Museum of Modern Art, NYC

 

 

I had a chance to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City. I went to take in their Fall/Winter exhibits before they closed. As always, MOMA provided a wide range of artwork to enjoy.

All in Order - Thomas Schütte (through Jan 18, 2025)

 

Thomas Schütte (b. 1954) is a German artist whose work spans several genres. He draws, sculpts, and produces architectural designs. The work at his exhibition explores this wide range. From the large statue “Father State”, that towers over the entrance to the first gallery, observing all who enter, to his proposed memorial for Alan Colas, a sailor who drowned during an over-sea race, his works explore many facets of his mind’s eye. Together, they offer a deep exploration into that mind.

Storage

Father State

Valium

Large Wall (detail)

two versions of My Grave

Drawing for Alan Colas - the tide covers and uncovers the podium

Bronze Woman No. 17

Matisse Cut-Outs (ongoing)

During the last decade of his life, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) started working in a new medium - paper cut-outs. Using white paper and gouache, a water based paint, Matisse created blocks of vibrant color. He then cut out the shapes he wanted for his artwork, laying these shaped together for the final piece. He produced framed works, designed a stained glass window, and even decorated his dining room with paper cut-outs. These three galleries are an ongoing show, representing a portion of a larger exhibit that was shown at MOA in 2014-15.

Amphitrite

Maquette for Chistmas Noel Stained Glass window

Christmas Noel

Vital Signs - Artists and the Body (through Feb 22, 2025)

Transparent Self-Portrait by Maria Lessnig

Artists have always depicted the human body in their work. In the 20th century, as styles became more abstract, so did the ways in which the body was shown. Vital Signs presents works that show the human body in abstraction, demonstrating the ways that artists use that form to explore it and the world.

Resurrections by Belkis Ayón

The history of Her Life Written Across Her Face by Margo Humphrey

Life Dances On - Robert Frank in Dialogue (through Jan 11, 2025)

Robert Frank (1924-2019) started his career as a fashion photographer. Over the years he turned his eye and his camera to New York, the city he lived in. He took pictures in the genre that today would be called “street photography.” Whether in his car, or on a bus riding through New York, he captured the life of the city.

From the series - From the Bus

From the series - From the Bus

London

Marvin Israel and Raoul Haque, Woodstock, NY

 

As always, time spent at MOMA is well rewarded with beautiful and thought provoking art. I look forward to returning for their spring shows.

Nuts and Bolts

• MOMA is located at 11 West 53rd street, NY, NY
• Admission is Adults $30/Seniors and visitors with disabilities $22/Students $17/Children 16 and under, and members are free

The National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC

 

 

Toni Morrison by Robert McCurdy

I really enjoy visiting the museums of Washington DC. A small city, DC has a multitude of history and art museums to explore. On of my favorite places is the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). I used to believe that portrait galleries were to be avoided. I thought that they were basically collections of pictures of rich people who were “important” in history, but not really interesting to me. That is not the case for the NPG.

The NPG shares my favorite museum building in DC with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The Old Patent Office Building was constructed between 1836 and 1867 in a Greek Revival style. My favorite feature of the building is its courtyard, which was given a glass roof when the museums were renovated in the early 2000’s. I love that they truly share the space, placing shows in whichever gallery is best suited to them. This means that as you walk through the building, you move back and forth between the two museums.

The NPG has many permanent exhibitions, most famously a collection of portraits of all 46 presidents of the United States. Town of the smaller permanent shows are Bravo and Champions. Bravo occupies the mezzanine over looking part of the third floor of the building. It is composed of portraits of performers of the stage and screen.

Lotte Lenya by Saul Bolsani

Leontyne Price by Bradley Phillips

Paul Robeson by Betsy Graves Rayneau

Tellulah Bankhead by Augustus John

On the other side of the this same third floor gallery, the mezzanine holds Champions, featuring portraits of athletes.

Juan Marichel by Gerald Gooch

Joe Louis by Betsy Graves Rayneau

The main exhibition space on the third floor is dedicated to portraits of famous people who have lived during the 20th and 21st centuries. The focus is not the “rich and mighty”. These are scientists and artists, writers and dancers, faces from the world of news and culture, but not necessarily the board room. 

Dashiell Hammett by Edward Biberman

Albert Einstein by Max Westfield

Merce Cunningham by Elaine de Koonig

Kathering Hepburn by Everett Raymond Kinstler

Linus Pauling by Alice Neal

The second floor of the NPG has an exhibit titled Brilliant Exiles - American Women in Paris 1900-1930 (through Feb 23, 2025). These are portraits of women who left the U.S. for France. They were looking for the freedom to live and work in ways that were not available at home due to their gender, race and/or sexual orientation.

Josephine Baker by Paul Colin

Ethel Waters by Luigi Lucioni

Gertrude Stein by Pablo Picasso

The last exhibit I visited was Fighters for Freedom. While this was actually offered by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, it fits in completely with the NPG.  Here are the portraits of people who spent their lives taking on the battle for civil and political rights. This show has now closed in DC, but will be touring the country for the next year.

John Brown by Ole Peter Hansen Balling

Carmen de Lavellade by Michele Mattei

Octavia Butler by Bisa Butler

The National Portrait Gallery offers a wide range of subjects. It strives to present a view of American history that is inclusive of many of the people and struggles that we have and are going through.

Nuts and Bolts

The National Portrait Gallery is located at 8th and G streets in Washington DC. The admission is free at all times. It is open Sat - Sun 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM. The NPG is closed on Dec. 25th.

NYC Holiday Walk

Rockefeller Center

 

Walking around a big city during holiday season is always a treat for the eyes. In New York City there are decorations around just about every corner and I had the chance to explore a few of those corners recently.

 

No visit to NYC in December is complete without a stop at Rockefeller Center, even if the the tree has not yet been lit.

 

Crews were taking down the scaffolding used to decorate the tree

 

Store windows are beautifully decorated.

Legos

Victoria's Secret

Steinway

 

 

Sometimes, it is the whole building that gets the treatment.

Cartier

Louis Vuitton

The city's markets are in full display

And don't forget to enjoy a warm drink