Museums | Beverly Shipko, Artist

Monet Through a Different Lens

December 22, 2014 by Beverly

Jay and I decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City yesterday to see the Assyria to Iberia exhibit. When we got there, we took a quick detour through the Impressionism rooms – always a favorite.

We both came to a complete halt by this painting, Claude Monet’s Garden of Sainte-Andresse (1867), where we both had strong feelings of déjà vu, like we had been there before. The feelings of going back in time were powerful, and Jay said he felt like he had been talking to Monet while the work was being painted.

Why did we feel this way? The simple answer is: We had been there before! In fact, in was a multi-sensory experience – we walked in the garden, saw it from all angles, felt the warm sunlight on our skin and the breeze in our faces. We even “met” the artist. Being a guy, Jay remarked,”The restaurant is to the left, so I’m getting hungry”, a comment that makes me smile even now.

The good news is that you don’t have to go to France to do this. Just take a drive to Hamilton, New Jersey and visit the Grounds for Sculpture where Seward Johnson constructed his outdoor sculpture installation titled, If It Were Time, based on the Monet’s Sainte-Andresse painting. If It Were Time is a full scale 3-D translation of Monet’s 2-D oil painting, which I had previously included in a June blog entry. The installation sits on a plot of land at least as large as our house lot (1/4 acre) looking out on a lake (unlike our house which looks right at our neighbors).

© The Sculpture Foundation, Inc., photo: David W. Steele

While the photos of these two works of art look similar in this blog post, our interaction with these pieces couldn’t be more different. Viewing a painting as an outsider looking in is a far cry from inhabiting the space as a participant.

To give you some idea of Seward Johnson’s sense of humor and irony, which comes out in subtle ways in many of his sculptures, here is a bronze cast of Monet who greets you at the entrance before you walk down the stairs to the scene below. Monet is working outdoors for the day in his plein air style, as he typically did.

Take a closer look at what Monet is doing in this photo, taken from a different viewpoint. The artist is painting Johnson’s If It Were Time sculpture, which is in turn based on Monet’s own Sainte-Andresse painting at the museum! Seward Johnson provocatively named this bronze portrait of the artist, Copyright Violation!!, raising numerous issues on many levels.

Is Johnson’s work really an original work of art, a slavish imitation, or a copyright infringement? The art historian in me is intrigued by all the possible interpretations. What do you think? I would love to hear your opinions.

Here’s a photo I took of the sailboat that Monet is painting, before I realized how the boat fit into the bigger picture. (FYI. While we looking at Monet’s painting at the Met, we noticed the many boats on the horizon line for the first time – quite a contrast to Johnson’s serene focus on a single sailboat.)

As you walk down the stairs and begin to inhabit the space, the effect is startling. The cast bronze bronze sculptures almost come to life, somehow bringing out the playfulness in you, as if you are actors on the stage, or talking and taking pictures with costumed interpreters at Williamsburg.

You not only walk around Johnson’s re-creation, you touch it and even sit on it. Jay was delighted there was an empty chair so he could take a break with his newfound friend.

The dictionary definition of “installation” explains things well and gives you a handle on the way to think the Monet and Johnson connection. Installation: a large sculpture-like artwork which alters the way a space is experienced. Certainly that was the case in New Jersey, quite a vivid memory too. What we didn’t expect, was for that memorable interactive, multi-sensory experience to carry over and enrich our viewing of the original artwork back in New York. At the time, we felt it was quite surreal since the two works of art became inseparable.

Yesterday we were looking at the Monet’s painting through a different lens. Our perspective changed, probably forever, which is a good thing. In fact, I think a visit to see Seward Johnson’s work at Grounds for Sculpture is an excellent way for people, particularly kids, to be exposed to art and to get truly excited about it.

P.S. We did make it to the Assyria to Iberia show, a major scholarly undertaking which is excellent, just not as much fun.

Matisse’s Cut-Outs: A Triumph

December 8, 2014 by Beverly

It must be over five years ago that I bought this box of Matisse holiday cards at MOMA. I always smiled when I looked at the uplifting design composed using cut paper, and was reluctant to use the cards since they were so “special”. After hanging on to them for so long, it was exciting and somewhat jarring at the same time to come across the magnificent original work in the “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” exhibit at MOMA in Manhattan (through February 8th, 2015). The scale of the real cut-out (over 10 feet tall vs. my 9 inch card) seemed absolutely gigantic, reminding me how important it is to see artwork in person to fully appreciate the artist’s intention.

In addition, I had forgotten that this cut-out design was actually a full-size mockup for a vibrant stained glass window. While I don’t think the experience of interacting with original artwork can ever be completely replicated by the online world, you can get an idea of the scale of Matisse’s works by viewing the slide show from the New York Times review. (The ‘no photo’ rule was strictly enforced by the guards the day I visited.)

“Henry Matisse: The Cutouts” at MOMA. Courtesy of Ruth Fremson / The New York Times. October 9, 2014 review.

When I first entered the show, I overheard someone say, “But these are just cutouts!” – which is exactly the point.

Matisse elevated the simple cut-out – which we all did as kids – to a major art form in his late work. After spending much of his life as a painter and sculptor, using cut-outs as mockups for stage sets, books (“Jazz”), and stained glass, Matisse turned to them as his primary medium in his last decade out of necessity (the mother of invention, so they say) – but on his own terms. Although wheelchair bound, Matisse rejuvenated himself with the help of assistants who painted custom paper to his color specifications and then cut the forms under his direction. A fascinating video part way through the exhibit demonstrates the process of cutting, pinning and re-pinning shapes (almost foreshadowing Pinterest!) that Matisse used to realize his vision, before glueing down the pieces for the final composition.

The entire show is a colorful, exuberant experience, and a testimony to Matisse’s vision and commitment to making art. He was a passionate artist with a mission, who would not allow anything to interfere with his art, whether it’s a divorce from his wife of 31 years, World War II, or abdominal cancer surgery. It’s interesting that the spirit of the work transcends these major life challenges – truly a triumph for Matisse on many levels.

If you want to see an upbeat, light-hearted show that will put you in the holiday spirit, go see the Matisse cut-outs and find out for yourself why over 500,000 people went to see this exhibit the Tate in London. Enjoy lunch at MOMA’s 2nd floor Cafe, take a short stroll to see the tree at Rockefeller Center – and don’t forget to walk by the Saks and Bergdorf holiday windows. It will be a lovely way to spend a day!

Grounds for Sculpture – Seward Johnson Retrospective

June 17, 2014 by Beverly

A picture is worth a thousand words in this instance. See for yourself and see why I am so looking forward to the “Seward Johnson: The Retrospective”, featuring more than 287 of works at the Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, Jersey, which runs through September 21st, 2014. Here is a sampling of the permanent collection from a recent visit.

Our version of Munch’s “The Scream”

Lunch with my new friends in Renoir’s “Boating Party”

More food in Edouard Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe.

Jay waiving from Monet’s “Garden at Sainte-Addresse” – the scale of which is mind-boggling.

Finally, a suitcase my husband can’t lift in Grant Wood’s “American Gothic”

With even more Johnson sculptures than ever before in three new indoor shows, this is going to be a spectacular day! The art historian in me gets a big kick out of seeing his re-interpretation of so many iconic images – an experience I that I highly recommend to all of you.

This will be a show with something for everyone. Savor every minute of it!