Category: Museums

CAROLINA COMMENTS: READING & ART

JWF Leave a comment

This week I’m sharing my thoughts on a new novel by Fiona Davis along with some works I found striking at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke. I’m continuing to consider some of our outings in Cary and beyond as other examples of Abroad At Home.

ENTERTAINING NOVEL: THE MET AND EGYPT

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis (facebook.com)

True to form, The Stolen Queen, the latest historical novel by Fiona Davis, centers on an iconic building in New York City.  Earlier novels featured the New York Public Library (The Lions of Fifth Avenue), the Barbizon Hotel for Women (The Dollhouse), and Grand Central Terminal (The Masterpiece), to name just several.  For this work, it’s the Metropolitan Museum of Art and specifically its antiquities and Egyptian collections.

Set in 1936 and 1978 in Egypt and Manhattan, it’s the story of two women and their search for a stolen artifact (the queen of the title), a missing jewelry collar, and a lost daughter.  Charlotte Cross was a budding archaeologist in Luxor in the 1930’s when her life was upended by tragedy.  In 1978, she is an associate curator at the Met, keenly focused on her study of a female pharaoh, yet still torn by not knowing the fate of her infant.  Annie Jenkins is nineteen, loves fashion, and by happenstance becomes Diana Vreeland’s gopher in the run-up to the Costume Institute’s annual gala.  Due to some unusual circumstances, Annie and Charlotte join forces to search for the missing antiquity which involves traveling to Egypt and excavating the demons of Charlotte’s past.

The novel is a romp in the Met Museum, fun for anyone who has spent any time at all there, while simultaneously being a complexly threaded set of relationships and events.  The female pharaoh and a few other characters are based on historic figures.  It’s a quick read and enjoyable, even if it all seems to be resolved too neatly!

ABROAD AT HOME:  ART IN DURHAM

Nasher Museum of Art

Friends invited us to join them for an outing to the Nasher Museum of Art on the Duke University campus in Durham.  I knew of this museum but had never visited, nor had I ever seen it.  The building itself is stunning with a soaring wide lobby topped by angled metal trusses and lots of glass.  Designed by noted architect Rafael Vinoly and opened in 2005, it’s a light-filled welcoming space.  Galleries and exhibit spaces are off to the side in appropriately semi-dark rooms.  

Interior, Nasher Museum

Several exhibits are currently on view and some are small so, we were able to explore them all to some extent.  We spent the most time in By Dawn’s Early Light, a major exhibit marking the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 set against the historical backdrop of the Constitution and several key amendments.  The exhibit is wide-ranging in its coverage of people and documents through photography, painting, and sculptural pieces. Here are several works that I found striking.

Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, a Native American from Montana, presents a map of the United States emphasizing its whiteness with white paint colors instead of state names.  The countries surrounding the US are multi-colored.  North Carolina is Breakwater White.

Fifty Shades of White, 2018
Detail showing North Carolina and neighbors

Americans have the right to bear arms. I found this Celtic cross composed of AK 47 rifles a chilling statement on what one might call “gun worship.”

Cross for the Unforgiven, 2002, Mel Chin

Another powerful piece for me was the historic Confederate flag, part of a performance piece in which the flag was deliberately torn. The colorful threads on the shelf at the bottom are formless and perhaps available for something new.

Unravelling, Sonya Clark, 2015
Tabaco, Diego Camposeco, 2015

Individuals from other lands come here seeking to fulfill the American dream for themselves.  Many of these are migrant workers, often Latinos. See Diego Camposeco’s print at right.

There is also moving section, “Freedom to Assemble” with images of Martin Luther King and others gathering and facing down armed troops at the Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965.  Mounted on mirrored sienna glass, the photos are very reflective making it impossible to get a photo worth sharing.  

By Dawn’s Early Light is timely and worth a visit. It runs through May 11. 

The museum also has an informal café space offering tasty salads, sandwiches, eggs benedict many ways, and omelets.  We four enjoyed lunch there midst the Under 25 set.  We had escaped our home bubble for a student-filled campus bubble.  Fun!

Note: All unattributed photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is of the massive bronze sculpture, MamaRay, by Nairobi-born artist Wangechi Muta. It was installed at the museum in 2021.

France: A Day in Paris

JWF Leave a comment

Yesterday was our first full day in Paris.  We figured out that we have visited here at least five times over the decades.  We spent the day on foot (a welcome change from the car) and chose a route past a few hotels and streets where we’ve stayed in the past.  First up was the Hotel de l’Universite’ on rue de l’Universite’, then the Hotel Duc de Saint-Simon, and also a street near the Pantheon.  We couldn’t locate the Pantheon Hotel and thought perhaps it had changed names or gone out of business. Aside from strolling down memory lane, here’s what else we did.

MUSEE D’ORSAY

Main hall showing elaborate clock at back

We had tickets for a 10:30 entry to this favorite museum of ours, onCe a train station, now a glorious art museum.  I used the French app, Tiqet, for the purchase; had I used a different app I probably could have gotten us a higher priority entry line.  Rule for future trips:  read all the advice the trip organizers give you first!

