The Phoenix Art Museum with Karen

As I've mentioned in the recent past, Karen and I did manage to get out and about while she was here. I wasn't about to let her come all the way from England for hospital visits only, and Denis felt the same way, bless 'im.

One of the places we visited was the Phoenix Art Museum. I did have an ulterior motive. The last time Denis and I had been there, I didn't manage to take a look at the Fashion exhibits wing. I've been interested in fashion since I was a teenager. I'm not quite sure why because I've very seldom ever wanted to wear any of it, and I even think that most of it is silly. But... fashion does have its place in history, and I think that's the reason for my interest. Visiting with Karen made more sense this time because I know that Denis would not have the slightest interest in fashion!

The Phoenix Art Museum has expanded over the years. The main branch of the Phoenix Public Library used to be right next-door, but when it moved further down Central Avenue to a spiffy new building, the art museum could expand. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the building. The layout is confusing even with a map, but Karen and I muddled through and saw everything that we wanted to see. Come join us!

"Landscape" 1986, found and prepared weathered wood. Artist: George Morrison

Detail. This piece fascinated me.

Karen and I really liked this. Too bad I couldn't find the name of it anywhere!

Detail

One area I'd missed on a previous trip was Fashion in the Katz Wing of the museum. This is a court gown made in 1765.

"Egg" minaudiere with coin purse, comb, and mirror. Made by Judith Leiber in 1988.

Detail. I want one!

Fashions from the late 19th century

The Roaring Twenties

I don't know why I've always been fascinated by fashion; I've certainly never wanted to wear it. Well... maybe a Fortuny gown or something by Worth when I was skinny! Karen and I both had our eyes on the Fortuny gown.

Fortuny gown. Custom-dyed silk velvet jacket made in 1934. The "Delphos" gown made of crystal pleated silk satin with Murano glass beads and a belt of silk satin stenciled with metallic "flowers" from the 1920s. Those pleats were revolutionary.

Right: A silk chiffon dress made in 1973 by Halston. Left: a matte silk jersey hand-pleated and hand-stitched gown and stole by Madame Gres in the 1960s.

Halston detail. I wouldn't mind one of these to go along with the Fortuny.

A WOOL exercise suit, 1890s-1900. Makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about exercising in that thing here in Phoenix!

A "Tiffany Window" gown by Mary McFadden, 1992

Detail

Detail

As you can see, I focused on fashion more than art because many of the art pieces Karen and I saw I'd already shared in previous posts. (One. Two. Three. Four.) I made myself be circumspect with how many photos I shared from the Fashion wing. I wasn't sure how many of you would be interested.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit! Next time, you can come along with Karen and me on our visit to the Heard Museum.

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.

A Visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, Part One

When you have cabin fever but the weather isn't exactly cooperating, you start looking for indoor places to explore. That's how Denis and I came to visit the Phoenix Art Museum. When you become members of places like the Desert Botanical Garden or the Phoenix Zoo, every other place in town starts sending you temptations via USPS. When Denis received one from the Phoenix Art Museum, we decided to book a trip on Dial-a-Ride and check the place out.

Denis had never been there, and the last time I'd visited had been in the early 1980s when a fantastic exhibit of world famous Impressionist art came to town. At that time, there were two buildings on site: the museum and the main branch of the Phoenix Public Library. The library moved to a brand-new (and much larger) building further south on Central Avenue, so the Phoenix Art Museum could then take over the site and expand. And expand it did! 

On that long-ago visit of mine, there were only two things the museum had that grabbed my attention, the fabulous Thorne Rooms and a portrait painted by one of my favorites, 18th-century French portraitist, Élizabeth Vigée LeBrun. Now the museum is on three different levels and has a lot more to offer, so much in fact, that Denis and I couldn't get to all of it in one visit. (You know what that means.)

Let me start you on a virtual tour of the museum. I hope you enjoy it.

Denis zipping past the Museum Shop. Somehow, both of us managed to stay out of there; however, I won't be responsible for what happens on future visits!

Denis and I didn't have time to check out this particular exhibit. Another reason for us to come back.

from The World Stage: Brazil Series, "Marechal Floriano Peixote". (2009) Artist: Kehinde Wiley. This one was so dynamic that it seemed to jump off the wall and smack me in the face.

"Another Sioux Chief" (1979) Artist: Fritz Scholder.

"Roma". Glazed earthenware. (1984) Artist: Betty Woodman.

Shoes and buckles c. 1775, Great Britain. Silk brocade with silk edging; cut steele beads.

Closeup of buckle. This reminds me that I also want to go back to wander through the fashion design wing.

I was so pleased to see two paintings by Élizabeth Vigée LeBrun. This is her "Portrait of Madame Victoire"

"In Order to Forget" (1996) Artist: Kcho. "Explores the plight of the balseros, or those who departed on makeshift rafts to seek political asylum in the US. Here, a homemade kayak shaped from fiberglass balances precariously on a sea of beer bottles. The surface of the boat's shell resembles human skin that has been parched by the sun. The beer bottles suggest that inebriation at home might offer an alternate form of survival to risking passage across the Atlantic Ocean."

A selection from the display of cameos.

Posters from artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Mucha.

The lighting was horrible here. "Defend Yourself, Cabrón" (1995) Artist: Michael Cajero. Made from gift wrap and aluminum wire.

 

 

I'll end here. In the weeks to follow, I'll share the Thorne Miniature Rooms as well as exhibit of art from India and Western American art. I hope you've enjoyed this first part of the tour!