Tuesday, April 13, 2010

MOMA and the Anti-Barnes

We spent Sunday at the Barnes Foundation and Monday at MOMA.  After experiencing the two back to back, our whole family agrees that we prefer the Barnes.  The audio tour at the Barnes is awesome.  The MOMA one was uneven--much of the commentary sounded like filler.

But, the food is much better at MOMA.  (There is no food at the Barnes.)  Get the beet salad or the flourless chocolate torte.

I thought the water lilies gallery and the Henri Cartier Bresson exhibit were packed.  But it was a mob scene in the Tim Burton exhibit.  (Is that controversial?  Can't Disney afford to put on their own shows?)

It was still a good day because Iris and I shared a bonding moment in the permanent collection when we viewed the repeated stacked cubes.  We had previously discussed perspective* (1 and 2-point perspective) and vanishing points.  This artwork blew the vanishing point beyond infinity.  It was so witty, we loved it. 

And I know that mother love is supposed to be unconditional, but I loved her a little more because she got down on her knees at the end of the line of cubes and told me about the way the perspective bends reality.

* We were discussing it in the context of David Hockney's revelation that the great masters used camera obscuras.  Which then led to a discussion about multiple vanishing points in paintings painted from life (over multiple sessions) and a single vanishing point when paintings are made from photos.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fabulous day. How lucky Iris is to have all these wonderful experiences and you to guide her.

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  2. The Tim Burton exhibit was mobbed when I was there as well, but I still enjoyed it through the crowds... And yes, I'm a big fan of the food.

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