The Art of the City

Part Two of My Annual San Francisco Travelogue

San Francisco is one of my favorite art towns. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was one of the first U.S. museums devoted to 20th century (and now 21st century) art. I rarely miss a visit when I hit the city — and last week was no exception.

Looking up at the SFMOMA atrium

I was most excited about seeing the Joseph Cornell show, and it was wonderful. Cornell created boxes and collages using found objects, something I’ve always wanted to do.

Joseph Cornell: Tilly Losch

Joseph Cornell: Cockatoo with Watch Faces

Joseph Cornell: Lauren Bacall

My favorite piece in the Cornell show was one dedicated to Emily Dickinson, but I couldn’t find a snap or postcard of it.

SFMOMA also had a Jeff Wall exhibition I enjoyed. With the snaps below, you lose the impact of Wall's huge photos (most of them backlit). I should be embarrassed to admit how much I identify with The Destroyed Room (but I’m not).

Jeff Wall: The Destroyed Room

Jeff Wall: Picture for Women

SFMOMA has a phenomenal permanent collection of photography —the Westons (bell peppers!) to Nan Goldin, Irving Penn to Harry Callahan, Lucas Samaras to Cindy Sherman, and everyone in between. Think of a photographer, and he or she is probably represented in the permanent collection. Here’s a new photo I saw and loved:

Seiichi Furuya: Graz

But art isn’t limited to gallery walls in San Francisco. Defenestration is alive and (fairly) well at 6th and Howard streets, near the Tenderloin. Artist Brian Goggin’s installation has furnished the exterior of this building for ten years. I’ve been by this corner several times, but it didn’t catch my eye until last week.




And is there anything more lovely, more moving, than this?


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HerStory

You can know someone so well and love her your entire life … be in on her secrets and thrills and omigoshes and heartaches … and yet sometimes she can still surprise you, shock you, bring unexpected tears to your eyes through the beauty she brings to this world.

Renae, my oldest friend, has a photo in Manhattan Arts International’s online exhibition, HerStory 2007:

Infertility 03 (© 2000 Renae D. Edge. All rights reserved.)

On its own, the photograph is a lovely piece. But when you read her statement (which I’ve quoted here), it becomes more than a pretty picture:

The desperation, pain, and humiliation of infertility are so profound that the inadequacy of words is welcomed by a culture that dares not speak of it. As the amaryllis bloomed and withered in my home, I found a silent companion in the doomed struggle I imagined taking place in my own body to produce a viable egg, accept one willing sperm, and allow them to take hold in the warmth of my flesh and grow.

Wow.

Forget that we’ve been friends for more than forty years. Forget my bias. Renae’s talented, damn talented. Treat yourself and visit her Web site. Waste valuable office hours looking at her work. Bookmark it and come back often, as she’s uploading new work regularly. Buy a piece — or two or seven — while you can still afford it.

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Through the Lens: Renae Edge

Renae — lifelong friend, creative goddess, photographer extraordinaire — has an opening tonight for another gallery show, at Newport's Island Arts Center, a show curated by someone smart enough to select three of her photographs. It will be a spectacular night in Newport, one I’m sorry I’ll miss.

Through the Lens: Contemporary Photography is an intimate survey of the recent work of eleven photographers from the United States and Canada. Selected by award-winning photographer and Rhode Island School of Design Professor Steve Smith, the exhibition is a snapshot of current photographic trends, including pictorial, conceptual, and photojournalistic approaches.

Eleven photographers are included in the exhibition … but it was one of Renae’s photographs selected for the invitation and the Web site. Yes, my girl has arrived.

Here are the photographs included in the Rhode Island show (which runs through August 25):

This is the photo used on the invitation.

Renae's Statement:

The Ribbon Series is shot as light and wind pass through curtains of grosgrain ribbons suspended as walls for a ceremonial tea house, resulting in what appear to be quiet landscapes of varying levels of abstraction. In printing I do little to no manipulation as I want the richness of the colors to be true to what I experienced while shooting.

