This was a monumental week here at Paint the Town(s), as we had a day-long excursion to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which could be called the greatest place for art in these fair Twin Cities.
I brought along none other than my wonderful Grandma, as we have a long history of mischief at the MIA, and it just wouldn't feel right without her.
To cover all of the wondrous art at the MIA in one day would be impossible, so we'll cover some highlights: selected pieces of art from five different periods/areas, the Dia de los Muertos ofrendas, the Michael Graves exhibit, and some other special exhibitions currently at the MIA.
The MIA is home to collections of art from a vast amount of different time periods and ethnicities, and attempting to cover an adquate cross section in a blog post is almost impossible, but we'll start with an artifact from the Asmat peoples of Papua, New Guinea, called a "Bis Pole".
I chose this piece for a couple of different reasons, the first being the beautiful wood it is constructed of, and the wonderful craftsmanship shown in the carving of the wood. The Bis Pole is tall, more than twice my height, and is carved to represent three human figures, standing on top of one another, with the topmost holding a section of wood carved into an intricate design.
The second reason why I chose this piece was the description. Bis Poles come from the Asmat tradition of needing to avenge the deaths of important members so that their spirits will rest. The Asmat then conduct a ceremony wherein they symbolically hunt down and kill a mangrove tree, which is then carved to represent the lost members, and another ceremony, this one of a battle, is performed to release the spirits. During our visit, we encountered multiple pieces of art that are created to address death among different cultures, and this one was definitely interesting. To see and read more about the Bis Pole, click here.
Moving on, we travel (in spirit) to West Africa, to the former Kingdom of Benin. In the African collection, we found an amazing carved ivory tusk, called "Tusk". The Tusk is fantastic - I don't think that I had ever seen a whole elephant tusk in person before. It is quite big, and covered in carvings, depicting a number of different characters. I liked it because of the size and carvings (I apparently liked carved things), but also because of the texture. I always imagine ivory as impeccably smooth and white, but the tusk is very old and weathered, the color is more of a grayish-beige, and the surface is covered in tiny cracks throughout, giving it a texture almost like weathered wood, and a very interesting depth. The carvings are also quite interesting. The entire surface is covered with figures of differing types, and I couldn't help but wonder at the time and skill it took to carve such figures into an entire tusk. The tusk itself is a relic from an ancestral shrine of an Oba, a ruler of Benin, or an Ezomo, a high-ranking noble in Benin. The different figures represent certain people or groups of people, and the entire carving depicts a historical event. It gives an interesting glance into a society from long ago. To see it, or read more about the carvings, click here.
One of my favorite pieces at the MIA is a piece of Tibetan art, a "Yamantaka Sand Mandala", by the Monks of the Gyuto Tantric University. I love Tibetan Sand Mandalas, they are powerful and delicate, full of vibrant color and elaborate designs, and pulsing with densely packed energy and meaning. The ceremony of construction - and subsequent destruction - of a sand mandala is incredibly moving. Tibetan sand mandalas are handmade by Tibetan Buddhist Monks over an intense period of prayer, meditation, and construction, and then are swept away, symbolizing the fleeting quality of life.
Anyways, this Mandala is fantastic. It is huge, spanning an entire wall, a riot of color and design. Due to the tradition of destroying sand mandalas after they have been created means that this is the first I have seen in person, and it certainly awe-inspiring. Thanks to the kindness of the Gyuto Monks and the science of 3M, we are able to experience this one. According to the MIA, "With the consent of the monks, who created the work onsite, 3M scientists formulated fade-resistant colored silicates and a special adhesive, thereby preserving the work for centuries to come." Every mandala signifies many things, this one included. To see a picture of the Yamantaka Sand Mandala, and to read all about all the symbols, click here.
Art takes many forms, and one of the greatest art forms to come out of the Islamic culture is incredibly beautiful calligraphy. For a large part of Islamic tradition, artistic representations of graven images, or anything created by God or Allah, were against religious guidelines, and so a wonderful cultural tradition of art in calligraphy and design was cultivated. This is especially true in the artistic calligraphy found in the Koran (Qur'an), and can be seen in the Islamic art collection, especially in the piece titled "Page from the Koran in Kufic Script", from Persia (now Iran), created during the 10th century Abbasid dynasty. I liked the style of the calligraphy. The Kufic script is more stiff and angular than other Islamic styles, and I really appreciate the asthetic of it. Also, it was impressive how different colors that edge the lines of the calligraphy are used to denote different linguistic and reading or verse meanings. Visually speaking, the piece showed exemplary craftmanship, and the accents of color and symbols highlighting the script were beautiful. To see the page, and to read about the meanings of the calligraphy, click here.
