Museum and art musings

(credit: wikipedia/bruce schulman)

I never took art 100 and I kind of regret it. In college, a lot of students took that survey class. The only art class I took was the Art of Japan for my major. Since then, I learned about art by visiting many art exhibits and museums all over the world. I love reading the commentaries, listening to the audio guides and have found out what I like in art. One big reason I started looking at art was the first time I went into the Smith College art museum (now I know has a very good art collection for a small college in the USA). I had never stepped foot into the museum until one day someone I knew and had an interest in was at the musuem during my sophomore year. From then on, I slowly acquired my knowledge or art from visiting museums and art exhibits all around the world.

I have been known to make special trips because experiences are important to me. Such as a trip to NYC to go to the MET to see a rare Faberge Eggs exhibit and art exhibit the first of its kind the treasures from the 國立故宮博物院National Palace Museum in Taipei while I was a student. I have enjoyed great exhibits at the MFA in Boston with Monet, Ansel Adams, John Singer Sargeant as some great exhibits that come to mind. Or the ukiyo-e 浮世絵, prints at the Art Institute or Klimpts in Austria.

The Louvre is overwhelming but I love the D’Orsay in Paris a remodeled train station, the Victoria and Albert in London to the Academy with the David sculpture. The Rodin Museum in Paris or the Vincent Van Gogh in Amsterdam are recent great ones. There is just a plethora of great artwork in Germany, Poland, Italy as well as sculpture which was amazing.
The architecture and artwork I have seen throughout my travels have been great too. I really want to go to Turkey thanks to the Treasures of the Topaki Palace exhibit I caught at the Corcoran Gallery in DC a few years back really piqued my interest. There is so much amazing art work, sculpture and tapestries that exist I want to see and explore. One great place I have yet to visit is the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

There is such wonderful art, tapestries, photos, museums, castles, sculptures etc in this world to enjoy and see. I always find myself wherever I go trying to visit the homes of famous or local residents, attending shows and concerts or checking out the local museums. One of these days I want to audit a survey of all the world's art. I think that would be fun.