I recently visited the Peggy Guggenheim Collection while on holiday in Venice, Italy. I had no knowledge of the storied past of the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, who’s story began in about 1750, long before Ms. Guggenheim became its final occupant.
Peggy Guggenheim’s collection is a must see for fans of Modern Art, and is also one of Venice’s most visited attractions. Situated on the Grand Canal near the Lagoon, the former residence features amazing views of the canal and other palazzos. And most important, is the collection itself. It’s noted as ‘one of the most important museums in Italy for European and American art of the first half of the 20th Century’. Pieces in her collection embrace Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, and are born out of personal connections from the artists themselves.
As a champion of artists, she created an American outpost for the European avant-gard, with a gallery in New York called Art of This Century, in 1942. Prior to that she had a short lived gallery in London during the lates 1930’s, Guggenheim Jeune. Her initial collection, acquired at a rate of one painting per day on frenzied trips to Paris during World War II, cost her only $40,000 for a group of works by Brancusi, Geroges Braque, Salvador Dali, Ernst, Fernand Leger and Pable Picasso, among others. That collection ultimately settled in Venice in 1948, with its initial exhibition at the biennale.
With the acquisition of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Ms. Guggenheim set up shop as one of the city’s most celebrated patrons and eccentrics. That said, she was actually the third woman to own the Palazzo, preceded by the Marchesa Luisa Casati and Doris Castlerosse. Christies has a fantastic article titled: Ghosts of the unfinished palazzo, which you can readHERE. A little FYI, the palazzo might be named for the yawning lion heads seen below… at least that’s one of the theories.
Altarpiece: The Coronation of the Virgin, About 1420, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: The Virgin Mary with Saints Thomas Aquinas and Paul, about 1335, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: Saint Andrew, 1426, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: Saint John the Baptist, About 1542 – 45, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: The Madonna and Child with Musical Angels, about 1410, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: Saint James Major, the Madonna and jChild, and Various Saints, 1490, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: Saint James Major, the Madonna and Child, and Various Saints, 1490, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints, 1390’s, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi CortierAltarpiece: The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints, 1390’s, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photo Romi Cortier
There’s a fantastic collection of Altarpieces at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, including a nearly fully intact altarpiece called The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints.
These works of art came out of christian churches generally in the 14th and 15th centuries, with the tradition beginning during the 11th century. Frequently these paintings were made of multiple panels called diptychs, triptychs or polyptychs. However, fewer and fewer of them remain in tact, as they were broken apart and sold to collectors. The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints, seen above, is quite remarkable because it’s nearly a complete altarpiece.
If religion isn’t your thing, it’s still easy to appreciate the spectacular beauty of these panels. The imagery of the saints are typically painted more flat in nature, as opposed to rounded and three dimensional. This period of art is known as the late Middle Ages and was financed primarily by the church. The purpose of the ‘flat’ image, was to force the viewer to focus on the more godly aspect of the paintings, as opposed to the sexier fleshier painting that would dominate the Renaissance Period that followed.
One of the more beautiful features of these panels is the gold leaf that has been used over the wood panels, as well as on some portions of the paintings themselves. The fragile gold leaf was applied over a reddish clay that provided an adhesive surface, followed by burnishing (rubbing with a hard tipped instrument). ‘Punches’ (metal rods) were also used to stamp the surface of the gold leaf, giving additional patterns and textures. This was especially effective when creating the delicate haloes surrounding the heads of holy figures. It’s difficult to fully appreciate the gold leafing in photos, so if you live in LA, or are here on vacation, be sure to add the J. Paul Getty Museum to your to do list.
Mark Grotjahn: 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018, Photo Romi CortierMark Grotjahn: 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018, Photo Romi CortierMark Grotjahn: 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018, Photo Romi CortierMark Grotjahn: 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018, Photo Romi CortierMark Grotjahn: 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018 Photo Romi Cortier… Art Selfie
Mark Grotjohn: 50 Kitchens is currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
When I walked into this massive installation I thought to myself, what cool screen prints. I love Op Art (optical illusion art) and this exhibit was fantastic with its use of color. Then I discovered that these weren’t prints at all, but color pencil drawings… say what! How many hours did it take to create each one of these? I discovered that these drawings were done over 5 years between 2013 – 2018, which is about 1 drawing per month. That’s some serious commitment to your artistic process.
