2 Things @ Once

Saturday 3 p.m. ~ Belmont Harbor, Dog Beach

I Give Up

I just cannot stand to read one more word of the book for my next book club meeting. It's beyond torture and life is too short. The book? The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago. I'd never read anything by the Nobel Prize-winning author before and based on the sixty-some pages I slogged through, I never will again.

As I mentioned in the first post of my "Why I'm in a Book Club" series, I've set 50 as the arbitrary number of pages I require myself to read before giving up on a book, and when it comes to book club books I give it more of an effort by sticking through until page 100. In the case of Ricardo Reis, I'm breaking my rule and happily.

It's been quite a while since I've read a book I so thoroughly disliked. It felt like reading a required text for school. In Latin. Translated from the original Sanskrit. It's no fun when you absolutely dread picking up the book. I like reading too much to put myself through that.

Ricardo Reis is all stream of consciousness, tangents and meandering plot, though I use the word plot extremely loosely. My negative opinion of the book is definitely in the minority when you see the raves it gets on Amazon, but rumor has it I have company in my opinion among other book club members. Should be an interesting meeting next weekend.

Tour of Art Institute Modern Wing, Wrap Up

Back down to the first floor--

On the landing between the second and first floors.

One of the most stunning aspects of the new wing--The Pritzker Garden. The floating roof extends to create a three-story-high canopy. The only piece of art in the garden is Ellsworth Kelly's White Curve, his largest piece to date. (It's 54 feet long.)

I'll probably never see this courtyard so empty again. We practically had the place to ourselves and it was a nice retreat despite the scale of it.

The chairs were set out just before we arrived. We wondered if there will be tables too. The steel pillars that hold up the roof taper at the ground.

The featured color in the museum is orange. I fit right in.

The door that connects the new wing with the original building is at this end of the passageway. Above is the coffee bar balcony. On the left side of the pillar are the galleries for film and photography.

The floors are gorgeous.

My name is conspicuously absent from the donor list.

Another look south, toward the entrance to the original Art Institute building, with the coffee bar above.

The one disappointment, The Nichols Bridgeway wasn't open on the day we toured the museum.

The 620-foot-long bridge connects the third floor of the Modern Wing to Millennium Park.

The bridge crosses over Monroe Street and disappears in Millennium Park.

Tour of Art Institute Modern Wing, Second Floor

This is the kind of "modern" art that makes me go, "hmmmmmmm.

A video installation that's akin to a clown throwing a terrible-two-like tantrum. A video loop of the artist, dressed like a clown screaming "no no no" over and over and over. I couldn't stand it for the 90-seconds I was within earshot of it. The museum guard standing nearby had all my sympathy.

 

A pile of rocks as art.

A wedding dress, bags of cat litter and some disturbing wallpaper.

Artist Robert Gober's statement helps to make sense of the installation.

A view of the Pritzker Garden.

Museum security guard--the most boring job on the planet.

Mod furniture.

The coffee bar in the balcony overlooking the main hall serves local brew Intelligencia Coffee.

 

Interactive touchscreens put a new spin on the old "You Are Here" maps.

Tour of Art Institute Modern Wing, Third Floor

The view from the elevator, third floor, looking south over the roof.

The walkway connecting main gallery spaces on the third floor, with stairway leading down to the second floor.

The ceiling of the galleries on the third floor let in an amazing amount of natural light. The "floating roof" has louvers that shields out harsh southern rays while letting in the changing light of the day.

 

Look! A flying coat rack!

Each piece is accompanied by a brief but informative description of the artist/period/piece. Just the right amount of information to enhance appreciation of the work.

In the ten minutes I was in this gallery, which loops the visitor around from one main gallery to another, very view people looked at the art. Everyone instead was wowed by the view.

 

We decided the curators pulled straws to see who would end up with their art "stuck" here.

A wall of Joseph Cornell box collages.

Picasso's model for the public sculpture he created for the Daley Center. One of two. Picasso gave one to Mayor Richard J. Daley and kept the other.

This one's for Jan.

Tour of Art Institute Modern Wing, First Floor

Classrooms and meeting areas on the first floor have floor to ceiling views of Millennium Park. The bright orange floor is vibrant and energetic. This is the only section of the museum that we saw that didn't have the blond wood floors.

Finishing touches were still being added to some classrooms as we were touring through.

Like everything in the Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing, even the doors are big. Gorgeous warm wood.

The kids' section in the museum has graduated from the basement of the original building to vibrant, open, natural light-filled rooms in the new wing.

Griffin Court is the main passageway. There's an entrance on the north end. Film, video and photography galleries are on this floor, as well as the gallery for temporary exhibits. Straight ahead, to the south, is the doorway that connects the new wing with the old building. Stairways lead up to the galleries on the second and third floors.

In the elevator, looking up, heading to the third floor.

My Landscaping Crew

My cats are strictly indoor felines but occasionally I'll let them roam the backyard under supervision. This afternoon, while tidying up the yard, I let Scooter and Maisy out for their first romp of the year.

 

Maisy practiced her special brand of gardening, completely smashing the catmint plant. She does this every time she goes outside, making a beeline for the catmint, sniffing, chewing, rolling around and generally obliterating the poor plant. And every time, it comes back strong.

Scooter practiced Zen gardening, staring at the grass, watching it grow.

Free Art

The Modern Wing officially opens today and all this week admission to the Art Institute is free.

Driving Back From Hot Doug's

Picasso

The Modern Wing, Art Institute of Chicago