Blog @ the Nelson-Atkins

If you've been in the Bloch Building in the past week, you may have heard banging and whirring noises coming from the Project Space. All the commotion is being caused by the installation of British designer Michael Cross's upcoming exhibition Resting Places Living Things.

Michael Cross will be at the Nelson-Atkins for the next few weeks to guide the installation of his American debut. He is known as an industrial designer who presents every day materials and objects in new ways. I had the chance to sit in on an interview with Michael by KCUR's Laura Spencer. I will be sure to let you know when that airs but for now, I can share a little bit about who Michael Cross is and what the exhibition means.

One of the main points I got from Michael is that he is a designer and not an artist. He is not interested in any one material or type of object or technique. He describes his approach to work as "Idea first, material second."

The works he creates are essentially domestic objects: tables, chairs, bookshelves, etc. Michael's approach is to make the most adventurous works he can so while the objects may not be suitable for everyone's home, they could still be functional household objects (with some tweaking).

His approach to the exhibition is that the gallery serves more as a laboratory (please use your British pronounciation) than a space to hang objects on a wall or display in a case. In a gallery, he has much more freedom to interpret items that he could never do in a real house or a shop. He described Resting Places as "one big experiment with furniture." The first object you will see is the floor which is not flat. It is landscaped with hills and valleys. Visitors will be able to walk on the object and to interact with all the objects.

The installation will continue for the next few weeks and I will be sure to keep you updated. I also hope to have a few guest blogs by Michael if time permits.

The Spencer Art Reference Library is a wonderful resource for scholars, students and visitors. The library's Reading Room on the second floor of the Bloch Building, is a lovely spot to look at beautiful art books and read the latest art-world publications. If you don't have a specific need, it is always fun to check out the library's ongoing special displays.

The current display goes hand in hand with the Museum's latest featured exhibition, Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960.

The display is called "Rails, Trains and Stations: The Railroad in Art and Architecture" and contains 27 books about different topics related to the railroad including photography, history, travel, films and literature.

I only had a few minutes to look through the display. The book that I spent the most time with was T.C. McLuhan's Dream Tracks: The Railroad and the American Indian. This book tells the story of how the great marketing machine of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway turned the great American Southwest into a tourist attraction and how that affected the American Indians of that region.

The reproductions of "railroad art" (advertising posters) is quite telling. One of the main passenger lines on the Santa Fe was called The Super Chief. The posters include slogans such as "The Chief is still Chief. Extra fast. Extra fare. Extra Fine" along with images of Native Americans and the rugged southwestern terrain. The Santa Fe was innovative in many ways providing passengers with car or bus service that would take travelers into areas that were inaccesible by the train. This was known as "The Indian Detour." Many of the posters promoting this service included the incentive of "More Indians."

The book also contains photographs of American Indians that were taken along "the detour" showing their every day life and how they lived. Two photographs that were particularly interesting show how the railroad had changed their existence.

One showed a group of men at the Grand Canyon train station dressed in native clothing. Their job was to welcome visitors coming off the trains and entice them to rent a car to travel into the Indian villages.

The other image was of Albert Einstein and his wife with Hopi Indians at the Grand Canyon. The couple are standing in the middle of a family with Mr. Einstein holding the hand of one of the Indian children. The thing that gets me is that Einstein is wearing a native headress and holding a pipe. Looking at it from the 21 century, it smacks of mockery as tourists (even well educated ones) played "dress up" with the American "savages."

Other books were just as fascinating, and I plan to spend more time with them in the future. The library display will be on view through January 18, which is also the last day for Art in the Age of Steam.

I wish I could take credit for that line. But I must give credit where credit is due and tell you that it came from Monsieur Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Nelson-Atkins was honored to host M. de Montebello last night as the opening speaker of this year's Mary Atkins Lecture Series. The title of de Montebello's talk was "Museums: Why Should We Care?" I have to admit I didn't know what to expect. I have only ever heard him speak on the audio guides on the Met's website but he turned out to be refreshingly normal, even tres charmant.

De Montebello spoke about how we are in the age of the "museum of enlightenment" which exists to lift people up and preserve the "memory of mankind." He gave some tips on ways to approach art museums as the key to our identity. Anyone can study history and read books about people, places and events, but a work of art IS the event. He showed an image of a devotional painting that hung in the bedroom of the Gonzaga family (they ruled the city of Mantua from 1328 to 1708). This is the very picture they laid their eyes on every day; it is not a reproduction or a secondhand telling of what it may have looked like.

Another tip he gave was to compare works of art from different collections and time periods. He showed several sets of images of sculptures and paintings that had striking similiarities even though the artists may have never seen what the other one did. He showed works that influenced others as well as some that were completely different. His point was that it was reassuring that throughout mankind's history of wars and destruction, there is faith to be found in people who have always strived to create and present the best of themselves.

