Art in real life

Wow. I went to the San Francisco MoMA today. That was a very special experience... Johns, Magritte, Lichtenstein, Picasso, Rothko, the list goes on. Seeing the precision of a Donald Judd right up close was quite something. 'Untitled' was a series of 10 small boxes arranged vertically on the wall. I noted that the edges were not soldered along the whole length of the box, but were in fact only attached at the ends and the middle with a small amount of solder. Using only the necessary amount of bounding material somehow brought a degree of delicacy to the work that has not been apparent to me before.

Of special importance to me was Drawing Restraint 14 by Matthew Barney. I had no idea it was there, so when I stumbled upon it I have to admit that a large degree of awe dictated my experience. It was right at the top of the ceiling and included the Cremaster symbol, constructed with wobbly lines, but clearly identifiable. The rest of the drawing consisted largely of scribbles and the words 'Situation', 'Condition', 'Production'. There appeared to be a large amount of layering, allowing for a narrative related to its construction to reveal itself. Even in the most dense films from the Cremaster cycle, it is this layering of narrative that I find to be extremely stimulating and inspiring.



The rest of my day was filled mostly with walking the streets again, trying to get a feel for other parts of the city. Last nights entertainment is slowly me down somewhat, though I have managed to cover a reasonable amount of ground.