The museum is enormous, and we spent hours there. And yet I have the suspicion I missed out on half the exhibits. Anyway, here are a few art and design pieces I wanted to remember from the Brooklyn Museum.
1. 12 Plates
I really enjoyed the design section of the museum.
These decorative plates were outside an exhibition hall. A single plate is pretty. Combined they’re pretty fantastic. I love the use of negative space. And I’m often just a sucker for any biblical female figure.
For a cool few grand, get your own.
2. A Brooklyn Wallpaper
Toile, check. Local icons, check. And one of the Beastie Boys involved, check. This wallpaper was created for/by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys for his brownstone in Brooklyn.
Modern twists on toile are fab. And the love for Brooklyn shines through this one. The floating Biggie Smalls head is something I didn’t know I needed.
3. The Dinner Party
Iconic.
Seeing The Dinner Party was almost like completing a pilgrimage. Every modern art history book includes this piece. It really would be the most interesting (and socially terrifying) dinner party. The care of the embroidery and all of the small touches don’t quite come across in photos. I really recommend seeing The Dinner Party in person if you’re able to!
4. This Nasca Tapestry
This Nasca tapestry-turned-tunic is stunning. I got lost in all the faces and details. I wish I knew more about the figures and Nasca culture.
My photo doesn’t capture it as well. But the colors still pop. So much so, it’s been studied.
Among all the colors identified, the anthraquinone dye madder was detected in all the red shades examined, except for the embroidery at the outer edges that, on the other hand, was found to have been dyed with cochineal. One additional fiber sample from the purple embroidery thread at the neck opening was then analyzed to verify the possible presence of a red dye different from madder, likely cochineal, which would support the hypothesis that such embroidery could be a later addition.
From The Met’s Partners and Projects
5. Intense Stare Portrait
This woman is literally leaning in. I love the pose. A woman painted it, making it a brazen piece of work. Love this Bechdel-test passing piece. (And the Brooklyn Museum’s curation and ongoing organic focus on diversity without being weird about it.)
6. New England Fishing Boats
This painting drew me in with the blue. And the strokes look so deliciously creamy. It reminded me of Malta, but it’s actually a depiction of Massachusetts. Gloucester.
I swear I can hear the swaying and creaking of the masts when I look at it.
7. A New Favorite Artist
This was my favorite piece. I made a beeline when I saw the bright trio of green, yellow, and orange.
Then I saw the lazy, lounging figures. Look at the right figure, and her little shoe kicked off, and a small creature begging for attention. Even the willow trees are drooping. And yet they all look so effortlessly chic.
And no wonder, while reading more about the artist, Florine Stettheimer. She’s utterly fascinating. I think I’m in love.
8. Bright and Beautiful
This contemporary piece by Oscar yi Hou is lovely. So is the name: The Arm Wrestle of Chip & Spike; aka: Star-Maker.
There’s a lot of gorgeous colors and textures to drink in.
9. This Ancient Wreath
What an exquisite wreath. The small flowers, still delicate after thousands of years, are quite moving. I wonder whose head it sat upon.
Also, it’s one of only four that have been preserved.
10. Erotic Egyptian Art
Not sure if I’ve seen Egyptian erotica before. The gentleman on the left must feel lightheaded.
I often wonder if we ascribe too much religious purpose to ancient erotic art.
Despite the overtly sexual imagery, this composition has important religious content. The procreative union recalls the birth of Horus after the murdered Osiris posthumously impregnated his wife Isis. This legend, one of ancient Egypt’s most important myths, was associated with fertility and resurrection. The six small figures probably represent priests. The bound oryx held by the two attendants at the right signifies the destruction of evil and reinforces Osiris’s triumph.
Brooklyn Museum Gallery Label
A likely excuse. But what do I know?
Read More:
https://hyperallergic.com/329408/florine-stettheimer-feminist-provocateur/