As it was, the plaza outside the building was very crowded with multiple lines for entry.  We ended up in an A line and prepared to wait.  It seemed longer, but we were actually only in line for 20 minutes and were inside by 10:35, even with airport-like security screening.

Behind large clock looking out at the city

Knowing that the Impressionist paintings were what we wanted to see most, we threaded our way through the throngs and made a beeline for the escalator at the back of the hall and the 5th, top floor.  We weren’t the only ones with this in mind.  But, fortunately, we’d been here before and even though we couldn’t get close to some paintings, we enjoyed seeing old favorites again and discovering new surprises.  Part of the appeal of this museum is its great architecture.

A Monet painting of the bridge at Giverny, 1900 (which we visited)
La Barque a Giverny (Monet, c.1897)
La Berge, Paul Signac, 1886

CAFÉ LUNCH

If any city specializes in sidewalk cafes, it’s Paris. With all its cafes and bars, you can get something to eat any time of day or night.  Not true in the provinces.  We had lunch at just such a café, opting to sit on the side street, not St. Germain des Pres.  My salmon and spinach tart (a quiche) featured ingredients I love and was one of the best I’ve ever eaten.  The Chief Penguin also thought his croque monsieur as absolutely the best he’s had. 

LUXEMBOURG GARDEN

Luxembourg Garden wearing autumn color

Think lots of metal straight backed chairs, some wide open spaces, a café, and formal flower plantings in ground and urns, and you have a sense of Luxembourg Garden.  On this day, the garden was teeming with people of all ages sitting, conversing, reading, and picnicking.  At the little lake, reminiscent of Central Park, fathers and mothers with sons and daughters were delighting in pushing around little sailboats with long poles. 

Sailboats & families
What’s for lunch?

 All around, it was a happy scene full of life.  We found chairs and people watched and took photos.  

Luxembourg Garden was created in 1612 by Henri IV’s widow when she decided to build herself a new home there, Luxembourg Palace. The garden today is owned by the French Senate which meets in the palace.

PANTHEON

Pantheon from the front, note the cross

From the garden, we ambled to the Pantheon.  Like so much of Paris architecture, the Pantheon is grand and handsome and appealing.  It was built between 1758 and 1790 and was originally intended to be a church.  Instead it was used as a mausoleum for noted individuals.  Later it was a church again, then back to being a mausoleum.  It is still a mausoleum and Victor Hugo is buried here.  

Side view of Pantheon

The streets here have plenty of shops from international brands to local from mini-grocery to high fashion, and always, at least one bookstore.  

PLACE DE LA SORBONNE

A short distance away is this square, close to the nearby universities.  As you would expect, students hang out here, chatting, studying or just contemplating life. Spurting fountains add interest.  This square opened in 1639.  On one side is a bookstore for law books.  We had not been in this place before.

Students in Place de la Sorbonne

DINING OUT

The previous night we ate outside and had something akin to comfort food.  Roast chicken for me and skate in a caper butter sauce for CP.  This night we dined inside at a recommended small restaurant called La Ferrandaise.  It was an excellent meal in an attractive space with posters on the wall and  large hanging lampshades bringing light below.  

Interior of La Ferrandaise

My starter of ravioli with chèvre and spinach was exquisite while the CP loved his butternut squash soup with chestnuts.  He had octopus over white beans while I opted for the grilled veal shank.  Despite the busyness of the restaurant, service was especially friendly and attentive. We could easily return for another meal.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header images is also Luxembourg Garden.

Manhattan Potpourri

JWF Leave a comment

NAVIGATING MANHATTAN

Manhattan is beginning to come back to life and there is something approaching normalcy.  But, it’s hard to be spontaneous.  Museums require some form of advanced ticketing or reservation, there are usually lines to enter, masks and social distancing are the norm, and you will most likely have your temperature taken.  

Unfortunately, some of our favorite restaurants are gone, there are too many empty storefronts, and reservations for dining are almost always a must.  There too, they take your temperature, often request contact info, and sometimes require that you sign a health form.  Strange times we’re living in, but at least it’s possible to see an exhibit and eat a meal at a restaurant, either outdoors or inside.  It’s been a long wait, but we are enjoying both:  viewing art and eating well!

CANVASES IN BIG SPACES

Frick Madison

During renovation and expansion of its home building, the Frick has re-located to what was the Met Breuer and is now called Frick Madison.  It was both a surprise and something of a shock to see these works, normally hung close together in very decorated furnished rooms, spread out on vast walls.  Some works stood out in a new way which I appreciated.  I especially enjoyed seeing the four Fragonard pieces on the progress of love in this venue.  Another standout was the portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. And I loved the tiered displays of ceramics—jugs, vases, teapots—arranged by color, one of blue and white pieces, the other works in shades of magenta.

