From the Garden by Donalee Nelson (inspired by
Manet’s floral paintings)
Thoughts
on the influence of France and Paris in particular
Until the middle of the
twentieth century, France was the undisputed center of the art world. Americans
were making very large abstract and color field paintings so the focus changed.
Even though it was eclipsed by these newer art movements, France and
particularly Paris have still held a fascination for artists and continue to be
very influential. Hollywood has always made biopics about artists such as the
1952 version of Moulin Rouge about
Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh’s dramatized life story, Lust For Life (1956) and films about the lives of Michelangelo and
Picasso, etc. There are wonderful films that feature amazing works by various
artists such as The Bandwagon, Funny Face, Indiscrete and Daddy Long Legs. More recently Monuments Men in 2014 depicted the
rescue of art treasures stolen during World War II.
What is more interesting to me
is the influence that Paris had in the making of films for the mainstream as
art. (Of course, many films exist that were made by surrealist painters but
they were less seen by the public.) First of all is the masterpiece An American
in Paris, which is an incredible collaboration between Gene Kelly, Vincent
Minelli and the Gershwin brothers. Although it is set in Paris in 1951 and
centers on a would-be painter, the music, ballets and sets are all influenced
by early artworks conceived in France. It is an absolutely beautiful movie. The
next film was director Luhrmann’s artistic vision. Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 Moulin Rouge is set in the famous
cabaret with a cast of characters that includes many famous artists. The
influence of Parisian artists is also apparent in the costumes and sets.
Finally, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris
made in 2011 is the journey of a writer who, while in Paris, time travels and
meets most of his idols, including Picasso. Full of art, history, music and
famous authors, it again highlights the influence of Paris today.
One of my favorite painters is
Edourd Manet. Two of his paintings are considered watershed works. Dejuner Sur L’herbe and Olympia were both painted in 1862 in a
realistic style. In his later years he suffered with extreme pain and was unable
to walk. He painted beautiful small flower bouquets that were influenced by his
impressionist colleagues. They are my favorite. Someone once said to me that
“No one likes flower paintings.” The painting on this page is one of mine that
was influenced by M. Manet. I am so glad I didn’t listen.
Highlights
A celebration of the master
architect marks his birthday with Frank
Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive which is at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York through October 1. This is a comprehensive exhibit which
includes about 450 pieces that cover Wright’s career from the 1890s through the
1950s and includes drawings, models, paintings, photos, textiles, furniture,
tableware and films. Many of these pieces have never been on display for the
public. This list is just an overview and there is so much more to the exhibit.
Be sure and go to www.moma.org for more
information.
Where
you can see my artwork
My artwork
is available at Rons. For
further information call the shop at 805.489.4747. Rons
is located at 850 W. Grand in Grover Beach a few blocks from the train station,
a golf course and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. For more information go to Rons
website at www.ronsingroverbeach.com
or find him on facebook.
Not To
Be Missed –Museum Exhibits
Featured now at the Palm
Springs Museum of Art through June 18, 2018 is Grass Roots: Native American Basketry of the West. The
exhibit showcases the wonderful weaving of these Native American artists who
used native plants and roots as their medium. The museum also has a subsidiary
museum in Palm Desert known as the Galen. It is surrounded by the four acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden
that features over ten significant sculptures surrounded by landscaped gardens.
A visit to these two venues make it worth the drive. Google the museum or go to
www.psmuseum.org for current information.
The Laguna Museum features work
by California artist Phil Dike. Phil
Dike: At the Edge of the Sea is on display through September 24. A
prominent member of the California regionalist movement, the exhibit includes
over sixty of his works and is the first retrospective of his work in forty
years. Trained at Chouinard, he taught there on and off, leaving to go to New
York and Europe. Eventually he worked for Disney until 1945 as a color
coordinator and story designer, contributing to Fantasia and Snow White,
among others. He also taught at Scripps and the Claremont Colleges. This show
takes the viewer through his artistic journey as his paintings evolved and
became more abstract. See some of his work at www.lagunaartmuseum.org and learn
more about this exhibit.
