A Visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, Part Four

Today marks the final stop on our virtual tour of the Phoenix Art Museum. One of my favorite parts of the museum turned out to be the Western American Art wing on the second floor. Let me show you a few of the things Denis and I enjoyed there.

As you can see, some of the paintings are quite striking. That's Denis taking a photo.

"Processing Sheep" (1976, oil on linen) by Willard Franklin Midgette.

"Desert Rain God" (2009, oil on canvas) by Louisa McElwain.

"Nuestro Señor el Desollado" (2004, acrylic on canvas) by Paul Pletka.

Detail.

"The FLamingo Gate" (1924, oil on canvas) by Theodore Van Soelen.

"Margo Phillips Beutler" (1914-1915, oil on board) by W. Herbert Dunton. One of my favorites.

"Out of the Mist" (1988, watercolor and gouache on paper) by James Boren. With unfortunate but stubborn reflection...

Detail with stubborn reflection...

Striking statue that I somehow managed not to get the name of or the artist's name.

View of Western American art gallery.

View of Western American art gallery.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit. Denis and I hope to go back soon to see the exhibits we missed. Soon, I'll share a few photos of our recent trip to the Desert Botanical Garden.

A Visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, Part Three

For our third virtual visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, I want to take you to see the Thorne Rooms, a fantastic collection of miniature rooms. (The museum has twenty of the original thirty rooms.) I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos. The lighting was terrible, the reflections on the glass were brutal, the room was crowded, and I couldn't "pretzel" myself into stances that could've allowed for better angles and better photographs. Hopefully what I do share will give you a taste of these fabulous works of art.

From the Phoenix Art Museum website:

 

"...the Thorne Rooms represent a fascinating world in miniature. Created at an exacting scale of one inch to one foot, several of the rooms replicate actual spaces found in the United States and Europe, while the remainder were inspired by the architecture and interior design of their respective periods and countries. These rooms were conceived, designed, and, in large part, crafted by Indiana native Narcissa Niblack Thorne (1882-1966), who began to collect miniature furniture and household accessories during her travels to England and Asia shortly after the turn of the 20th century." 

This is an exhibit I could visit again and again. There are always new details that jump out at you with a second look.

American Colonial Bedroom, 1740-1750. Sometimes the ghost of the photographer can be seen in the glass. *sigh*

English Georgian Library, 1714-1820.

Of course I'm going to gravitate toward books, even if they are too small to read!

English Adam Dining Room, 1762-1794.

Look at the detail on the walls and ceiling!

English Jacobean Hall, 1603-1649. Probably my favorite room in this collection. The ceiling, the walls...

The window and windowseat...

The dog by the fireplace... I could see myself using this room a lot if it were real.

Italian Dining Room, c. 1500. The objects featured in this room come from a variety of sources and represent Thorne's skill as a designer. The wooden shutters, corner chimneypiece, and decorated ceiling beams are inspired by room found in the famous 14th-century Davanzetti Palace in Florence, Italy. The silver on the table and sideboard came from antique shops in Rome and Florence, and the tiny straw-wrapped wine bottle is from Orvieto, a small Italian town that sits on top of a hill known for its wine. Thorne found two rare pieces of needlework, seen on the back wall, in Vienna, Austria. The two chests beneath the tapestries were Thorne's only attempt at woodcarving.

Detail from the Italian dining room.

Even though the photo quality was very poor, I hope you were able to see how incredible these miniature rooms are. Next Wednesday, I'll conclude our virtual tour with a stroll through the Western American art wing of the museum.

A Visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, Part Two

Last week, I began a virtual tour for you of the Phoenix Art Museum. That first part was a general look at the museum, but I want to concentrate a bit on some of the individual exhibitions. This week, I'll share a few photos of Expanding Darshan: Manjari Sharma, To See and Be Seen. Since I've been reading mysteries set in India, this exhibit turned out to be one of my favorites, and I hope you'll enjoy looking at some of the pieces, too.

Let's get started!

I took my time wandering around the exhibition, enjoying Sharma's photographs and the artifacts that were included.

Denis enjoyed the exhibit, too.

Ganesha is probably my favorite Hindu god.

Lord Ganesha from the Darshan Series, 2011. Artist: Manjari Sharma.

Seated Four-Armed Ganesha, God of Success and Abundance, 12th century. Java, Indonesia.

Saraswati Riding Her Sacred Hamsa Waterbird. Wood. 19th-20th century. Bali, Indonesia.

From the Expanding Darshan Exhibit.

Ritual Crown with Garuda Motif. 19th or early 20th century. Hammered and pierced brass. Bali, Indonesia. The extended wings and hooked beak of the sacred Garuda bird is showcased at the back of this crown, signaling the wearer is an embodiment of Vishnu. Crowns like this are worn by grooms and appear in Balinese theater, where they are worn by dancers and also depicted in the famed wayang kulit plays that feature shadow puppets and marionettes.

Maa Kali from the Darshan Series, 2013. Chromogenic print, brass embossed frame. Artist: Manjari Sharma. Standing amid corpses on a battlefield, the goddess Kali wears the severed heads and arms of those she has vanquished. These may be demons or aspects of the ego that must be controlled to attain the ultimate release.

This second part of my virtual tour seems to have ended on a rather grisly note, but I have to say that the exhibit was fascinating and filled with information and color.

