| The Seattle Art Museum and this thing called Water |
| Other News | |||
| Posted: February 28, 2009 | |||
 Alexander Calder's "Eagle" at the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park - photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org A Sunday afternoon in Seattle is an excellent opportunity to take in the wonderful collection at the Seattle Art Museum as well as something in short supply here in Denver: water! While I was impressed with the SAM's wide array of modern and contemporary works, anyone with some extra time simply must walk the extra mile northwest on Alaskan Way to SAM's bayside Olympic Sculpture Park. True, the Museum has stocked the park with outstanding work from some of the worlds greatest sculptors—Louise Bourgeois ("Eye Benches"), Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen ("Typewriter Eraser, Scale X" reminiscent of the DAM's broom and dustbin), Alexander Calder ("Eagle") and the highlight, Richard Serra's "Wake"—but it doesn't really matter, as the dramatic setting on Elliot Bay, with the works seemingly floating in the languid tide, is really enough to set the spirit soaring for this high-desert, moisture depraved soul. Of course rain will be a part of any NW Winter afternoon, so try to time your walk to the sculpture park between showers and take in the SAM's main building when things are looking wettest. Some highlights from the collection include "Mann und Maus" by Katharina Fritsch—an artist featured in the Denver Art Museum's RADAR exhibit, a stunning Jackson Pollock work from 1947 "Sea Change" featuring the classic stylings of the artist along with glistening black asphalt and pebbles, beautiful pieces from Willem de Kooning, Ellsworth Kelly, an untitled Joseph Cornell collage from 1966 (a departure from his classic boxes), an early non-color field Mark Rothko work "Number 11" from 1947, etc, etc... Click here for some pix, and check out the SAM's first rate website featuring tons of images and information about the collection, something sorely lacking on so many museum websites. I think the biggest surprise was an exhibition of beautiful contemporary painting by Australian Aboriginal artists in the John McCone Gallery; the abstract works were striking in their meticulous detail, and while totally non-representational, the various paintings use thousands of points to create colorful lines and shapes that weave and flow, building up a meditative reflection on the barren, infinite landscapes of the Australian outback. If you simply don't have time to take in the entire collection, you can glimpse the kitsch Cai Guo-Qiang installation of hanging cars "Inopportune: Stage One" in the lobby and Jonathon Borofsky's "Hammering Man" at the First Avenue and University Street entrance without even paying admission. And if you cannot handle the walk from the museum to the sculpture park, make your way down the hill through the famous Pike Place Market and you'll find yourself on Alaskan Way where the 99 bus runs frequently (and free) on Alaskan Way between Chinatown/Pioneer Square and the park. After the park you can take the 99 back to Chinatown and take in the Wing Luke Asian Museum which is open on Sunday until 5:00 pm. - KLH Seattle Art Museum 1300 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 206.654.3100 http://www.seattleartmuseum.org Olympic Sculpture Park (part of the SAM) 2901 Western Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 Wing Luke Asian Museum 719 S King St Seattle, WA 98104 206.623.5124 http://www.wingluke.org
photos by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
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