My friend K left for Europe, ( Paris to start) last Saturday. To say I am wildly jealous would be an understatement but I am so, so happy to report that the DeYoung Museum and the Legion of Honor Museum are satisfying my need for viewing impressionist art by staging a block-buster extravaganza of a show: The Birth of Impressionism.
This is just the incentive I need to not only renew my museum membership which I had let go delinquent since moving to Napa but also to look at my near and far summer schedule to figure out how many ways (days) I can wangle more than one visit.
I will visit first with L, once alone (must) once with DH, once with my kids, again with a friend or two. Is that four? five?
This show, which I haven't yet seen has brought me back to, my first love which is impressionist art. These paintings posted can't be more obvious in their connection to traditional impressionist influence. Whenever I feel the need to see beauty, be inspired, or generally pull myself out of any malaise, all I need to do is glance at, think about, reflect upon an impressionist painting. The first painting above, is inspired by Edgar Degas' "Dancer on the stage". The original, approximately 24"x36" (I'm only guessing, as I'm too lazy right now to check my factoids) but, I'll just say that by my standards, it's not large.
I have always felt the need, quiet viscerally, to see more of that painting, specifically, the central figure, the dancer. What better way than to explode the image, creating (painting) her as I needed to: my painting as a whole measures 30"x40", and eliminates all of the foreground/background. Not that these were bad things, Mr. Degas. Just my own neurotic need to see so much more.
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