Sightlines

The Great American Thing

March 18, 2006. The sub-title for the show, "The Great American Thing" at the Tacoma Art Museum is "Modern Art and National Identity 1915 - 1935." But that's not what prompted Connie and I to head south. The show we really wanted to catch had the intriguing title, "Deceits and Fantasies - Contemporary Photography and the Garden."

We hadn't been the TAM in over a year, and we figured it was time for a return visit.

The Deceits exhibit was, in a word, disappointing. I just don't get why a blurry picture of a patch of grass makes into a show. Several big names--Sally Mann, Greg Crewdson, for example--were represented but failed to make an impact. A few prints were engaging, a few quite beautiful, but otherwise, I just didn't get it...

The Great American Thing was better, much better.The exhibit is billed as a show of "America--it's energy, music, buildings, possessions, spirituality and heritage--through the eyes of modern artists of the early 1900s. Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, Georgia O'Keefe and others."

There were some lovely photographs by Paul Strand, and there was quote about the American identity being inextricably (my word because I can't recall the exact quote) tied to the land, to geography. Helpful to be reminded of that, and it prompted me to recall one of my favorite writers, Wallace Stegner.

The show was modest in quantity but offered a wide-angle view of that diverse, dynamic, passionate era. There were several videos--two were of early jazz artists and dance clubs.

There was another cool exhibit: glass balls in the "courtyard" in the middle of the museum. Last year the courtyard was empty, vaguely reminiscent of a Zen Garden. Glass balls  of varying sizes and colors now populate the space, animating it, quietly calling for attention. And I was grateful that photographs were allowed.

It was pushing 2:00, and the UW vs. Illinois basketball game was at 2:30, so we high-tailed it home--and yes, the Dawgs won. But the next match-up, likely to be against UConn, could be ugly...

A little art, a little basketball, not a bad Saturday...

Saturday on the Sound

Saturday, 3/4/06. It was a day for sightseeing. So Connie and I drove onto the Bainbridge Island ferry in time to get to Winslow for lunch (Cafe Nola). En route we passed sailboats (their first outing of the season?), and their colorful sails, with the Seattle skyline in the background made for a wonderful scene.

We headed across the Island to the little town of Poulsbo where I will helping with a workshop at the Group Health medical center there next week. A stop at Sly's Bakery is a must. Spotted some old bottles in a window, so out came the camera.

Continued up the Kitsap Peninsula to Port Gamble, an historic little burg. We drove onto the property of a lumber mill near the water and spotted two eagles on what looked like an osprey roost. As we approached they took flight. I cursed myself for not bringing a long lens. Next time... Still, managed to get a few pictures.

On the ferry back, from Kingston to Edmonds, laid the car seats back,  closed our eyes, and let the day waft over us.