Seattle Art Museum
As you probably know by now, one of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit art museums. Although I have a low tolerance for the amount of time I spend in a museum, I usually go for about two hours and let my feet be my guide, leaving the museum map behind after getting a cursory sense of the layout.
I mentioned in an earlier post how the hostel I was staying in was close to absolutely everything.That was also true for my museum fix, as the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) was only a five-minute walk away.
This was my second museum in a row that featured giant animals that typically inspire fear in humans even at a small size. In this case, the artist was working in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. On the other hand, I love (pet) rats, so I had a more positive reaction to this sculpture than most, probably.
During my visit, there was also a tour group of teenagers in the museum, which made the experience a bit louder and more crowded in the galleries, but not around the art in most cases. I saw the same situation multiple times where a student, or a small group of them, would be staring down at their phone screens, while in a gallery surrounded by art. I experienced a bit of angst for the human condition right there. Then, I wondered what I would have been doing at their age, and lightened up a bit. Still, I do think there is an addictive quality to our smartphones that is real and hard to combat.
I was also very pleased to have the opportunity to view not one, but three major installations by African-American artists. Museum galleries are playing catch-up in underrepresented artists of all kinds (women, queer, people of color, all of the above), and to see some really impressive works by these artists was a great reminder of the talent that is out there, regardless of the form of the creator. Here is an example of one of my favorite works:
The final spot of note for me in the museum was an interactive exhibition that was supposed to make you a more empathetic human. The installation claimed it was specially curated with finds from the entire museum's collection, and included a soundscape and unusual lighting. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be serious or tongue in cheek, or maybe both. I did spend a while in the room because it felt good, which may have been the point.
Tired but happy, I rolled out of there and headed back to the hostel.
I mentioned in an earlier post how the hostel I was staying in was close to absolutely everything.That was also true for my museum fix, as the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) was only a five-minute walk away.
This was my second museum in a row that featured giant animals that typically inspire fear in humans even at a small size. In this case, the artist was working in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. On the other hand, I love (pet) rats, so I had a more positive reaction to this sculpture than most, probably.
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| Mann und Mouse, Katarina Fritsch |
I was also very pleased to have the opportunity to view not one, but three major installations by African-American artists. Museum galleries are playing catch-up in underrepresented artists of all kinds (women, queer, people of color, all of the above), and to see some really impressive works by these artists was a great reminder of the talent that is out there, regardless of the form of the creator. Here is an example of one of my favorite works:
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| one in a series created by Kerry James Marshall |
Tired but happy, I rolled out of there and headed back to the hostel.
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| My favorite piece of the day: Sum by Alfonso Ossorio |
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