Philip Glass Documentary

I went to see "Glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts" last week. It was fascinating to see the creative process of a composer documented -- so foreign to me -- however much of what he said about his work was quite relevant to all artistic endeavors. I was amazed that he could compose with an open window amidst the noise of New York and with children running just outside his office. He said music runs like a river below the surface of his life. He does not imagine the piece of music, he has to listen carefully for it as it comes to him and get it down on paper. His level of focus and productivity is huge and inspiring. Interviews and comments from Chuck Close, Martin Scorsese, and Woody Allen, as well as his family, were quite revealing. Discussions of the work he has done in scoring film and opera brought out his thoughts on collaboration. Even his spiritual practices were included. Glass is just as complex and interesting as you would imagine him to be upon hearing his music...  I highly recommend the film.

Savoring Sundays

I have a new commitment to take at least one full day off each week, really off, from work. We've had some exceptionally nice weather lately and have been able to hike for the last two Sundays. This week we hiked along the Rim Trail at Castlewood Canyon State Park. Great picnic and spectacular views, none of which were done justice by my iphone camera... but maybe this one tells the tale just as well. Can you almost smell the pine needles? It's so refreshing to get out of town sometimes!

Rex Ray Collage

A collage by Rex Ray is on view now at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. It is a huge piece, composed of four panels. As the museum's website says, "For Rex Ray, the joy of making and viewing art is his continuing motivation. Drawing inspiration from his acknowledged influences—the Arts and Crafts Movement, Abstract Expressionism, organic and hard-edged abstraction, pattern and textile design, and Op Art—Ray playfully combines these formalist concepts with decorators’ tips gleaned from lowbrow publications and sources of popular culture in his pursuit to create beautiful things. Gracefully bridging the gap between fine and applied art, he distinguishes himself in each realm."

Rex Ray spoke about the collage this week at the museum's book club. His personal story was interesting and he was refreshingly open in talking about his process. He said his studio didn't have space to put all 4 panels together so he was only able to look at 2 of the panels together at a time and that he was wondering what it would be like when hung together! Above is a detail of the piece plus a view to show the entire piece with some people for scale. It was impossible for me to get back far enough in the space to get a shot of the whole thing... it may be about 30 feet long.

Apparently he has done lots of experimenting to find papers that retain their strength when wet (many are printmaking papers that he prints or paints on in advance). To get the larger color areas, he works wet, laying down whole sheets of pre-painted paper, like tiles, onto canvas (stiffened by rabbit skin sizing + 5-6 coats of white primer), sponging and spraying the paper areas with water so they stay damp as he works. Then he goes in with a sharp xacto blade and cuts away the areas he doesn't want. Much of it is cut free-form, with various punches used to get the small dots/rings.

It's a very impressive piece with elegant craftsmanship. In addition to this piece, I'm especially impressed with his paper collages although I've only seen those in a book to date. I am always intrigued to see someone moving from the design field, and using those compositional skills, as they approach fine art... since that is where I'm coming from too. 

Pierre Bonnard Sketch Studies

I was totally enchanted by an exhibit of Pierre Bonnard's later paintings, mostly of interiors, that are currently on view at the Met in New York. My particular fascination was with the thumbnail sketches that accompanied the paintings. Some were on scraps of paper, some in sketchbooks or journals mixed in with lists and notes. Most were pencil sketches but some had watercolor or goache as well. Apparently he did not paint his interiors as still lifes but often scribbled down scenes and returned to paint from his sketched notes later. The interiors and household items were familiar to him, many show up in multiple paintings, but the compositions were captured as he noticed them and stored away for future paintings. His somewhat unusual cropping of figures shows up in the sketches too. In some cases the paintings that resulted from the sketches were on view and it was great to see his process more fully... almost made me want to pick up a paintbrush instead of my usual paper and glue! On the wall of the exhibition, the following quote from Bonnard seemed most appropriate to the show and most profound... "I'm trying to do what I've never done, give the impression one has on entering a room: one sees everything and at the same time nothing." So glad I got to see this show... sometimes it's the story behind the work that really adds meaning -- his sketches were quickly captured and really wonderful to see in combination with the finished paintings. As usual, I wish I'd had time to linger longer!