The images chosen for this series are ones that allow me to remain comfortable in the suspension between the push to create a nameable place and the pull of simply enjoying the beauty of color and light. Because the images have no reference to actual landmarks or identifying features, the audience may create the reality of a landscape in their own mind, using their own references to places they have visited or imagined, making the experience with the work a personal one.

Two summers ago, Renae started thinking about getting back into photography. Last summer, she shot the Ribbon Series. This year, her work has been included in six — yes, six — exhibitions, and she had her first one-woman show last fall.

Renae has another piece in a gallery show in Reston, which I’ll see this weekend while I'm in D.C. I’ll write about that show after I’ve seen it.

Her friend Tami recently sent her a quote, which Renae forwarded to me. It defines this phase of our lives.

Remember, the longer it takes for a dream to make itself manifest, the more comfortable you'll feel owning your talent. (Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance)

Renae definitely owns her talent. I'm so proud of her. She inspires me every day.

I’ve loved* this woman for forty years. We stayed children as long as we could, playing in the creek, imaginations running wild. We watched each other grow from geeky to groovy, introverted to extroverted. Renae brought art into my world, from being in her poster- and artbook-filled home every day, to her taking the time to find art history books and tab the important pages for me to study, to wandering through museums and galleries. She was born to create, and now she is.

For more information on Renae’s work — and the opportunity to purchase some beautiful artwork before she explodes on the art scene and her prices skyrocket — go to RenaeEdge.com.

*To hell with the Cup Challenge. There is no better word to describe my feelings for Renae.

Happy Birthday, Simeon!

In his part of the world, his birthday ended a few hours ago ... but I still have the luxury of Eastern Standard Time to wish Simeon a very merry birthday. Sim, I hope you're still out dancing and celebrating somewhere.

Simeon is one of my favorite humans, probably among the top five who don't share my DNA. He's funny, he's irreverent, he's a great traveling companion. He's just damn fun to be around.

Simeon is also (believe it or not) more obsessed with music than I. We'd talk and talk and talk and talk about records. Shop for records (how many hours and dollars do you think we spent at Fantasyland during those two years?). Play records. Argue about records (and I was the one who discovered "Voice of Harold," my friend; it was my 12"). We fell in love with R.E.M. together in 1983, dancing away many a night to the sounds of the boys.

But, most of all, Simeon is a brilliant, talented artist. I have several of his works hanging on my walls, and they're among my most prized possessions. He's currently working on his Web site — which I'm forbidden at this time to share with you. Once he gives me the go-ahead, expect a splashy online opening on this page.

We have too many adventures and photos not to share with the world, so watch for a Simeon post in the coming weeks.

Hope to see you this spring, Sim. Love you.

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A Jackson Pollock Friday

Who wants to waste a steamy Friday using brain power and checking off tasks when you can be Jackson Pollock for a day? I discovered my inner artist at Write Procrastinator’s spot, and have thus far wasted 15 corporate minutes painting my own Pollock. [Hint: Click your mouse to change colors on the canvas.] Go forth and create, dear readers … and check back this weekend.

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Clap for her!

As you read in a recent post, Renae had this piece accepted in the prestigious 57th Annual Art of the Northeast juried show:

Untitled (Ribbons 50605152)

The opening was last night — and her photograph won the Silvermine Community Association Award!

I wish I could express in a blog how proud I am of Renae. Two years ago, she was ending another year as department chair at her college, deciding at the last minute to let the chairmanship (and stress) go and serve just as a professor. This time last year, she began the ribbon series of photographs — and, 12 months later, has had a one-woman show and a piece in a juried exhibition. Isn't that amazing and inspiring?

Renae was born creative, artistic and talented. The difference is, now she now believes in herself, puts herself out there, and balances her work/art priorities. She’s taking risks and reaping the benefits she deserves. She’s a true inspiration — and one heck of a talented artist.

