5/25/09

Scraps of Bacon

I visited the Met to see the new retrospective of Francis Bacon
The exhibit is well curated and represents the span of his work 
well. From the musueum:
The first major exhibition in New York in twenty years devoted to one of the most compelling painters of the twentieth century,Francis Bacon: A Centenary Retrospective features some 130 works--sixty-five paintings and as many archival items from public and private collections from around the world--that span the entirety of the artist’s full and celebrated career. Marking the centenary of the artist’s birth in Dublin in 1909, the exhibition brings together the most significant works from each period of Bacon’s career, focusing on the key subjects and themes that run through his extraordinary creative output. The presentation affords the most comprehensive examination to date of Bacon’s sources and working processes, offering a reevaluation of the artist’s work in light of a range of new interpretations and archival materials that have emerged since his death in 1992.
I haven't seen a retrospective of his work in over a decade so it was a supreme joy to get up close to the paintings and be able to see and feel them again. One of the things I like about his paintings is the tactile feel and almost sculptural quality about them. I also like the juxtaposition between calm and stillness and chaos and violence that embodies the majority of his paintings.












Coney Island

Took a friend to Coney Island this past wk. It was before memorial day and therefore kinda empty. We went to Sideshows by the Seashore of course. No visit to Coney Island is complete without a visit to the Sideshow. They've added some new acts too so it was fun. I got picked to go on stage and pull a sword out of the sword swallower's throat that was really intimidating actually and I could feel it moving out of her throat! but it all ended well. My favorite thing about Coney Island is all the hand painted signs. I know Espo did a few of them. I don't know who else is out there painting but its always a joy to look at them.









5/10/09

Cherry Blossom Festival

I love the Cherry Blossom Festival held at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, so much fun and so beautiful.