Posts Tagged ‘Museum’
Mosaic Inspiration: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Several weeks ago we were on our way to see the new installation of Islamic art at MMA when we lost our way, if only temporarily. This detour turned out to be a bonus because I stumbled upon the beautiful black and white mosaics in the great hall of the Greek and Roman Department that I had forgotten about. Not only are the rugs elegant and graceful, but rendering them in black and white, set in a nearly solid black field, makes them feel both modern and traditional and classically timeless. We discovered they were installed in the 1920′s.
Each rug is different but represents stylistic inspirations from the Hellenistic period. Individual design elements from borders to corners to the center motifs are rendered in very small tesserae. The most graphic mosaic rug uses classical design elements from architecture such as a bold Celtic knot enclosed within a square. Similar early rugs used squares and rectangles based on the paneling of coffered ceilings. Each rug is bordered by the same scallop design.
On another mosaic rug, the central element is organic with a frame of individual parallelograms. This is a complex but open design, surprisingly three dimensional. In this 1920′s interpretation, the design is simplified from the ancient which might have included patterns of hexagons, octagons and systems of large and small squares.
The circle rug has organic representations, vegetal and floral forms—some in a tracery style—scrolls, and the ever present scallop border. This all over meandering pattern was first noted around the 1st century AD. None of the rugs at the MET has a particular orientation so they are dynamic where ever you stand in the space. The 20′s artisans invented a bold and original interpretation of ancient mosaics.
And, finally, the most complex rug has an organic field and a fluid arrangement of geometric shapes. It seems that themes in the rug were developed from early polychrome mosaics, but in this case were formed from a broader repertoire borrowed from stucco relief work on walls and ceilings.
It is visually dynamic to experience these rugs in person. I bring them to your attention as inspiration for custom mosaic rugs that you might want to create yourself. Any single design element would make a beautiful rug; though layering designs themes is very beautiful if carefully composed. The two color composition makes this ancient technique feel fresh and new.
Barbara
Tags: Inspiration, Metropolitan, Mosaic, Museum
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Museum Exhibit: Crafting Modernism
Monday, January 16th, 2012
Several weeks ago I took the time while in New York to go to the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) to see the CRAFTING MODERNISM exhibit. The museum, formerly the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (MCC) and later the American Craft Museum (ACM) still retains its original vision by creating exhibits to examine and celebrate American craft in the 20th century. It charts the bold new direction in craft media from the postwar period through the mid 60′s, showing a range of works from the strictly functional but studio made, to beautiful objects integrated into the factory with the designer-craftsman serving as the bridge between hand and machine.
What makes this exhibition so special is that in our technological age the handmade object has become an important expression of individuality. It is also a tribute to the innumerable galleries, journals, conferences and fairs that promoted the studio craft movement; the artists who were willing to develop new techniques with their chosen materials and take advantage of technical advancements. It also acknowledges a group of individuals with vision and energy to support and promote these craftspeople. The influence of craftspeople spread with their participation in international exhibitions with pieces that went outside of traditional boundaries to show work of great originality and energy.
Many of the earliest craftspeople brought a modernist perspective to their art that was shaped by the Bauhaus; for example Joseph and Anni Albers worked to unify art, craft and industry. There was a fine group of artists from Denmark working in metals and ceramics. A crafts lifestyle attracted a small group who wanted self employment and small scale production as a means to being self sufficient. They could work independently or collaboratively, teach, or team with industry where the “designer-craftsman” could create objects with mass production capabilities.
Today the studio craft movement is a vital part of the world art scene. This exhibit and the MAD celebrate artists who have taken their materials to new frontiers. All of the objects are beautifully staged and many of the pieces are awe inspiring. I have included pictures of a few of my favorites, some that are familiar to all of us.
Try not to miss CRAFTING MODERNISM.
Barbara Sallick
Tags: Crafting, Exhibit, Modernism, Museum
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Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Robert and I have long been collectors of 18th century American decorative arts. The urge to collect started with a modest wedding gift of a colonial “dry sink” that functioned as a bar, became a baby changing table (for a second generation too), and finally, storage for toys. However, that gift started us on a lifelong passion for collecting American antiques. At first our purchases were modest, chosen simply to furnish our home. But our curiosity about more authentic objects and a higher level of craftsmanship led to visiting countless antiques shows and museums, building lifelong friendships with other collectors and dealers and a job at the Yale Art Gallery.
Museums hold the incredible promise of teaching moments. They are the repository of some of the finest furniture, objects and paintings of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and great places for self education. Starting with the initiatives of Charles Montgomery at the Yale University Art Gallery, museums began to look at the parts of a piece of furniture to understand the key to the whole. Charles wanted to demonstrate the difference between a “better” piece and a “masterpiece”. As museum exhibitions are updated and new technology is available, many of the most recent museum exhibits are working to educate the general museum-going public about our incredible American craftsmanship heritage.
Recently, as part of our continuing education, Robert and I went to the 2010 addition to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, designed by Foster and Partners, to see their newly installed American collections in the Art of the Americas Wing. Some old favorites were back on display looking refreshed after their 3 year hiatus. Of course there were many incredible paintings by John Singleton Copley, silver by Paul Revere, some great Goddard and Townsend furniture and a period room demonstrating new scholarship. There are several wonderful architectural doorways and many opportunities to look at similar furniture with different but subtle regional details that determine whether a piece is fine or memorable. (I might add there is a world of difference between the two.)
The museum looks great and it was wonderful to experience our favorite pieces in new settings with better lighting and, in some cases, with new upholstery. Kudos to the MFA and its curators for a job well done.
I apologize for my pictures, all taken with an iPhone. The light does not amplify the amazing qualities in any of the objects. All the more reason to take a trip to the museum yourself.
Barbara
bsallick@waterworks.com
Tags: Fine, Museum
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