It's Contemporary. It's Art. And....
...it's fun!
Lest you should believe from recent postings I do not appreciate "contemporary art" I am happy to bring glad tidings. It was a balmy Culver City evening this past Saturday as BG and I devoured a scrumptious dinner at Tender Greens, proving that while Culver City has recently been invaded by trendy, expensive restaurants, there is at least one trendy, reasonably-priced restaurant in their midst. I've eaten there numerous times and never been disappointed. I always order the tuna ahi plate but next time I promise to be more adventurous. Oh, and as this blog is about art, I should say that the plate is definitely a piece of artwork. And all for ten bucks!
As it was a truly pleasant evening weather-wise we decided to walk the 1.5 miles along Washington Boulevard to the Corey Helford Gallery which was hosting an opening evening reception for "Vanity Bonfire," works by Sean Christopher. Now, I don't "get" a lot of contemporary art as those of you following my blog know by now. But I do expect it to be artistic, imaginative, creative and thoughtful. Christopher's art falls into all four categories. Do I get it? Not really. Do I love it? Not really. Would I buy it if I had the money? Not at all. But do I respect it? Yes. Do I call it art? Most definitely. But is it "good?" I don't have a clue and I don't care.
If I can remember the artist's statement that I read at the exhibit, he says he is juxtaposing elements you would not normally see together: matchsticks, shoes, cherries... so you are surprised when you see them. The gallery describes his work as "a world of hidden meanings, symbols and metaphors." I would describe it as intriguing. I don't understand it but it makes me think about what is going through the artist's mind when he is putting this all together.
And as BG remarked, the Corey Helford always puts on a good show. For this reception each table in the hosted bar area was decked out with a decorated shoe.
Altogether, a nice evening in our little ole town!

When in Phoenix
I had to drive over to Phoenix, Arizona on family business. Fortunately, KJ volunteered to ride shotgun as I would never want to drive across the desert alone. I was looking forward to visiting my 94-year-old aunt who moved into an assisted living facility but what to do the rest of the time? I had previously checked out the Pueblo Grande Museum on the internet. When we arrived at our Motel 6 we found a brochure on the Heard Museum. Both museums concentrate on Native American Indian art and culture.
Serendipitously, we decided on the Heard Museum first, located in downtown. Phoenix is in the throes of building a light rail transportation system with all the closed streets and detours you can imagine, so after driving around in a state of bewilderment for quite a while we finally found the correct parking entrance.
The building itself is delightful, designed in the Spanish style with courtyards and fountains. The exhibit spaces inside were well thought out, flowing naturally from one space to the next. Near the entrance was a spectacular 30-foot glass and clay fence by Tony Jojola, "Isleta." (Pictured, a little blurry as I couldn't use a flash.) Although all the displays were interesting, I particularly enjoyed Barry Goldwater's collection of Hopi Katsina dolls and the exhibit explaining the controversial federally run boarding school system designed to forcibly assimilate, Americanize and "civilize" American Indian children.
The next day we visited the Pueblo Grande Museum out by the airport (which, of course, led to more circumventing of the light rail construction). This is an archaeological site on an excavated 1,500 year-old Hohokam village which you can walk around on trails. The galleries house artifacts and displays of the history of the area plus an exhibit on two excavations at the nearby airport before they are covered up by runways.
I'm glad we visited the Heard Museum first as that set the stage for the Pueblo Grande. Both museums are unique in their own way which is first noticeable with the museum buildings, the Heard in a Spanish style while the Pueblo is designed to represent a truncated pyramid (hinting at the relationship between the Hohokam and Mexican cultures) and I could not suggest choosing one over the other, so I'm happy we had the time to visit both. Although I have to admit I have never been overly excited about studying the Native American cultures (my first love being the Roman Empire) I am warming to it, and this trip only added to my appreciation.
Of course, no museum trip is complete without shopping at the store. Both museums have first-rate shops. We bought American-Indian earrings at both locations and a t-shirt at the Pueblo. So, if you need to be in Phoenix for any reason, don't miss the Heard Museum or the Pueblo Grande!
(Photo copyright roslyn m wilkins)