Grotjohn’s created his first Butterly composition to meet the dimensional specifications of a wall in his kitchen. The subsequent 50 chromatic drawings explore pairs of radiating colors, like Grass Green and Canary Yellow, or Tuscan Red and Chartreuse. From an art history point of view, Op Art ( a mid 1960’s artistic movement) was traditionally created in black and white, giving the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling and warping. These colorful drawings absolutely give the viewer that same experience.
Personally I love a modernist aesthetic, and to see a sterile white room with a stainless steel skylight and ample day light, make for an amazing viewing experience. It forces the viewer to take in the radiating color. That said, I’d love to see a smaller installation of say 3 to five drawings on colorful walls from the opposite end of the color spectrum. What do I mean by that? Imagine a rich verdigreen wall with orange drawings on it, or a deep purple wall with yellow drawings on it. This contrasting technique would make the drawings absolutely jump off the wall. Would it be a restful experience, no. On the contrary, all that color would keep your eye moving around the room.
Mark Grotjahn, 50 Kitchens, Color Pencil on Paper, LACMA, 2018, Photo Romi Cortier
There’s only about 2 weeks left to see this installation. If you’d like to learn more about it, click here: LACMA
David Hockney, 82 Portraits and 1 Still Life, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
David Hockney:82 Portraits and 1 Still life, is a tour de force.
Let me be honest… there’ve been times that I haven’t loved the work of David Hockney, namely the time that I saw his large scale landscape in Paris, possibly at the Pompidou Center. While that particular installation was colorful, it felt crudely executed when in the presence of the more traditional fine art paintings in that gallery. I wanted to love it… but I didn’t.
That said, these current works are both energizing and poignant, and had me smiling from the moment I walked into the gallery. The shear force of all of that color flooded my eyes and made for an amazing presentation . The alternating background colors behind his subjects, in shades of blues and greens, hanging against the saturated red-orange gallery wall, created a visual rhythm between each portrait. The overall gestalt was one of strength and happiness. However, after looking at each portrait up close, a deeper sense of appreciation emerged. While the brush work was loose, the proportion and perspective was spot on. And then of course there’s the emotional life of each of his subjects.
Rita Pynoos, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Rita Pynoos: Friend of David Hockney
Benedikt Taschen, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Benedikt Taschen: Founder and managing director of the publishing house Taschen, one of the most successful international publishers.
Larry Gagosian, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Larry Gagosian: Owner Gagosian Gallery, an upscale chain of art galleries.
Margaret Hockney, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Margaret Hockney: Sibling to David Hockney
John Baldessari, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
John Baldessari: American conceptual artist featured in more than 200 solo exhibits in the U.S. and Europe.
J-P Goncalves De Lima, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima: Studio manager for David Hockney
Still Life, Acrylic on Canvas, David Hockney, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
Eighty two friends and business associates agreed to sit for Mr. Hockney in his Hollywood Hills art studio, for up to 3 days per portrait. The Still Life seen above was created on the day that one of his guests wasn’t able to make the scheduled sitting. For any artist to take on a project like this, it’s a remarkable and ambitious feat. Hockney just turned 80. I can’t imagine taking on a project like this at the age of 75. Hockney says that when he’s in his studio painting, he feels 30 again… so naturally he spends as much time there as he can.
Organized by the Royal Academy in conjunction with LACMA, the exhibit opened in London in 2016, then traveled to Venice, Italy: Bilboa, Spain: and Melbourne, Australia. The only U.S. stop is L.A. and will close on July 29, 2018.
Romi Cortier, David Hockney Exhibit , Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2018
If you live here in LA, I highly urge you to attend this exhibition… you may find yourself inclined to visit it more than once. Personally, I can’t stop thinking about the show.
Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa. Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa, Photo Romi CortierChihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle, Wa., Photo Romi Cortier
This is my second post about Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum which I had the pleasure of visiting in February of this year. Bright colors like this make me happy and help to transport my spirit to a better place. The metaphor of a boat filled with Chihuly glass couldn’t be more poignant at this time. The word Chihuly starts with chi, which in Chinese culture can be interpreted to mean ‘life force’. Therefore, I’m hopping aboard this little boat full of life force that’s traversing a black sea, taking me to places unknown with a whole lotta faith. And faith is what is needed in light of the recent presidential election here in the states. It left half our country feeling completely devastated, as well as some countries abroad. We’re in a time of transition and it’s anyones guess where we’ll end up.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and spent ten years living in the downtown area of Seattle, moving to L A in the mid 90’s. Chihuly has always been part of the local vernacular there. I had clients who owned pieces of his work, and downtown office buildings have permanent installations of his blown glass in their lobbies, such as the one below. Plus, there were always frequent gallery openings or museum shows that anyone could attend. It was just one of those things you sorta took for granted. But now that I live in earthquake country, I appreciate his work even more. My own small blown glass collection made from Seattle glass blowers, which I love tremendously, remains in storage for safety reasons.
The other thing that I’m reminded of when I think of my time in Seattle, is how I was perceived as ‘other’. With my black hair and olive skin, I was constantly asked my ethnicity. Are you Egyptian, Mexican, Persian… I was oddly exotic in those days. Then I moved to Los Angeles and all of that changed. I was stunned and excited at how remarkably diverse the culture here was. It was rather mind blowing to me that people came to this little plot of land from all over the world, to share in the California dream. At that point, I became much more aware of how white I actually was, and that I was also a minority here in a completely different way. If I were living on the westside, say Santa Monica or Brentwood, then I may have blended in more. I never gave it much thought, it was just the way LA was… a melting pot of really interesting cultures from all over the world. And now, with my silvery white hair and paler skin, I feel like the old waspy white guy. Wow, how did I get here in 25 quick years.
Romi Cortier with sisters Tami & Tina
The reason that I bring this up is because most of us in white america never know what it means to be ‘the other’. For a period of time, I did. I think that is why so many of my friends here in Los Angeles, as well as my clients at the salon, feel completely devastated by this election. Some of them truly fear for their safety when they travel outside of our diverse little L A bubble. Honestly I’d never given white privilege much thought, until I discovered that I’m actually pretty white. My very handsome fiance is black, which also helped shifted my point of view, opening my eyes to the challenges he and his family have faced over the years. For me, people are people. Color has never been an issue. In fact, I’ve always thought people with darker skin than me were much better looking… maybe it’s the artist in me. And at my salon, I’m hearing interesting points of view from my clients who’ve immigrated from Ireland, England, Iran, Paris and Armenia. Even though most of them pass for ‘white’, they’re still concerned at what all of this rhetoric from our new president elect may mean for them.
As a progressive guy, I was very excited about the possibility of a female president, regardless of her baggage. To me, she was the most prepared for the position. I’ve since learned that over half of our country doesn’t feel included in the current american dream, and was willing to shake things up in an unprecedented way. Since the Donald is a complete wildcard, it’s anyones guess what the next four years will bring. This forced me to look deep into myself and ask myself what was important for me. It helped me to get clear on my soul purpose once again. Below is what I shared on my facebook page the day after the election.
Today I am a citizen of the world. I renew my commitment to focus on what is beautiful and right in this world, and will do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of fear, hatred and anger. I will continue to celebrate that beautiful piece of art, or a glorious piece of architecture that came from our higher source. I will celebrate man made elements that reflect our better selves, holding us to higher standards born out of our infinite source of creativity. To me, that is being godly, while staying connected to this world in a way that serves us all. #LoveWins
Thank you again for joining me on this journey of art, architecture, interior design, and anything else I find worthy of sharing with you. I really appreciate having a forum to think out loud, hopefully bringing a new perspective to things. Besides, beautiful things never go out of style.