Highlights of the
Permanent Collection celebrates the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 75th
anniversary. The exhibit features some of the museum’s most well-known pieces. The
Armand Hammer Foundation has loaned some amazing Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist paintings to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Of course, Portrait of Mexico Today, painted by David Alfaro Siqueiros while
living in political exile in Los Angeles in 1932, has a home in the front
façade of the museum. It is intact and is in a protected spot. We are so lucky
to have it. Ongoing at the museum is Rodin
and His Legacy. Rodin was the most influential sculptor of the 19th
Century. The installation examines the artist’s innovative spirit. Check on
line at www.sbmuseart.org/ for more
details.
Wow! Now at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art is an exhibition of Chagall’s designs for four stage
productions. Chagall: Fantasies For The
Stage opened July 31 of this year and goes through January 7, 2018. Much
of the artist’s work was inspired by music and dance. He collaborated with the
Ballet Russes on set design in 1911 and created murals and theatrical
productions for the Moscow State Jewish Theater in the 1920s. He continued to
design sets and costumes for ballets in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Showcased at
LACMA are four productions for the stage, including the 1942 production of Aleko with music by Tchaikovsky, The Firebird by Stravinsky in 1945, Daphne and Chloe by Ravel in 1958 and
Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute in
1967. Included in this show are the artist’s costume and set designs on paper,
documentary footage of original performances as well as many of Chagall’s
paintings. Also at LACMA is Found In
Translation: Design In California And Mexico, 1915–1985. The exhibit
covers Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft
Traditions and Modernism as design parameters. It also attempts to place such
design icons as Neutra, Barragan, and Charles and Ray Eames in context and show
how California and Mexico influenced each other in design and architecture. It
runs from September 17 – April 1, 2018. More information is at www.lacma.org about these exhibits.
Currently at Getty Center in
Los Angeles is Happy Birthday, Mr.
Hockney which ends November 28, 2017. In celebration of the artist’s 80th
birthday the museum has put together a collection of Hockney’s self-portraits
spanning 65 years. Also included are several of his photo collages and
featuring the iconic Pearblossom Hwy,
11–18th April 1988, #2. What a treat for Hockney fans and those
just discovering this artist. Meanwhile, the wonderful Getty Villa on Pacific
Coast Highway is undergoing some changes. It is still open but some galleries
will be closed. Information at www.getty.edu
will fill you in on what is going and as well as with dates and times.
The Broad Art Foundation houses
the collection of Eli and Edythe Broad and has an amazing number of modern
masterpieces. It also hosts special exhibits. Upcoming is Something Resembling Truth from February through May 2018,
which features more than 100 works by Jasper Johns. The show explores the
artist’s sixty year career and includes many of his most iconic works and several
that have never been seen in Los Angeles. This is an interesting venue and the
Johns exhibit will be important. In anticipation, check out www.thebroad.org to get an early view.
Currently,
at the de Young, Art from the African American South celebrates the
recent acquisition from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation in Atlanta. This
exhibit features 62 pieces by contemporary southern artists and will be at the
museum until April 1, 2018. Concurrent is a companion exhibit featuring work by
the quilters of Gees Bend, Alabama and prints by Lonnie Holley. Check www.deyoung.famsf.org which will have
all you need to know. The de Young prides itself in making its exhibits
accessible and has instituted a plan for people who are unable to come to the
museum whether for medical reasons, distance or finances. They have two robots that will take visitors
on a tour via the internet. Rebecca Bradley is the Accessibility Curator. You
can email her office at access@famsf.org
if this great idea is of interest.
The San Francisco Legion of Honor acts as host to the
traveling exhibit Degas, Impressionism and the Paris Millinary Trade. It will be housed there until
September 24, 2017. Over 100 pieces are included in this show and features the
work of Manet, Morisot and Renoir as well as Degas. The website provides an excellent
overview of the show so check www.legionofhonor.famsf.org
and get more information.
San Francisco seems to be the happening place at the
moment with several incredible exhibitions. Currently at the San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art is a ground breaking show of Norwegian master, Edvard
Munch. Between the Clock and the Bed
is on display until October 9, 2017. Munch, who became well known as an artist
from the age of thirty felt that his creative breakthrough came late in life.
