The Bicentennial Tapestries #2 (1975)Calder, Alexander
American, 1898-1976
42 in. x 59 in.
wool, 13/200
The Skeleton (1916)Bellows, George
American, 1882-1925
30 1/4 x 44 3/8 in.
oil on canvas
Kansas Cornfield (1933)Curry, John Steuart
American, 1897-1946
60 3/8 x 38 3/8 in.
oil on canvas
Red Brick and Shadow (ca. 2000)Lorusso, Joseph
American, born 1966
42 x 42 in.
oil on canvas
Wichita Art Museum is free on Saturday! And it is quiet and air conditioned... a perfect place to be on a sultry Saturday in Wichita. Not my usual thing, but while in the city might as well sample a little culture, it certainly couldn't hurt, right? Well I was pleasantly surprised, finding lots of different art forms, tapestries, glass, oil, sculpture, wood. Which of course raises the question, 'what is art?'
One of my favorites was the 10' high wooden piece below. The artist used found wooden pieces constructed into 11 boxes stacked and painted all black.
Nevelson, Louise
American, 1899-1988
118 x 93 x 8 in.
wood
Nevelson experimented with early conceptual art using found objects, and dabbled in painting and printing before dedicating her lifework to sculpture. Usually created out of wood, her sculptures appear puzzle-like, with multiple intricately cut pieces placed into wall sculptures or independently standing pieces, often 3-D. One of the most unique features of her work is that her figures are often painted in monochromatic black or white.~Louise Nevelson, wikipedia
At art galleries, unlike craft shows, you probably do not have many people saying - I could do that..., but there were a few that I thought the grandkids might try - and I must admit the thought did cross my mind on this one out of wood. I found it especially interesting (and doable) - all pieces of wood collected and put together, painted black - it is fun to try to identify what these pieces were in another life - like a pallet or bed post or stair rail or even clothespin. Someone with imagination like this would have a great time in the old wood shop in Georgia, just saying... which once again supports the old proverb, one man's trash is another man's treasure, or in this case, woman.
photo album HERE
