Iberoamerican Folk Art at Natural History Museum

I visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park on Sunday.  It was a rainy day and a good day to be inside.  In enjoyed my friends the dinosaur bones and the African animals in their native scenes.  I also enjoyed the current exhibit entitled "Great Masters of Iberoamerican Folk Art."  This is work from countries speaking Spanish or Portuguese in the Americas and in Europe.  I met friends there for a great stroll and discussion of our favorites.  Here are photos of some of mine:

Africa

Lions in a scene from Maswa Reserve, Tanzania

The previous occupiers of this land.

Jaguares, 2011 by Amatenango del Valle from Chiapas, Mexico

Dragon and others by Leonardo Linares Vargas, 2001, from Mexico City.

Tree paying homage tamales, 2009, by Alfonso Castillo Orta, Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico

Lion, 2008 by Manoel Gomes Da Silva "Nuca" from Tracunhaem, Pernambuco, Brazil

Chivas (multicolored buses) 2007 by Cecilia Vargas, Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
Burial of skeletons, 2001 by Alfonso Soteno Fernandez from Metepec, Mexico

Group of musicians, 1995 by Carlomagno Pedro Martinez, San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

Barrel cactus, 1999, by Hilario Alejos Madrigal, San Jose de Gracia, Mexico

Procession of Our Lady in Bethlehem, 2009 by Tater Camilo Vera Vizo, San Sebastian, Cuzco, Peru

Mask Careta, 2011 by Miguel Caraballo Garcia, Santo Tomas, Ponce, Puerto Rico

Devil Diablo (top) 2011 by Jose Gonzales, Panama
Achachi (Mask) (middle) 2009 by Edwin Alejandro Loza Huarachi, Peru
Majiganga mask, Mascard de Mojiganga, (bottom) 2011 by Jose Gonzalez, Panama

Mask Mascara 2008 by Priscilliano Candia, Altos, Cordillera, Paraguay
(Large Mask on Right)
The other masks on the left are from top to bottom by Ismael Gonzalez Lasaro, Costa Rica; Rafael Angel Gonzales Leiva, Costa Rica; Bernardo Pedro Gonzalez Paucar, Peru; Eribarto Miro Canares, 

Top Mask by Edixon Morales, 201 from Costa Rica; Bottom Mask by Melvin Gonzalez Rojas from Costa Rica 

,

Crole couple, 2011 and Pareja de criallos, 2011 by Juan Antonia Bobato Jimenez, from La Habana, Cuba

 "May 2 Firing Squad," 2010 by Elbio Gutierrez, Madrid, Spain

"Anfora" 2009 by Eduardo Elias Munoz Lora, Colombia

"Jaguar," 2008 by Ciucarte Mehinalco, Brazil; table idol, 2011 by Narciso Coca Martinez, Dominican Republic; Banco de ave (bird table) 2008 by Uruhu Mehinako, Brazil;  Ensaladera (salad bowl) 2011 by Francisco Edwin Maldonado Irizarry, Puerto Rico; Figura (mask) 2011 by Saul Perez Soler, "Guatu" from Purto Rico

Carved wooden animals by Manuel Jimenez Ramirez, Oaxaca, Mexico

Pierre Huyghe at LACMA

On Thursday of last week, I visited the Pierre Hughe exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  Huyghe was born in 1962 in Paris.  The description of the exhibit says that he creates events and encounters that upend the expectations of art.  The exhibit is a retrospective of his work with about 50 works.  Some were film and others "experiential."  The over all experience is a feeling of strange...although interesting.

A well dressed man at the entrance asked my name and he announced me to the exhibit like a butler at Downton Abbey   I roamed through light and dark spaces.  Here are pictures of a few things I saw and a couple of pictures from the web site:

"L'Expedition scintillante, Acte 1 (weather score)," 2002; snow, rain, and fog, programmed precipitation.

"Untilled (Liegender Frauenakt)," 2012, concrete case with beehive structure, wax..please use caution with the live bees.

"L'Expedition scintillante, Acte 3 (Black Ice Rink)," 2001; broken black ice rink

"Precambrian Explosion," 2014; live marine ecosystem

"Zoodram 5 (after 'Sleeping Muse' by Constantin Brancusi)," 2011 with hermit and arrow crabs

This photo from another museum shows the beehive and a dog who is also a part of the LACMA exhibit but she was resting on this day.  I did, however, experience the dog on a previous visit.  She is an Ibizan hound.  No, she is not under fed, her appearance is consistent with her breed.

Roaming through the Autry Museum

On Wednesday January 7th, 2015, I roamed through the Autry Museum to enjoy some of the permanent collection and also to see a visiting exhibition "Floral Journey: Native North American Beadwork."  The exhibit showed the various styles of the Native Americans and how the styles changed as the natives were forced to move west and into reservations that mixed several tribes.  The bead work changed with the advent of the glass beads and styles preferred by Europeans who purchased many of the items.  As the natives lost their land and livelihood, they took to making items to sell to the white folks.

