FLOWERS AND ART
Art in Bloom, North Carolina Museum of Art
This week, the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh hosted its 11th annual Art in Bloom. It’s the museum’s biggest fund raiser; museum admission here is free except for special exhibitions. The 40 floral works range from brightly colored (lots of orange) to subdued browns, from low bowls to pillars of blossoms, and from elegant to wild and exotic. Sometimes the works seem closely related to the art and sometimes it’s hard to appreciate the inspiration.
In my San Franciso life, I went to the de Young Museum of Art’s similar exhibit entitled Bouquets to Art. Now in its 41st year, it too pairs elaborate floral arrangements with paintings and sculpture. My sense, after visiting Art in Bloom, is that the local exhibit has larger and taller pieces in the mix. In any case, what floral designers can craft using a wide variety of plants and flowers is stunning and even sometimes amazing.
RECENT VIEWING
DEATH IN NEW ZEALAND
A Remarkable Place to Die (Acorn)
Set in and around gorgeous Queenstown, the crime series, A Remarkable Place to Die, is almost worth watching just for the scenery. Detective Anais Mallory returns home to lead the homicide division and gets caught up in trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s death in a violent crash several years ago. Assisting on her team is detective Simon Delaney, who was a candidate for Anais’s job. Adding to the complexity is the fact that Anais and her mother are not on good terms, despite Anais’s desire to forge a warmer relationship. As Mallory digs deeper into her sister’s accident and her father’s death before that, she risks losing her job and destroying friendships.
The series consists of four episodes, and each is 90 minutes long. It takes a bit of getting into and Anais is not always a likable character. Fans of the comedy series, Under the Vines, will recognize Rebecca Gibney (Daisy) who here plays a serious role as Anais’s mother Veronica.
WEIRD CRIMES IN PARIS
Astrid Season 4 (PBS Masterpiece)
Fans of this autistic super sleuth will be delighted with Astrid’s return in Season 4. Astrid, based in the criminal records archives, works with detective and now good friend Raphaelle to solve unusual crimes in Paris. These murders occur in unexpected places and under strange circumstances. Astrid’s encyclopedic memory and keen observational skills enable her to see things her colleagues miss.
Astrid is literal, sometimes missing slang or subtleties; a Monday night dinner is a Monday dinner and not one on Tuesday instead. She is a regular participant in an autism spectrum support group led by patient and caring William, and she has a slowly developing romance with Tetsuo who lets Astrid set the pace.
I’ve watched the first three episodes in this 8-part series and am looking forward to the others. I continue to be intrigued by the evolving relationships between Astrid and Raphaelle, Astrid and Tetsuo, and Astrid and her colleagues, who are still sometimes baffled by her responses. I also like Dr. Fournier the pathologist. In French with subtitles. Recommended!
Note: Unattributed photos by JWFarrington including header photo of blue and white flowers.
