Understanding Conceptual Art.....Or Not

 

The definition of "conceptual art" is: art in which the idea or concept presented by the artist is considered more important than the finished art object. I tried to keep that in mind while viewing the most recent work of conceptual artist Charles Gaines at the Phoenix Art Museum.  

This exhibit is called Numbers and Trees, the Arizona Series.  Gaines used photographs of Arizona cottonwood trees.  The trees were then plotted with specific colors and a numbered grid based on the colors was placed over the trees.  I don't pretend to understand it but it was both interesting and beautiful to see.

The exhibit also included this work called "Greenhouse" which is a massive enclosure containing three stainless steel trees.  The trees are enveloped with smoke as adjacent monitors track historical and real-time temperature patterns of global warming. As it does this, the light inside the structure changes based on the temperatures being represented.

In this photo you can see the monitors on the wall to the right.  This is another concept that I don't really understand.  However, it is a fascinating exhibit with a lot to see and to think about. These works make me think that Gaines has a scientific mind as well as an artistic nature.

There is another part of this exhibit that coveres Gaines' work between 1992 and 2023.  It contained a variety of pieces that while still conceptual, are completely different from the work I've shown here.  I'll show you one of them tomorrow.

Styles In All Ages

 

The Exhibit honoring the Arizona Costume Institute that I mentioned on Sunday had some other fashions to see besides that rather bazaar  COVID coat.

This "Court Gown" from 1765 was on display.  Imagine wearing that headpiece.

This Opera Coat from 1895 was designed by someone named Madame Judith.  I have a feeling I'd get a lot of stares if I wore that to the opera today.  

On the other hand, this ensemble from the 1920's could be worn today without too much fuss.  This one was designed by Hattie Carnegie who was a fashion entrepreneur from the 1920's to the 1950's.  

The exhibit brought us right around to modern fashions and this 'little black dress' adorned with gold safety pins.  This one comes from the Versace collection of 1994.

It was fun to see some of the fashions collected over the 58 years the Arizona Costume Institute has been operating.

Veteran's Day

 

I decided that this Navajo rug created by Helen Begay was a perfect photo for this Veteran's Day here in the U.S. The Code Talker's rug features some of the Navajo words that were used to describe certain military objects.  You can see that the word for "turtle" translated to tank and the word for "whale" translated to battleship.  In 2001, the US Department of Defense declassified the code which made it possible for Helen to create this beautiful rug.

On display at the Heard Museum along with the rug above was this beaded bag made to honor Sgt. Grant Gover who was one of seven Pawnee code talkers.  He was killed in action on 11/1/44.  The artist who made this bag is unknown.

Today is a day to remember all service members and to honor those serving today.

The COVID Coat

 

I recently visited the Phoenix Art Museum to see two new exhibits.  One of the exhibits was all about the art of fashion and a recognition of The Arizona Costume Institute which has been a part of the museum since 1966.  This coat was a recent museum purchase with funds from a special endowment for fashion items. It immediately caught my eye when I entered the gallery. 

I decided to include a photo of the description information so you could read the museum's description.

I have to admit, it is an interesting concept in an artistic way.  It certainly isn't something anyone would actually wear.  Or is it?

The Friendship Totem

 

This totem pole was carved by Norman Tait, a Nisga'a artist from British Columbia.   It was gifted to the city of Phoenix in 1966 and the city gave it to the Heard Museum to display and maintain it.  It stood on the Heard Museum grounds until 1999 when the museum embarked on a large expansion project.  

The totem pole remained in storage until recently when in consultation with Tait's brother and daughter, it was carefully restored.  It was  raised again a few weeks ago in a special ceremony and is now located in a prominent position at the museum.  

It's in an area where school children gather when visiting the museum.  It will be one of the first things those kids see when they arrive at the museum.

"Heard" and Seen

 

These little ladies sitting on this shelf are sculptures by Native American artist Roxanne Swentzell.  They were on display in the newly renovated gift shop at the Heard Museum.  The piece is called "Heard" and the artist's statement reads "To speak your truth and be really heard is so important. Being able to hear another whole heartedly is also so important. These two women are expressing these states of sharing and receiving.  I think we could use more of this in the world today."  Amen to that!