December 2023 at the Heard Museum

Denis and I have been wanting to see this new exhibition at the Heard Museum since it opened in September. Finally, all the stars aligned so we could get there, and it was worth the wait. Join me on a little tour!

 Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Ojibwa bandolier bag from Lake of the Woods, c. 1900. Beadwork on fabric.

Denis was enjoying himself, too.

"Wedding at Sodom," 2017. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Kent Monkman.

"Girl with Dreams," 1983. Oil on canvas. Artist: Arthur Shilling.

"The Bureaucratic Supremist," 1975. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Alex Janvier.

"Bear Feeding," 1975. Acrylic on canvas. Artist: Blake Debassige.

Gallery view.

"COVID-19 Mask No. 8," 2020. Glass beads, mask, thread, backing. Artist: Ruth Cuthand. When COVID-19 made landfall in Canada, Cuthand reflected on historic epidemics that devastated indigenous communities. This mask is an acknowledgment of those historic losses and of the inequities in health care that persist in Indigenous communities today.

Top: Great Lakes First Nation Wampum belt, c. 1770. Bottom: Sash, c. 1770-80.

Wampum belt closeup. Tubular white whelk-shell beads and purple quahog clamshell beads, woven in seven rows on a warp of red ochre-stained leather thongs.

Fox Tail Moccasins, 2016. Found shoes, Arctic fox tails and fur, capacitors, light-emitting diodes, resistors, glass beads, porcupine quills, rooster feathers, dyed split feathers, tin cones, white heart trade beads, plastic pony beads, satin edge bias, mother-of-pearl buttons, synthetic porcupine hair, cotton thread, rope, metal, wooden shoe lasts. Artist: Barry Ace.

 

The tour must come to an end, but we've barely scratched the surface. Join me next Wednesday when I share more photos of the exhibit!

Summer Reading

 

Deborah DeWit's "Summer"

Some October Book Art

 

Miles Hyman's "Girl Reading in Lawn"

This painting is reminiscent of the art in a graphic novel, and so many things about it pull me right in. Of course, there's the girl lying on her back in the deep grass reading a book. That brings back so many memories. Growing up in central Illinois, even the weather turning cooler at this time of year wouldn't keep me from lying on the ground to read a book. Of course, I'd undoubtedly be wearing a sweatshirt and lying on an old blanket.

Then there's the mystery of what she's reading. Whenever I see someone with a book, I always want to know the book's title.

Then there's that rather sinister-looking tower of evergreens looming over her and casting shadows across the grass.

 

And how about that house? That house looks as though it's watching the girl reading her book... and it looks like it holds more than one secret.

 

I love paintings that fire up my imagination, don't you?

Some Book Lover's Art

 

"Three Friends" by David Hettinger

How could I resist sharing this when I've spent so many peaceful, happy hours with two of the best sorts of friends anyone can have-- books and furry companions? (Although I have to admit that my furry lap buddies were dogs and rabbits!)

Art in a Highland Garden

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned seeing a painting that transported me to a magical time. I got sidetracked by doppelgängers and the like, but now I'm back on track to share the experience with you.

Here's the painting that jarred loose the memory.

"Summertime" by Joseph Farquharson

 

I would have found this painting by the Scottish artist evocative anyway because I love trees and I love reading outside. What got my juices flowing is the fact that the tree the young woman is leaning against reminds me of one that's in the gardens of Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, so it's fitting that Farquharson is a Scot. Let me show you the tree.

Tree in the Dunvegan Castle garden

Denis and I spent a week in the Laundry Cottage, a snug stone house across a narrow finger of Loch Dunvegan from the castle itself. It was a thrill to open the curtains every morning to see the sun shining on the castle walls. I watched rabbits at play, oyster catchers looking for food, rainbows arching high over the castle... that entire week was magic.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was the time I spent exploring the gardens. A little robin followed me all over the kitchen garden that had espaliered fruit trees on its stone walls. The kitchen garden was a lovely sun trap. But the magic didn't really start until I found myself in the major part of the garden. 

There were waterfalls. A stream running down a ravine that led to the sea loch. Lovely early spring flowers. (Primroses and daffodils to name just two.) The ravine ran down the middle of the garden and was crossed by small bridges. After I had explored my fill, I found a sheltered bench and sat down to absorb my surroundings. I had a book with me, but I got very little reading done. The occasional paying guest would wander through, and I shared the space with a busy gardener who smiled and let me enjoy the tranquility.

 

It started to rain, that soft Scottish rain that you hear about. I've learned the hard way that there are two types of "soft Scottish rain": one is the sneaky type that you don't even feel until you're drenched. The second type is sneaky, too, but it's so slight that there's no real reason for you to take shelter. In fact, the only way you notice it at all is if a tiny rain drop speckles a lens of your glasses. Fortunately, the rain I experienced that day was the second, and I stayed where I was. 

I fell in love with that tree in the Dunvegan Castle gardens, that big, old tree with its carpet of daffodils in the dappled sunshine. Those hours are held fast in my memory, and it takes very little to bring them to the surface.

Another Artful Doppelgänger

Last week, I showed you a painting by James Tissot of a gentleman that bore an uncanny resemblance to my husband. This week, I thought I'd share another doppelgänger with you. Take a look at this painting--

The Reader by Ferdinand Heilbuth, 1856

 

Does it remind you of anyone?

How about the actor Elijah Wood who portrayed Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies?

Elijah Wood

I still hope that, if I do have a doppelgänger, she's in an old painting somewhere!