Here are photos of some of the items on display:

Lakota Boots, 1860's-1890's

Ojibwe Dance Apron, 1885

Pipe Bag, Potawatomi, 1860

Vest, Eastern Sioux, 1870's

Wasco Bag, 1860's-1870's

I then roamed through the permanent collection and found some of my old favorites and items I had not seen before.  Here they are:

"Red Branch," 2007 by Deborah Butterfield, born U.S. 1949
I have seen several of the horse sculpture by this artist.  This one was made of Manzanita wood which she gathered from the ground.  It was then photographed, disassembled and sent in pieces to the foundry.  Each branch was cast in bronze, soldered back together and then finished with a patina designed to look like the rich red color of a Manzanita tree.  The description states that the artist drew from the landscape to evoke the elegant lines of a horse's body...alludes to the animal's quiet strength and close relationship to the natural environment.

"Indian Dancers With Masks," 1918 by Jan Matulka, W.S., born in Austria Hungary, 1890-1972
This painting was made by the artist who traveled to Arizona in 1917 and observed the dance rituals of the Hopi and Zuni people.

"Hopi Snake Dance" by Frank G. Applegate, U.S. 1881-1831
This dance is described as an elaborate prayer for rain.

"Passed Over," 1995 by John Valadez, U.S. born 1951.  According to the artist, "Passed Over" was designed to speak to the emerging border violence at that time.

"Los Penitentes," undated by Willard Nash, U.S. 1898-1943

"Tears of the Lord," 2005 by Paul Pletka, U.S. born 1946
The figure of Christ is shown nailed to an Aztec cross with a group of Mexican people in traditional and contemporary dress at his feet.  The description goes on to say that their disregard for the image of suffering suggests the ambivalence that European beliefs are sometimes met with Native societies.

"Crucifix," 1980 by Jose Benjamin Lopez, U.S. 1947 from New Mexico.

"Illinois Flatscape #61" 1997 by Harold Gregor U.S. Born 1929

"Quonset (Rain in August), 2002 by Keith Jacobshagen, U.S. born 1941

"Cottonwood Tree," 1945 by Georgia O'Keeffe, U.S. 1887-1986

"Leader of the Badlands Bunch" 1913 by William Robinson Leigh, U.S. 1865-1955

"Christian and Francisco," 2013 by John Sonsini, U.S. born 1950.  This painting is one of a series Los Vaqueros, portraits of Hispanic immigrants from the artist's midtown Los Angeles neighborhood.  "Day laborers who congregate throughout the city in search of work, their cowboy dress refers to the ranches and farms of their homeland.  Although they are now city dwellers, many immigrant workers still identify with this part of their personal history."

"New Mexico Peon (originally Taos Plasterer)," 1930-1942 by Ernest Blumenschein, U.S. 1874-1960.  This artist was a founder of the Taos Society of Artists in 1915 to promote Taos as an art district in rural undeveloped New Mexico.  This led to Taos becoming a tourist destination that changed the lives of the natives like this one, Epimenio Tenorio who sold his house to the artist in 1919, working thereafter as his handyman and occasional model.

"Hunting Wild Horses" 1846 by William Tylee Ranney, U.S. 1813-1957.

"Only Alkali Water," 1906 by Frederic Remington, U.S. 1861-1909

"The Future" 1985 by Allan Houser, Chiricahua Apache, 1914-1994

"Sacred Rain Arrow," 1988 cast 1991  by Allan Houser
These last two sculpture are my favorites in the museum and you can see them in the background of one another across the central atrium of the museum.

Roaming through the Huntington Gallery on a Rainy Day

On Tuesday, December 30th, I roamed through the Huntington Library, Gardens and European Gallery with friends and family.  We had previously enjoyed Band Fest which is a part of the Tournament of Roses events.  The bands from Denmark to Temple City put on their field shows and marched by us as we applauded and cheered their talents and enthusiasm.

Although it was a cloudy and cold day for Southern Cal, we went to the Huntington for lunch and a roam only to be greeted by rain.  So we dashed between the Library's historical documents and the European Gallery in the former mansion of the Huntingtons.  I find somethings new to appreciate each time I visit.  Here are a few of the art treasures that I appreciated:

"The Last Gleanings," 1895 by Jules Adolphe Aime Louis Breton, French, 1827-1906.
This social realist painting shows peasants working in the fields.  It may symbolize the passing of time with the young girl, mature woman and elderly gleaner in the fields.  

"The Three Witches," 1782 by Henry Fuseli, Swiss, 1741-1825 active Great Britain.
This painting is the artist's interpretation of the witches from Shakespeare's "Macbeth." 

"A Fine Evening after Rain," 1815 by John Linnell, British, 1792-1882.

"View on the Stour near Dedham," 1822 by John Constable, British, 1776-1837.Constable painted the Stour River in his native Suffolk.  The Dedham church tower is in the distance.  This painting was completed on a six foot canvas which perhaps demonstrates his love of his homeland.

"Two Boys by Candlelight, Blowing a Bladder," 1767-73 by Joseph Wright of Derby, British, 1734-1797
This artist uses a dramatic effects of light and shadow generated by the hidden flame of a candle.

"The Cottage Door," 1780 by Thomas Gainsborough, British, 1727-1768.  Gainsborough is famous for his portraits, including "Blue Boy" which is also in this gallery.  However, it is said that he loved his landscapes and is known as one of the founders of the 18th century British landscape school.  He is quoted as saying that he was sick of portraits and wished to walk off to some sweet village where he could paint landscapes and enjoy the end of life in quietness and ease.
I spent some time exploring this painting and appreciating his use of color, light and the subject of the woman and children at the door of a simple cottage.  The light seems to set a glow the cottage and tree above it.