I think my favorite tip was when he admitted that he tends to avoid displays of Greek vases because they are normally displayed poorly and organized by some convention such as shape or size. Of course, the Met has over 2,000 Greek vases on view so I don't blame him for feeling overwhelmed! He found a way to get around that apprehension when a curator suggested they begin acquiring fragments of vases. The curator showed him a fragment that contained two figures. He was struck by the figures and focused solely on the drawing. In this way, he was able to appreciate the harmonly of the whole and even noticed that on many vases the drawings and decorations are perfectly married to the shape of the vase.

De Montebello was dressed impeccably and spoke eloquently using many words and phrases that I am still trying to spell phonetically and track down their meanings. On the whole, his passion for art and for sharing art with others, struck me as most profound. He will retire from the Met at the end of the year after 31 years of service. I have a feeling his passion will not be forgotten anytime soon.

I had the opportunity to visit a few museums in another city recently. They each had great special exhibitions, nice stores and even nicer cafes. The collections were equally impressive for different reasons, one with seminal works of contemporary art, one with an impressive collection of Oceanic art and one specific to the region.

Unfortunately, all of these museums charge admission fees. As an employee of a museum, I realize it takes money to run a museum whether it is large or small, public or private, art-focused or historical. Budgets are always tight. There are always projects that must be cut back or cut out and ideas that never come to fruition because of lack of funds. I still find it unbelievable that to take my family to a world-class museum could cost me more than some people spend on their weekly grocery bill.

The Nelson-Atkins has charged admission in the past. I believe the last time we charged was in 2001 and the cost for an adult was less than $7.00 per person. We have always had a free day since the Museum opened in 1933 to allow those in our community who can't afford to pay to visit on those days.

One of the museums we visited was having their half-price night (from 5 to 9 p.m.) which meant the lines were long and the galleries were crowded. In my opinion, I would rather pay a small admission fee or no admission fee and thoroughly enjoy the museum even if that means I need to come back at a less busier time.

Maybe its a midwestern notion that people should be able to enrich their lives with art from ancient cultures to modern masters without having to pay through the nose. I know I'm far from the first to say it but I think it deserves to be said again.

Installation of American Indian casework has begun in the new gallery spaces. The cases, conceived by the Museum’s Design Department, are being fabricated in Milan, Italy, by the world-renowned firm of Laboratorio Museotecnico Goppion, and are being installed on site by Italian crews from that firm.

Goppion fabricators and installers also did the African and Contemporary Ceramics casework in the new Bloch Building. In the photo, only the steel backs and sides of the cases can be seen. Interiors and glass work comprise later stages.

Opening weekend for Art in the Age of Steam was a grand success despite the threat of tornadoes and torrential rain brought about by Hurricane Ike (yes, in Kansas City!). More than 3,000 people attended the member preview days and public opening.

In addition to public approval of the exhibition, the Museum has received support from a list of community partners who are celebrating with their own railroad-related exhibitions and events including the Museum's Spencer Art Reference Library, The National World War I Museum and Kansas City's Union Station.

One event I'll be sure to put on my calendar is at the Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City on Jan. 10, 2009 when they will pull out all their steam engine toys.

By the way, the weather is supposed to be much nicer this week.

On my tour of Art in the Age of Steam yesterday, I noticed an interesting combination in the last gallery which covers the Machine Age.

Part of a wall is dedicated to prints that were used to promote train travel. There are two Russian posters from the early 20th century that caught my eye. One is called The Development of Transportation, The Five-Year Plan and the other is The Transport Worker Uses Technical Knowledge as a Weapon and Strives for the Reconstruction of Transport.

The first Five Year Plan was introduced by Joseph Stalin in 1928 and concentrated on the development of iron and steel, machine-tools, electric power and transportation in the young Soviet Union.

The theme of transportation was used as a metaphor for progress toward a Utopian society and a dominating world power. These types of posters were plastered on the walls of factories and plants throughout the country along with reports that monitored the worker's production levels. Individuals who did not make their quotas would be publicly humiliated and criticized. Many were sent to work in labor camps in Siberia. Even under such harsh conditions, the First Five-Year plan was sucessfully completed in only four years. Ironically, it is very possible that without this type of plan, Russia would have been unable to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.

Directly opposite these posters are two photographs by William H. Rau. He was the official photographer for the Pennsylvania Railroad which was established in 1846 and was the largest railroad in the United States until the end of the 20th century.

The American railroad had a precarious start in the 19th century. Without adequate supplies of iron, many of the first tracks were constructed of wood, with metal strips on the top. The rails were unstable and would split frequently causing accidents, injuries and deaths.

Rau had worked as a western expeditionary photographer and was commissioned to create photographs of the railroad in the 1890s by the head of the railroad's advertising department. The project was meant to increase passenger traffic by romancing riders with beautiful vistas and modern conveniences.