This exhibit starts with one of his last self-portraits and works backward to
reassess his paintings. Significantly, many of the paintings come from the
artist’s own collection and six of them have never been displayed in the United
States. Go to www.sfmoma.org for more on
this exciting show.
Ongoing
at the Seattle Museum of Art is Big
Picture: Art after 1945.The exhibit includes some amazing works by
Rothko, Motherwell, Newman, Hoffman, etc. Coming up in October is a
retrospective of Andrew Wyeth’s work. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org to obtain
more information.
Now at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver is Still & Art which ends
January 21, 2018. Still said that he was not influenced by anyone, however, he
had great knowledge of international art history. This exhibit shows how he
channeled these influences into his own work which makes it a very interesting
show. Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org
for all the details.
Make Room for
Color Field
is a continuing exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri through
December 31, 2018. The installation consists of 4 works by the most prominent
painters of this genre, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski and Morris Louis. The
museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org will
provide more information.
It’s all about fashion at the
Saint Louis Art Museum. Currently ensconced at the museum, Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015 continues
through September 17, 2017. The exhibit covers the history of men’s attire and
highlights the connection between high fashion and history juxtaposing men’s
and women’s clothing that were worn concurrently. Included are over 150 “looks”
drawn primarily from the Los Angeles County Museum’s vast collection. Also on
display is The Hats of Stephen Jones
which highlights the work of the contemporary British milliner. The
installation is scattered throughout the museum allowing a dialogue between art
and the designers work. Check out the museum’s website at www.slam.org for information on this show that
runs through September 4, 2017 as well as the menswear exhibit.
The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting Gaugain: Artist as Alchemist which began June 22, 2017 and ends September 10. The show looks past his iconic paintings and highlights other aspects of his art including his work as a ceramist, sculptor, printmaker and decorator. It will surely be a wonderful show. More details for these fascinating exhibits are at www.artic.edu.
The Smithsonian
National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington
D.C. is the culmination of over a century of work. Founding Director Lonnie
Bunch said that “The African American experience is the lens through which we
understand what it is to be an American.” The website welcomes us with its
opening words: A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story. It is part of our national
history. The museum contains much memorabilia including both negative and
positive. Of course, there is much history here including examples of slave
ships. However, there are more current examples, including Carl Lewis’ journey,
clothes from James Brown and Pearl Bailey, a trumpet owned by Louis Armstrong
and Chuck Berry’s red Cadillac. Items also includes some owned by Harriet
Tubman, the dress Rosa Parks was sewing when she refused to leave her seat, and
clothes designed by Geoffrey Holder for the award winning Broadway play The Wiz. Areas include a sports museum
and a visual arts museum among others. The only permanent art exhibit on the
mall will be Visual Art and the
American Experience which focuses on the contribution Americans of
African descent made to the history of American Art. The galleries will also
feature changing exhibits so check out www.nmaahc.si.edu
for information.
At the other end of the spectrum and also in
Washington D.C is Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens, the final home of
Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was a collector and in this case it is her
jewelry collection that is on display. Spectacular
Gems and Jewelry will be exhibited through the end of 2017. It includes
jewelry from Cartier, Verdura, and Harry Winston among others. It is truly one
of the most comprehensive collections of fine jewelry of the 20th
century. If you are a lover of jewelry www.hillwoodmuseum.org
will give you information and show some of her amazing pieces of eye candy.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
has got it going on with several wonderful exhibitions. Cy
Twomby’s Iliad is on display until October 8, having just returned from
a retrospective of the artist’s work in Paris. Also on tap is Marcel Duchamp and the Fountain Scandal which
runs through December 3. One hundred years ago this object changed the course
of modern art. Included are many of the artist’s readymades as well as period
photographs and publications. Inside
Out sounds like a wonderful experience as the museum places replicas of
well-known work from its collection in various neighborhoods throughout the
city, so get outside and enjoy works by artists such as Van Gogh, Monet’s waterlillies
or Brancusi’s The Kiss. Until the
beginning of December have lunch on Main Street and be transported to Paris. By
the way, the museum has the largest collection of Brancusi sculptures in the
United States. All of these exhibits are described on the museum website at www.philamuseum.org with more information
about other shows as well.