The sculpture to the left is also by Roxanne Swentzell.  However, this sculpture was found in a display case in the southwestern art section of the Art Institute of Chicago.  I was pleased to see an artist I've admired here in Arizona represented in such a prestigious art museum so far away from her home state.  This piece is called "Admiration". 

You can see some other pieces of Roxanne's art here and here.  

In Hope For Our Future

 

I'm kind of at a loss for words this morning.  The results of the election has both saddened and frightened me.  I'm not quite sure what to make of it all and I'm questioning everything.  In 2016, I could say that the voters just didn't know what they were getting but in 2024 everyone knows and it looks like a majority wants this.  How can that be?  I'm sure there will be a lot of soul searching going on but for now, I fear we have a bumpy road ahead.  Sorry for the rant.

I chose the "peace" dove above as today's photo for a reason.  

Decorative Tree

 

I saw this pretty tree on the outside wall of the new gift shop at the Heard Museum.  Someone told me that it is a work in progress. Those are candles scattered among the branches.  

I'll be sure to return soon to see what the finished tree looks like.  

The New Gift Shop

 

The Gift Shop at the Heard Museum has been closed for renovations all summer long.  To accommodate summer tourists, they had a small shop set up in one of the meeting rooms.  Last Sunday morning, they invited members to a grand opening of the new gift shop. I was excited to see what they had done so I made a point of going. What a change!  The new shop is bigger with wonderful new features.

As I made my way around every corner in the shop, I was amazed at how beautifully the art work was being displayed.  The space around the pieces makes it easier to see each piece.

The rug room was especially attractive.  It is amazing to see all these colorful rugs displayed like this.  In the old space, they were piled on top of a table which made it hard to get a good look at each piece.  

They have even added a "viewing room" where a collector might be able to view a  painting or sculpture away from the display cases to determine if they want to make the purchase.  The whole place is quite spectacular.  It was like going to a whole new museum to me.  

Hoping for good results on this Election Day!!

Mexican Church

 

I found another mural inside a Mexican restaurant that I go to quite often.  I had never been seated on this side of the restaurant so I hadn't seen this mural before.  I like that church with the tall steeple at the end of the street.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Dinner with a View and More

 

Last Saturday evening, I had dinner with friends before an event in downtown Phoenix.  We decided to have dinner at The Compass which is the revolving restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

I snapped this photo before it got too dark to see anything. The view is great but the reflections in the glass make it difficult to Photograph.

This photo shows the restaurant from the street below.  You can see the round part where the restaurant is located through the palm tree.  

The event we attended was the ballet.  I had never seen the whole Swan Lake ballet performed before.  I knew the music and had of course seen many bits and pieces in movies or TV shows but never the whole ballet.  It really was quite spectacular.  

Those Very Busy Cactus Wrens

 

When I visited the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend, I had a close encounter with one of those industrious cactus wrens.

This one was hopping around right next to me and took a moment to pose for a couple of photos before hopping off those rocks to continue his search for more bits to add to its nest.

After my walk, I stopped at the restaurant for some breakfast and was entertained by this cactus wren who was busy building a nest inside an opening in one of the heaters that hangs over the restaurant's patio.  I'm not sure that's a very good place for a nest.  I would think that when those heaters are turned on, it might get pretty hot up in that crevice.  I'm betting the maintenance team will clean that nest out before that happens.  That poor little cactus wren will have to start all over with his building project.

Theme Day: Cooking

 

I had a plan for a photo for this day.  I cooked dinner for some friends two weeks ago and my plan was to have one of them take a photo of me at the stove.  However as things sometimes go, I got so busy cooking and talking that I totally forgot.  So all you get to see is what I made.  It's shrimp and fennel with spinach fettuccine. It's a recipe I've had for many years and it's still a winner today.  

The November 1st theme for City Daily Photo Bloggers is "Cooking".  To see other cooking themed photos, click here.