It is always a lot of fun to see an artists' work in person. Books are wonderful. Film is great, but nothing does an artists work justice like the opportunity to see it in person. I ventured into Chicago on the El to see the new Calder Show at the MCA with some friends. It was a beautiful late Summer day. The weather was perfect - 70's, the sky was blue, the El wasn't crowded and my friends are a fun loving group. A good start to the day. We arrived at the MCA on a Friday morning. I like the MCA. It isn't a large museum. It doesn't wear you out physically and sensually when you go there. You can see everything and then sit and have a latte on the terrace and feel good about the visit. Some museums are so large and the collections so diverse that I often feel over-stimulated and exhausted after a visit. But the MCA is not one of those museums.
I don't have a degree in art. But I have always loved art. And I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to have seen a lot of it. I have read a lot about art. And I have three daughters who are full or part-time artists who have taught me a great deal about different art periods and movements in art. I have to admit that I am a contemporary art lover. I never get tired of seeing and learning more about this type of art. I find it so very interesting and thought provoking. I don't really think of Calder as a contemporary artist. I did enjoy the show. I love the seeming simplicity of his work. The cleanness and balance. I was sorry that there wasn't a very slight breeze in the museum to set the work in motion. I tried blowing up at a few of the small pieces and got a dirty look from the guard and stopped. But what fun is it to see a mobile just hanging with absolutely no movement. Just a study in balance. It was interesting to think about when Calder was making some of his pieces. Especially when he was sculpting during WW2 and did not have access to sheet metal. He had to be green and use a lot of reclaimed materials. The bronzes and wooden pieces that he created during that time period have a very interesting feel to them. There was a small bronze piece on display that was very interesting to me. I wasn't certain whether it was actually all one piece or was a work of balance. The signage didn't say. But if it was a work of balance, wow!
In conjuction with the Calder is a show of 7 Contemporary Artists who were influenced by Calder. The show is called Form, Balance, Joy and features works by Jason Middlebrook, Martin Boyce, Nathan Carter, Abraham Cruzvilligas, Aaron Curry, Jason Meadows, and Kristi Lippire. This show was well worth seeing.
The MCA has a show with Redmoon Theater called The Astronaut's Birthday. It looks very interesting. It is interactive comic art that is being projected on giant screens and viewed through the museums windows to an outdoor viewing audience. The short video that they had describing the show made me really want to see it. But unfortunately, it is only being shown on weekends and only at night in September Not possible right now, but worth watching for if you have the time and are down town this weekend or next.
I spent the rest of the day with my friends exploring Michigan Avenue. We saw a great street performer who looked like a modern day tin man - silver duct tape and silver body makeup. Really funny to watch. And then shopping. Shoes seems to be a universal attraction for most women and we saw some beautiful examples. And chocolate. We made our way to the Hershey Store before hitting the El to come home. They have a dark double chocolate cookie that is very worthwhile. No free samples like Hershey PA though. Too bad!
All in all a fun day. My friends are so easy going and fun. A good group of women from diverse backgrounds who like to do new things. We all agreed that more adventures are on the horizon.
