fountains look like something’s missing (duh fits, but it’s more than duh). We’re on the edge of the first raft of spring pollen, so I suspect fountains will flow soon.
This somewhat pineapple-y fountain is in Greenville EssCee, and no, it doesn’t turn.
Sunday, 16 February 2025
A line of storms came through about 4:45am…very hard rain and wind. When daylight came, we saw two big trees down in our back yard, but not on or (I think) threatening a structure. Noontime, we had a tree guy out assessing the situation. We’re on track for tree “extraction” beginning tomorrow morning.
Image: another close-up from Georgia O’Keeffe show we saw yesterday at the High.
Saturday, 15 February 2025
Flower center.
Georgia O’Keeffe: White Flower, 1929.
White Flower, super contrasty, altered. The “grooves” that section the petals are interesting; I didn’t notice them standing in front of the painting, although they are plain as day. Instead, I noticed the subtle shading of the colors…yellows, blues, blue-greens…and the background in the upper corners.
Thanks, MSM, for suggesting this High adventure.
Saturday, 8 February 2025
Clever signage from our trip that I neglected to post…as in, I already had too many photos selected for the day’s post…. The letters and symbol were cut from the sheet metal, when the light was bright, produced a…what’s the opposite of a shadow? A pass-through of light?
Friday, 31 January 2025
Different day, different museum: Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, established 1908. This is the “Old Building;” behind it, the new is being reworked—note crane. The collection focuses on Basque and Spanish works.
This is Ramiro Arrue’s (1892-1971) “Euskaldunak karta jokoan,” meaning Basques playing cards.
He did it about 1919. I was fascinated by the footwear, especially the boots on the left with exterior laces.
Aurelio Artete did this in 1930–35, and called it “Euskal arrantzaleak,” or Basque fishermen. Again: footwear…. I’m wondering if the short boots are of rubber? They do look globular. Also: bare feet.
We saw one Picasso on display: “Still life with glass/bowl of fruit,” dating to 1937 (don’t know the original language of the name). In English, it’s “still life,” but in Spanish it’s “naturaleza muerta,” or, literally, dead nature.
They had three Goyas on display, including the side of the shipping crate they came in from France…I didn’t get the full story. This was the middle painting of the three (yes, I cropped it), the esteemed Bernard Tavira, dated about 1787-88.
Here’s a detail of the Señora’s carnation and ruff.
A few smaller rooms displayed fascinating historical documents and the like that normally no members of the public get to see. These are a pair of pages from “Corpus Iuris Civillis;” it dates to before 1477, and is in Gothic script. This is a later copy of a compilation of Roman laws from AD 117–565; the compilation was ordered by Emperor Justinian I, who was emperor from AD 527 to 565. This copy was made for Pierre de Laval, who became archbishop of Reims in 1473, and died in 1493. Many modern legal systems relate back to these laws.
Here’s a small section of the official document of excommunication of Henry VIII of England by Pope Clement VII and the Holy Council of Cardinals. This is an authorized copy sent to the Spanish court, and dates to 1531.
And then we were outside enjoying the sun…we found groundskeepers at work—here the fountain cleaners.
Here’s Bilbao’s river, the Nerbioi (Basque), or Nervion (English). This view is toward the mouth. This area was once the port area. With larger ships, it’s moved to the bay at the mouth. Note also that Bilbao, the city, is along the river, and the higher elevations are forested.
The façade of this building stood out to us both. It appears to be a private business…. BTW, that’s a pedestrian bridge to the left.
And, our riverfront trajectory brought us back to…this sculpture/building by Frank Gehry (born Frank Owen Goldberg, in 1929).
I very much enjoyed seeing Anish Kapoor’s “Tall Tree & The Eye” (2009) without raindrops.
Here’s this combo moto and lift that I posted yesterday from the other side.
Guggenheim detail. I think this is employee parking on the “back” side.
And, for giggles, a totally different façade, in town, away from the former port area.
Thursday, 30 January 2025
When in Bilbao…and especially if it’s rainy…. This famous Frank Gehry-designed museum opened in October 1997, riverside where the port was, opening up this part of the city with a major international attraction. Alternatively, people come to see “Puppy” by Jeff Koons, a flowering-plant bedecked West Highland terrier behemoth.
We joined a HS group crowded under a meager overhang waiting for the museum to open. They were speaking French and English, perhaps from a posh school over in Bayonne…I didn’t ask.
It took just a moment to scan our phone-born tickets, and another moment for a brief uncurious security inspection of my purse, and in we were. Entry hall, empty and quiet, so different subsequently.
We went directly to the top/third floor, and our amazing first stop was to be closed in a room, just the two of us, with lights and reflections…guaranteed to make anyone smile. It’s called “Infinity Mirrored Room—A Wish for Human Happiness Calling from Beyond the Universe” (2020), by Yayoi Kusama. Her works are very diverse and include novels; she has done many Mirrored Rooms. The vibrancy of the space seems appropriate to someone who experienced hallucinations beginning at age 10.
The rooms and spaces elsewhere tend to be huge. Five pieces only are in this room, e.g., a Warhol multi-Marilyn to the right, and a Roy Lichtenstein on the far wall, with a Jeff Koons flower bouquet in the middle.
Making art with art…selfie of the two of us…and a different school group.
A whole wing held this Richard Serra eight-piece composition called “The Matter of Time” (1994–2005). My favorite section was the fifth one, called “Torqued Spiral (Right Left).”
The steel walls framed a passage that kept going and going. This was the view looking out from the dead end.
Much of the second floor was dedicated to the works of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), a pioneer (almost everyone uses this word about her, so don’t call me a copycat) in abstract art. This is her “The Ten Largest” (1917), showing the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age/being elderly.
Her other pieces are smaller, sometimes much smaller. This is one of a series called “Tree of Knowledge” (1913–1915).
It was just too wet/windy to comfortably visit the many sculptures outdoors, so we glimpsed them through the windows.
Life outside the museum—endlessly eye-catching. Hopeful umbrella vendor and two museum patrons, already equipped.
Bridge view, by river.
Bridge view, with lift and moto.
Building detail—nuts and bolts of it, and the beams they join.
Monday, 9 September 2024
Cherubim evolution shifted from earlier sphinx/lion/bull (ish) figures with eagle wings to the winged chubby babies of Christian imagery—like these. That’s sure a softening.
Friday, 9 August 2024
I do enjoy this swirl on the inside of a shallow bowl made by an Athens (GA) potter-friend. It is a finger-ridge on the clay that has heightened the shading in the glaze. I like the crazing/crackle/craquelure*, too. Crazing is not crazy.
* The appropriate term depends on whether the effect is intentional or not, as I understand it. In this case, I dunno the intention.
Tuesday, 19 March 2024
Looks better than real, with those highlights and that reflection. [Are there eels in that water? At one time, in southern Britain, you paid your rent in eels…. Details here.]