The New York Historical Society
has a beautiful website and running through October 9 it also has Eloise at the Museum. Eloise
continues to charm even 60 years after her creation. The exhibit features more
than 75 objects from the collaboration of MGM vocal arranger and performer Kay
Thompson and illustrator Hilary Knight. Included are original manuscripts,
drawings, photographs and vintage dolls. This has to be so much fun. The
society also has Picasso’s Le Tricorne
on display. The painted theater curtain from the ballet was produced in 1919. Visitors
can also have a look at Ed Ruscha’s Fanned
Book from 2013. There is much to see at this great venue so check out www.nyhistory.org and prepare to be
surprised by all the wonderful historical pieces on view.
The New York Botanical Garden
is showcasing the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly through October 29, 2017. Chihuly features about 20
installations of his gorgeous glass sculptures and includes early works as well
as drawings. The artist’s amazing work can be seen at www.nybg.org with photos and details.
Open at
the Museum of Modern Art in New York is Robert
Rauschenberg: Among Friends. This retrospective is open until September
17, 2017 and includes many facets of his work and those of friends like Jasper
Johns, Merce Cunningham and John Cage. It features over 250 works in various mediums
which cover over six decades so go to www.moma.org
for more information. Remember the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit is there until
October 1.
Mark you calendars for an
upcoming show in Brooklyn. Opening in November and lasting until April 2018, Rodin at the Brooklyn Museum: The Body
in Bronze celebrates the 100th anniversary of the sculptor’s
death. 58 of the artist’s bronzes will be on display so go to www.brooklynmuseum.org and learn more
about this exhibit.
Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim runs
through September 6, 2017 and is at, where else, the Guggenheim Museum in New
York. The exhibit looks at the collection of six patrons, including sculptures
by Brancusi and Exploring Alchemy by
Jackson Pollock. Feel free to check www.guggenheim.org
for information and make sure to listen to various curators talk about the
challenges of restoring Red Lilly Pads,
an Alexander Calder mobile. Also learn more about the upcoming Albers In Mexico exhibit. The museum is also featuring the work of Constantin Brancusi, one of the most important suclptors of the 20th century. The Guggenheim started collecting his work in the 1950s and it is their impressive collection that is on display through the spring of next year.
The Metropolitan Museum of
Art’s exhibition, American Indian Art
from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection is now showing and will be on view
until October 8, 2017. The Fenimore is in Cooperstown and has loaned 38
masterworks covering centuries for this exhibit. Artists from all over North
America and their work in various media are represented. Information on this
comprehensive show can be found at www.metmuseum.org as well as dates and
times.
Open currently at The Boston
Museum of Fine Arts and running through October 22, 2017 catch The Summer of Love: Photography and
Graphic Design which, you guessed it, features over 120 posters, album
covers and photos from 50 years ago and focuses on San Francisco’s
Haight-Asbury district. Also at the MFA in Boston is Alfred Stieglitz and Modern America. This museum was one of
the first to collect photography and has an extensive collection of the
photographer’s work. On view through November 5, 2017, the exhibit includes his
New York photos as well as portraits of his wife, artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Look
at www.mfa.org. to find more information.
Matisse in the Studio has moved! The exhibit will be
on view from August 5–November 12, 2017 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It is the first exhibit to examine the artist's personal collection of objects and their importance in his art. Included are 36 paintings and 26 drawings as well as bronzes, cut-outs, prints and an illustrated book by the artist. Many rare works are included and many come from personal collections. It is a wonderful show! Although the exhibit has closed, there is a wonderful video that came out of this show, Monet and the Post Impressionists. So many artists found inspiration in their gardens. Now there is a video available, Painting in the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Find out more by visiting www.royalacademy.org.uk and get the whole scoop.