Of the two photographs, one shows the main line at Parkersburg, PA. The picture was shot looking directly down the tracks which run straight and true into the horizon. The second picture was taken from the viewpoint of a passenger looking out the window onto the Susquehanna River. The tracks can be seen ahead as the train travels past a scenic hillside along the river.

This juxtaposition of cultural themes gave me a new perspective and background on just how important the railroad was not just to the art world but to the modern world as well.

I finally got to preview the Museum's new exhibition Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960. It is fantastic! The whole exhibition is wonderful but of course I have my favorites including four Monets, a Magritte, two Hoppers, two Bentons and an amazing Manet. I think I have more to blog about than I can possibly handle during the exhibition but I will do my best to keep it up.

I thought I would start today with a general overview. The exhibition is organized into six sections that help you maneuver through the massive collection of paintings, prints, photographs and other assorted goodies.

The first section is The Formative Years which focuses on the development of the railroad, especially in Britain and France. It includes prints and drawings that depict feats of engineering such as tunnels, bridges and embankments. These pictures were used to make the new concept of train travel more familiar and acceptable to the public.

The next section is called Human Drama. It adds the element of narrative based on novels, stories and perhaps even myths about what really happened on the railroad. Scenes depict the division of classes including drawings by Honore Daumier that comment on the varying degrees of comfort and differences in passenger behavior. Three large paintings by Abraham Solomon were considered to be the soap operas of the day broaching the subject of vulnerable middle-class women traveling unsupervised and the development of relationships while traveling.

The next section crosses the Atlantic to focus on the development of the railroad in America. Crossing Continents portrays the railroad as sometimes in harmony with landscape and sometimes at odds with the pristine frontier. The dominating image in this gallery is Albert Bierstadt's large painting of the Donner Pass. As usual, the larger than life canvas depicts an idyllic landscape with mountains, forest and water. It takes a minute to find the train but once you do, it completely shifts the focus to the heroic conquest of harsh terrain in the name of progress.

The next gallery is dedicated to the Impressionists and Post Impressionists and contains some of the most famous railroad scenes from the 19th century inclulding Gare Saint Lazare by Monet and The Railway by Manet. These paintings show different views of the railroad with some artists commenting on the intrusion of rural life and the changes in society while others focused on the hope of progress.

States of Mind covers the late 19th and early 20th centuries by artists who used the railroad to evoke feelings and ideas associated with journeys, both physically and mentally. Of course the masterpiece in this gallery is Rene Magritte's Time Transfixed. In his typical style, Magritte juxtaposes two incongruent ideas: a train and a fireplace. There is plenty to analyze in this gallery and I recommend taking some extra time here.

The final section is The Machine Age and contains paintings, photographs and prints. The period between the First and Second World Wars depicted trains as a symbol of prosperity and productivity. The exhibition closes with some interesting comments on the future (post 1960) and the use of the railroad as propaganda.

The big news going on this week at the Nelson-Atkins is the opening of the exhibition Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960. The fun kicks off Thursday and Friday with member preview days. The public opening is Saturday.

Once you have filled your soul with art, take some time to focus on your body. On Sunday, there is a fun event on the Museum's south lawn.

In honor of National Yoga Month, you can take a yoga-spin class surrounded by the beauty of the Kansas City Sculpture Park. The class begins with a bike ride at 1 p.m. followed by a one-hour yoga practice designed for cyclists at 2:15 p.m. To pre-register, e-mail info@kcfitnesslink.com.

It takes a lot of sand to make up the setting bed for the Israeli stone (seen atop the wheelbarrow in the foreground) that will comprise the floor of the new American Indian galleries.

Chosen for its soft gray color, which complements the overall palette of the galleries, the natural limestone floor will span an area of nearly 7,000 square feet. The vertical steel beams seen in the photo are part of the structural support system for the 38 cases (currently being shipped from Milan, Italy, where they were fabricated) that will display 175 artifacts from the Museum’s outstanding American Indian collection.

The new galleries will open fall 2009.

I don't normally give shout outs to other museums but I thought this one was too interesting to pass up. Our friends on the other side of the state (Missouri, that is) at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, have announced a special event that is near and dear to my heart (or to my taste buds).

Spencer Finch: Sunset (St. Louis, July 31, 2008) is a new installation that is part of the Light Project at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.

The event is a plein air ice cream stand that is powered by solar energy. Beginning Sept. 4 and ending Oct. 17, visitors may receive a free ice cream cone from the stand. According to the Contemporary's website, the ice cream stand will "Offer what the artist calls an 'edible monochrome' and a landscape painting, the ice cream evokes a St. Louis sunset with the shifting colors Finch observed from the Contemporary’s rooftop."

How brilliant!