even with clouds full of rain hovering near...
even with all the changes to my life...
katniss still dangled its marsh scene for me!
How marvelous that it has remained for more than two years, drawing my eyes upward, not just to the ceiling, but beyond, to the trees and the sky!
Hallelujah!
My annual birthday visit was late this year, but the colorful and playful bits were there to brighten my day!
That photograph was taken from the second floor, my first stop on this overdue visit.
My interest had been piqued during the Zoom with #art912 artist, Sauda Mitchell, with her fabulous use of textures - and QR codes - in "Re-Cor-Dare" to share history lessons.
Of course, I have my own interpretation of this image, courtesy of Edgar Allen Poe: "Quoth the raven, never more".
I strongly believe she would agree with that sentiment, as much of her art centers on the black experience in the world.
How very appropriate, then, to have the words of poetic author echo in her works!
"Voyages", with its fabric sails inked with native African designs and surrounded by rhythmic prose, had been the draw for my visit today and was certainly all I'd hoped it would be!
There was to have been music playing in the space, too, but it must have been turned off so as to not interfere with the folk music from the dining room duo for the Sunday brunch crowd.
Still quite enjoyable, even without the soundtrack or a smart phone for the QR codes attached to each piece.
Mitchell is a librarian by education, and she has tasked herself with supplying as much information to as many people as possible, as she fully understands how difficult it is to do true research with reliable resources.
She has even set up a geneology site for those in search of information on ancestors; that was in response to her on work looking for the background of her Grandma Judie, of the Hairstons, after seeing a documentary on television about them.
What I love about this piece is the tatted lace collar, the cowbell on the hank of rope, and the aroma, faint as a whisper, of the tobacco emanating from the massed leaves.
So much texture and such appeal to so many senses!
On the other hand, this year's PULSE was overwhelming.
Much as I had enjoyed the lecture from David Gumbs and looked forward to his "From Dust To Gold" interactive displays, the sensory overload was visually daunting.
I did have a bit of fun with "Inner Garden", but...
I miss "Swarm", I truly do.
That remains my all-time favorite interactive artwork.
This one drew me in several times in that exhibit hall.
It wasn't the colors or style - oh, no!
It was Sean Connery's voice saying, "We named the dog Indiana."
That work was named for the state, too!
When I exited that space, I set off to visit some of my favorite sculptures up there on the third floor.
This is actually the part of this one that I like the most: the tiny dancer doing her best to tiptoe through the crowd of little frogs at her feet!
Isn't it adorable?
So whimsical and fanciful!
Here's the thing, though: she's naked.
I have to wonder: how many folks notice the frogs all about her pedestal?
Speaking of frogs, not trip to the Jepson would be complete without seeing these guys!
The sculpture looks like jade, or even a green glass, but it is composed of neither natural material.
Synthetic stuff is the basis for these amphibians cavorting all over each other and their kingdom!
As well as the many poses the frogs have adopted, they are also distinguished by colorful spots on their backs, giving them an almost otherworldly flair.
Yep, I definitely like them!
(smile!)
I really liked "A Midsummer Night's Dream", too, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the Shakespeare.
First, the sheet music for Mendelsohn's song of the same name serves as the backdrop for the painting.
Second, the flowers were created by from the imagination of local teens as they read from the play and listened to the music.
How incredible is that, right???
Kudos to artist Tim Rollins for a fabulous piece (of which I have only captured the lower left corner) and for inspiring students!
I'm so glad to have spent three hours here at the Jepson Center today -
I truly needed to recharge my creative outlet!
(smile!)
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