I went to the Art Institute of Chicago yesterday and managed to get some pretty decent pictures (and exercise). I was surprised to see that they had an artist that I have recently become interested in, Kara Walker, on display. Unfortunately it was the only area that was not to be photographed (per her instruction), so I took a picture sadly of a poster, lol.
I actually got told by a guard not to photograph, and tried to return. There was a woman the second time, but she caught me too. oh well.. I am really more interested in her silhouettes anyway and the exhibit had very few of those (and wall space in general).
It's kind of late atm, but I will share more images of some of the pieces I found interesting maybe Tuesday.
here's a teaser..
Paul Gauguin "
Mahana no Atua" (Day of the God),1894 Oil on canvas
For the most part, recently, I have really been into a lot of contemporary/modern type things. One piece I really enjoyed was Carroll Dunham's "Bather/Night", mostly because the background, to me, looks like something that would be featured in a really cool super mario bros. game. I also enjoy how abstract the image is in the front. I didn't know what it was without reading the title.
Here's an interesting piece from Jim Nutt. Not sure why I dig it so much.
This piece really surprised me. It's a Nimba, D'mba, or Yamban headdress from Baga, Guinea. Made around mid 19th, early 20th century. The thing has a head like a sunfish, carved out of a single piece of wood, and typically weight 80-100 lbs. Somebody actually wears this thing for events ranging from bi annual harvest ceremonies, to important community events such as birthday/death. The statue is supposed to represent the ideal woman as an image of sacrifice for her community. Her breast are represented as flat to convey all the children she has nursed into adulthood.
Dance of the Kites
This oil painting was painted by my Aunt Emelda in Yopal Colombia, and represents a festival held in the village her and my father grew up in, in the villa de leyva, Colombia. The green figure represents the spirit of wind, while the red figure represents the spirit of dance. The festival is held in August and has an international following, in which people come from around the world to compete in various competitions flying kites, designing, and in kite art.