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Renae Edge, artist

Renae (my oldest friend in the world) had her first one-woman show last fall, for a series of abstract photographs she shot last summer. She (quite deservedly) continues to get a lot of attention for this series.

Renae has an online gallery. Take the time to view each series of her online portfolio. Her work is truly amazing.

This piece will be in the 57th annual Art of the Northeast juried exhibition, in New Canaan, Connecticut:

Untitled (Ribbons 50605152)

The Silvermine Guild is a well-established, well-known guild; the show was juried by Ben Barzune, who's a partner in a New York City gallery that represents the likes of Milton Avery and Helen Frankenthaler. Renae also has a piece in an upcoming show in Connecticut. Our girl has hit the big time.

Renae Edge, at her show last November

I am so damn proud of Renae! She just got back into photography about a year ago, maybe two. Her goal was to produce great work and be accepted as an artist, and it looks like she's there. Her determination and self-confidence — and, of course, her creativity and artistic vision — continue to inspire me. And her work is beautiful, amazing, unique. I have one piece hanging over my sofa, and it's my most valued piece. I hope to have a wall of Edges by the end of the year.

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Review: Chuck Close (High Museum of Art)

Dan and I hit the preview of the Chuck Close: Self-Portraits exhibit today. I’ve been a fan of Chuck Close since Dan introduced me to his work about 10 years ago. Close has taken the portrait to a new level. I love his huge canvases, his montage/collage portraits, his massive Polaroids, his daguerreotypes. I’ve seen his pieces at MoMA and the National Gallery, and caught a great exhibit of recent work at the Corcoran about five years ago.

The show includes some amazing pieces. My favorite was the first one I saw: Big Self-Portrait (right), a huge black-and-white portrait painting he did in the late 1960s (love his attitude in the piece). He used a very thin coat of paint to give the canvas the look of a photograph. I know Close hates to hear his work called photorealistic, but, let’s face it, Big Self-Portrait is (sorry, Chuck).

Overall, the show is good. There are self-portraits in many different media: handmade paper, rubber stamping, woodcuts, etchings, drawings — even holograms. Some wildly colorful, others beautiful tones of black and white. It's fascinating, too, to see the gridded photographs he uses to develop the paintings.

I found, though, that since you saw the same self-portraits over and over in different media, it felt a bit repetitive by the last gallery. I would have liked to see some of his other portraits, as well. But don’t let that statement keep you at home; whether you’re a Chuck Close fan or have yet to see his work, I recommend this exhibit.

My all-time favorite Chuck Close piece (and one of my favorite pieces of work from the last half of century) is Fanny/Fingerpainting, at the National Gallery of Art (since the High show is self-portraits, this one didn’t make it to Atlanta). It hung for a long time in the lobby area of the East Wing. From afar, it looks like a huge, beautiful black-and-white photograph; once you get close to the piece, you notice that this huge portrait is made from fingerprints. It gives the piece life, texture. Really amazing piece; I keep a postcard of it on my desk.

For more on Chuck Close, click here.

BTW, if you have yet to visit the High Museum of Art since the expansion opened, you’re missing a lot. It’s an amazing building. With more than 175,000 additional square feet, more of the High’s permanent collection is on display. I didn’t know the museum owned several Ellsworth Kelly pieces or a Jean-Michel Basquiat piece until the new section opened in November. Put the High on your list for the spring.

Here's the new main entrance. Doesn't the building look beautiful again our blue spring sky?

Here's the back of the original building, shot from the courtyard; Peachtree's just below the the trees.

I call this one Groovy Guy Sunning in Courtyard.


And — finally — there’s a great restaurant at the complex. I’ve eaten twice at Table 1280 — lunch with my niece after Christmas, and Sunday brunch today with Dan — and I give it a big thumbs-up. We really needed a good restaurant at Woodruff Arts Center. Make plans for the Sunday brunch buffet; the food and desserts were absolutely amazing.

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