2/12

I had a chance to see some art last Thursday as I went to the MFA in Boston for the first time since the residency. I decided to look at Contemporary Outlook: German Photography again and came away as unimpressed as I did when I saw it back in the summer. With the exception of a photo by Andreas Gursky and the usual by the Becher's, nothing stayed with me at all. It all felt academic and unemotional. Just because something is enormous doesn't mean it's interesting.

I also got a chance to view the SMFA Traveling Scholars show which featured six paintings by Laurel Sparks, which I enjoyed.

There was also a smaller show called Drawing a Broader Definition which was really cool. It had the obvious drawings on paper, but also drawings on ceramics and other art forms which incorporated drawing. I liked the idea of putting a number of different uses of drawing all together in one exhibit.

The best thing I saw was Rhythms of Modern Life: British Prints 1914-1939. A wonderful collection of posters, advertisements, linocuts etc that were just beautiful. I particularly liked the Futurist prints of factory workers and some others about World War 1 which were terrifying. If you've ever read any of Pat Barker's World War 1 trilogy (Regeneration, The Eye in the Door, The Ghost Road) you will never think of war, or World War 1 in the same way again.

The following day I had my eyes (instead of my head) examined and afterwards I ducked into the Fogg Museum. I particularly loved the sculptures in the Modern Art, 1865-1965 exhibit; especially Matisse's 'The Serf' and Brancusi"'s 'Caryatid II'. There were also tremendous pieces by Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly (I thought of Stuart), Miro, Franz Kline, Braque, Pollock and Alberto Burri.

In addition there was a small exhibit of Max Beckman paintings which were great.