Art & Looking

I’ve been thinking a lot about art the last few weeks, after traveling to Europe and seeing all kinds of breathtaking art, from vistas to paintings, sculpture to architecture.

So it was with all kinds of pleasure I hit up two museums here in New York City.  One of them, the Whitney Museum of American Art, had an exhibit by Charles Burchfield that I really enjoyed.

His art was bold and stunning.  A lot of the time, especially at the MoMA, I just walk through the galleries and not really feeling it.  I’m finding my groove, and Charles Burchfield fits quite nicely in it.

What’s your groove?  I like bold paintings that have a surreal touch, like these and Vincent Van Gogh’s work.  In fact, this next painting reminds me of Van Gogh:

There’s nothing like watching a master at work, to evoke an incredible sense of FEELING about a place versus a photograph or a book.

Then there is real life art, the soft curve of a woman’s neck or the strong lines of a male figure.  Sculpture tries to capture this, but there’s nothing like sitting in a busy plaza, piazza, square, or intersection and watching life imitate art.