The Museum of Modern Art in New York City reopened in October 2019 after a massive expansion and refresh. A walk through the reorganized galleries is full of beloved favorites and many surprises, all of them pleasant.
Pilgrimage: Seeing Monkman at the Met
Kent Monkman’s monumental mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People)—a diptych of large scale paintings exploring themes of art and identity—is on display in the bustling Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Public Art: Seesaws in Manhattan
A midtown block has become an impromptu playground with the installation of this interactive public art piece. The interaction? Pure play.
Graffiti on the Streets: Montreal
Spotted in St-Henri neighborhood, 2012. One of the best sign mods I’ve ever seen.
Roy Lichtenstein "Portable Radio" at SF MoMA
Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein is probably most recognized for his paintings that incorporated comic book sensibilities to (very expensive) fine art. I stumbled across this sculptural work in the permanent collection at SF MoMA.
Graffiti on the Street: Box Vincent in Montreal
A doorway-sized piece on Ste-Catherine in Montreal, around the Under Pressure festival, August 2019, by calligrapher Box Vincent.
Barry Ace Moccasins at the National Gallery of Canada
Barry Ace mixes traditional forms and techniques with very modern materials into beautiful, timely, thought-provoking objects.
Jenny Holzer: at the Aria in Las Vegas
Jenny Holzer’s work centers on words—the feelings and ideas they can evoke—and over the years it’s grown more sophisticated at incorporating technology to expand beyond the constraints of the printed page and static sign. This dazzling installation stretches over the valet parking station of an upscale hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Graffiti on the Street: Ghent Gallery
There’s nothing like the feeling of walking around and stumbling across a pocket of street art. Here’s a gallery of one such place in Ghent, Belgium, from 2015.
Caillebotte's "Floor Scrapers" at the Musée D'Orsay
A surreptitious contraband photo of the gorgeous "Les raboteurs de parquet” (The Floor Scrapers) by Gustave Caillebotte, at the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, 2012.
Graffiti in the Streets: Cranio in São Paolo
Graffiti by Cranio—in the wild—in São Paolo. August 2011.
Schipol Clock: Maarten Baas "Real Time" Installation
At Schipol Airport in Amsterdam is the Maarten Baas “real time” clock—designed to look like a worker is painting the minute hands as time passes.
196 Nations in Order of Size
Jason St. Laurent’s piece for the opening of the expanded Ottawa Art Gallery when it opened in 2018. It is made up of the countries of the world stacked in order of size.
Graffiti on the Streets: Tijuana
Graffiti seen in Tijuana, Mexico, August 2018
Yayoi Kusama's "Let's Survive Forever" Infinity Mirrored Room at the AGO
Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms are compelling and lovely, but challenging to exhibit and enjoy. By definition one requires a period of time in a closed space to enjoy the effect. I got to experience this one, “Let’s Survive Forever,” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, October 2019.
Karel Appel at the Rijksmusuem
Three lovely Karel Appel paintings at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Mr Pacha in Panama City
A graffiti piece I saw in Panama City, by artist Mr Pacha
Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War
Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of Wars” stopped in Times Square for a spell before moving to its permanent home. Ambitious, exuberant, timely.
Graffiti on the Streets: Montreal
Street corner in Montreal—August 2015
Remembering John Baldessari (born in 1931, died January 2, 2020
John Baldessari (1931 to 2020) was a bold, whimsical, influential artist whose work made me smile and made me think.