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is currently at the Victoria
and Albert Museum in London until February 18, 2018. The Spanish designer was
known for his architectural approach to fashion. The show features over 100
pieces. The museum has scheduled many special events around this exhibit;
including some on pattern making and one on how to make a Balenciaga brooch so
check these out at www.vam.ac.uk if these
are of interest.
Currently at the Tate Modern, Giacometti is on view until September
10, 2017. Known primarily as a sculptor, he was also a painter. The museum
brings together over 250 pieces including plasters and drawings that have
rarely been seen and show the arc of his creativity. Coming up next spring is
an exhibit of Picasso’s work in 1932. I am looking forward to an amazing show. For
more information on these exhibits www.tate.org.uk
will have everything you need to know. While you are there check out the
amazing videos at the site about various exhibitions.
Helen Frankenthaler After Abstract Expressionism, 1959-1962 will
be on display at the Gagosian Gallery in Paris through September 16, 2017. She
had spent time developing a soak-stain technique similar to that of
contemporary Morris Louis but returned to an improvised and gestural technique.
The exhibit focuses on just three years in her sixty year career with fourteen
paintings and two works on paper. I am partial to her work and suggest you go
see this exhibit if in Paris. Of course, more information is available at www.gagosian.com, the gallery’s website.
Portraits by Cézanne is at the Musée d’Orsay in
Paris until September 24, 2017. This exhibit explores the changes in the
artist’s style over time using his portraiture as examples. He painted over 200
portraits, many of which are shown in this exhibit. It is a must see for art
lovers since Cézanne influenced so many painters. Check out www.musee-orsay.fr if you will be in Paris
for this show.
Simply the Best:
The best place to find books on
the arts, Arcana is a very
special bookstore located in the Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles…it’s
wonderful! I have known owner Lee Kaplan for decades and his selection of books
is as superb as his taste is impeccable. Arcana: Books on the Arts is at 8675 Washington Boulevard, Culver
City, CA 90232. For information go to http://www.arcanabooks.com
or call 310.458.1499.
Michiko Jewelry Design is an
incredible jewelry store in downtown Seal Beach, CA, featuring excellent
one-of-a-kind gifts. The shop owner and artist, Carol Matsumoto, custom designs
beautiful pieces. Michiko is
at 228 Main Street. Call 563.431.3237 for more information or check www.michikojewelrydesign.com.
Places
to Go, People to See
Did you know that a trip to
Catalina Island and back is free if you go on your birthday? …
if you are willing to wear a
ribbon declaring you to be the birthday person many freebies are available. Throughout
the summer, the Catalina Museum hosted Movies
at the Museum. The last one is the Elvis Presley movie King Creole on Friday September 1.
The movie starts at dusk. Currently the museum hosts Chihuly at the Catalina Island Museum, a show of the glass
master’s works, and on Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 pm the museum illuminates
his glass sculptures for Chihuly at
Sunset. The exhibit runs through December 11. To check out this amazing
venue www.catalinamuseum.org will
supply the answers.
A long time tradition in
California pops up again September 15, 16,and 17. Danish Days in Solvang began in 1936 as a celebration of the
town’s 25th anniversary and has been an annual event ever since. The
festival features work by many different artisans, music and aebleskiver eating
contests. There is also a lovely little art museum, the Elverhoj Museum of
History and Art, in the town. Join in the fun at www.solvangdanishdays.com and
collect all the information you need.
Macha Theatre in West Hollywood
presents Frida: Stroke of Passion.
The play in this well regarded small theatre explores her state of being in the
final week of her life. For information check out www.machatheatre.org and book your
tickets.
Addendum:
An Autumn treasure hunt
Exploring Latin American and
Latino art and in conjunction with the Getty, the southland hosts multiple
venues featuring this artwork. What a great concept that allows us to see a
wide spectrum of these pieces! LA/LA focuses on various themes so you can
curate your own tour of these works. Go to www.pacificstandardtime.org for
information. These special exhibitions are set up from September through
January 2018.
Continue to check back as we will be posting upcoming shows here and on the exhibits page of my website…and again, there is always Facebook.