Another form art can take is one I really appreciate, that of functional art. We will cover more examples from the Michael Graves exhibit, but the MIA has a fantastic collection of Prairie School arts and design, and many pieces from the Prairie School combine both. I am personally a huge lover of the Prairie School (and prairies in general). It was borne from an idea of authentic and functional American design and architecture that incorporated both beauty and the needs of modern Americans. The MIA's Prairie School collection houses many examples of this style of design, including decorative panels, fireplaces, dining tables, chairs, windows and skylights, lights, even a section of a house and models of others. In fact, the MIA owns a Prairie School house in Minneapolis that is open for tours (If anyone wants to go check it out with me, I'm game!). I think everything there is great, but I focused on a Dining Chair, made by George Grant Elmslie for Purcell and Feick, Prairie School architects. The Prairie School placed great emphasis on natural products, and great design emphasis on organic-inspired abstract ornaments and motif. This chair (and the corrosponding dining set) combines these essentials, using a sawed-wood technique to display organic design, to stunning effect. It is a beautiful piece that combines both aesthetic and function. To see the set, and read more about the history behind it, click here.
Moving on, on the first level of the museum, past the cafe and down a hallway, lies the education corridor, which currently houses Dia de los Muertos ofrendas. I have to pause here, just to say that I love Dia de los Muertos, the celebration, the meaning, the decorations, everything about it. Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to celebrate and revisit the dead. The main focal point in decorations are ofrendas, or offerings, usually in an altar, to the dead, and celebrating their life. These ofrendas are special, as they were created by students of El Colegio, in wooden crates, meant to represent the Latio immigrant lives. These ofrendas were handmade and personalized by the individual students and their experiences. They are a unique form of artistic expression, as one must use all their creative powers to represent the essence of a person and a life that once was. To find out more about the ofrendas, see videos of their creation, and pictures, click here.
Next, we trekked across the courtyard to the Target Wing to explore the Michael Graves exhibit, where I learned that the Target Wing itself was designed by Graves.
The exhibition is "From Towers to Teakettles: Michael Graves Architecture and Design", and showcases the all-encompassing works of Michael Graves. Graves is a reknowned designer, and his work has covered everything, well, as the exhibition says, from towers to teakettles. He is well-known for his partnership with Target stores, and some of his products, including kettles, toasters, and a chess set from his Target line are featured. In addition to household products, the exhibit also features jewelry and accessibility products for the disabled, and the products of his architectural design firm. Graves was born in 1934, and his career has covered more than 40 years. Most of the works featured here is from the last few decades. All of his work has a distinct look to it, a certain aura of whimsy, yet influenced by the German Bauhaus initiative, to improve design of everyday objects by way of simplification and abstraction. His household objects, while quite whimisical and abstract looking, have an uncomplicated design and straightforward operation. His buildings have the same look and feel, yet on a much larger scale. Graves has an understanding of architecture as a cultural continum, of not being buildings that are fixed in time and design, but something to be built onto and transformed over the years. His large-scale, corporate, governmental, and civic buildings can be found all across the world. In his home design, I think, is where it all comes together. Graves envisioned a complete and encompassing design, that not only shapes the house but the things inside it. His designs were based on domesticity, and encompassed planning, architecture, interior design, and product design all in one. To read more about his work and to see pictures, click here.
There are many exhibitions currently running at the MIA, and it's so difficult to fit them all in. Thanks to my Grandma, we did explore The Louvre and the Masterpiece exhibit, even with an audio tour! However, that's a whole other post. Ask me about it sometime.
One exhibit that I was impressed by was the "iAfrica: Connecting with Sub-Saharan Art" exhibition in the Cargill Gallery. It featured an array of objects from many places in Africa, some decorative, some functional, some spiritual. I have to admit, I was first drawn to the exhibit by the impressive and extensive "Power Figure" (click here) displayed at the entrance. However, the exhibition was intriguing, as it is a different, more modern type of art experience. Instead of being a removed viewer, one is encouraged to become engaged with the objects from different perspectives, and is guided by questions: What makes it beautiful? How was it used? How does it feel, sound, smell? How old is it? How did it get here? In addition to all this, the exhibit also featured different types of interactive media. The pieces were fascinating, beautiful, interesting, and more, but the form of the exhibition took the experience to a much more engaged level. Seeing a handmade tribal instrument is interesting, but seeing it and then watching and listening to a video of it being played in a tribal celebration is an impressive way to engage with the art. To learn more about the iAfrica exhibition, and to see pictures, click here or here.
The MIA is an impressive work of art in itself. It is a traditional monumental art museum, filled with impressive soaring celings and open spaces, beautiful and stately. It is vast and unending, housing a collection it would take a week to view. This size and scope allows the museum to have works from cultures all around the world, and to range through time periods of thousands of years. I've always loved the MIA for many reasons, but it truly is amazing to have a place that holds such an extensive representation of the cultures and histories of the world. The monumental works fit into the monumental space perfectly, giving them room to be taken in without clutter or crowding, and the curation is so fantastic, every piece seems to be fit into the perfect space for it.
I also love the lions.
-Catherine
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