There is a printed guide to the collection, but it isn’t that easy to follow, so I recommend downloading the Bloomberg Connects app before you visit.  It includes guides to this museum and others in NY and the U.K. There is a QR code at the museum to do this, but that didn’t work for us.  

Although the museum shop is closed, the café is open.  With our friends, we enjoyed coffee and cookies before our entry time. Since the Frick doesn’t allow any photos, you must visit to see the art!

BLACK LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Chief Penguin was particularly interested in the special photography exhibit at the Whitney.  We got tickets for opening time; the entry line was short and moved quickly.  

A Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY, 1990

Dawoud Bey is a contemporary photographer.  This exhibit was entitled, “American Project.”  Using a variety of different techniques and camera sizes, Bey focused on Black life in several cities, Syracuse, NY among them.  He also made a series of portraits of teens from different schools paired with written statements from each.  Many of the photos are black and white.  

Cupboard VIII, 2018 by Simone Leigh

We also spent some time looking at paintings and sculpture from the permanent collection.  Some we’d seen before; others were new to us. I particularly liked the larger than life Black woman with a raffia skirt.

OUTSTANDING TV SERIES

Philly D. A. (PBS Independent Lens)

This eight-part series focuses on newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner’s first term in office.  It is excellent!   Krasner campaigned on structural change and reducing the high figures for mass incarceration in the city of Philadelphia.  Statistics showed that Philadelphia had a very high prison population, many Black or Brown, and sent youthful offenders to reform institutions at a much higher rate than almost anywhere else.  Krasner’s goal is to undo 30 years of practices that don’t work and bring about cultural change.  It’s an incredibly difficult and complex challenge; watching him struggle to be successful on several fronts is fascinating.  

You get to know some key staff, meet several police district captains, follow a long-term prisoner petitioning for early release, and learn about the entrenched and powerful Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police.  It’s a study in how municipal government does and doesn’t work for the community and how so often perception prevails over reality.  

I worked in Philadelphia for almost twenty years so the attitudes and some players were familiar.  But even for those elsewhere, the issues will resonate and are at the forefront of Black Lives Matter.  As a footnote, Larry Krasner is being opposed in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary election next week; we will be following his fate. Highly recommended series!

PERFECT LUNCH!

Meme Mediterranean

In the past, we had frequent dinners at this small restaurant on Hudson Street in the West Village.  It’s only a short walk from the Whitney.  On this day, we had a delicious lunch at a corner table inside, with the door to the outdoors wide open.  We shared our favorite fried artichoke, sampled the meatballs with yogurt and mint, and loved the chopped salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and grilled chicken.  To top it off, abandoning noontime restraint, we each had a glass of a refreshing Albarino.  

Note: Header photo by Dawoud Bey is entitled A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY, 1988. Photos taken by JWFarrington.

Manhattan Museums: Art & More

JWF Leave a comment

Whitney Museum of American Art

An every two year occurrence, the Whitney Biennial is designed to showcase trends in art and both emerging and established artists working in a variety of genres.  Many of the artists in this year’s biennial are under 40 and their work gets at social, political and racial issues in both understated and more direct ways.  I went expecting to find most of it too strange or ugly or outrageous for my taste, and some of it was not aesthetically pleasing—at least not to me. But when I looked over the photos I took, I found that there were more pieces I liked than I thought. What follows is a sampling of some of what we saw. 

“Bananas” 2018 by Lucas Blalock
“Incoming,” 2016-17 by Keegan Monaghan
“Stick,” 2019 by Simone Leigh
Detail, “A Lesson in Longing,” 2019 by Jennifer Packer

Society of Illustrators/Museum of Illustration

The Chief Penguin and I like to explore small museums and historic homes.  The Museum of Illustration, home to the Society of Illustrators, is just such a place, a gem of colorful artwork that transitioned from being a private club to a tiny museum with a most attractive bar and café on its upper floor.   Located on E. 65 Street, it sponsors changing exhibits, invited talks and workshops, and an annual student competition along with displaying works from its permanent collection.  

“Virgin Planet” by Ed Emshwiller, 1957

The special exhibit was “Masters of the Fantastic,” an array of sci fi and fantasy illustrations, along with a short film about the making of the 1950’s horror film, “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” The range of artistic styles was impressive and I enjoyed it more than I expected.  Definitely a museum to re-visit with the perfect spot for a simple lunch!

“A World of Her Own” by Michael Whelan

Roosevelt House

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt lived in a house on E. 65 Street. Today that house, which FDR’s mother bought for them (she lived in the other half), belongs to Hunter College and is home to a public policy institute.  But the house is also open to the public for free.  Here, you can read about Eleanor’s connections to the college and her involvement with its students.  Also on display is a set of personal letters Franklin wrote to his cousin Daisy Suckley.  They enjoyed a warm friendship, and she frequently visited him in Warm Springs, Georgia.  There are also public lectures such as an upcoming one by Brenda Wineapple about the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.

Note: Photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is of a work by Japanese fantasy artist, Kuniko Craft.