Artsy Sunday

I had a fabulous day walking around the McNay art museum on Marion Koogler McNay's birthday. As I stepped out of my car I immediately noticed the beauty of the grounds, even on such an overcast, grey day. Even though there are many people around...some taking engagement pictures, some visiting with family, some talking with other mothers as their children run around and play together, some taking photographs of the breathtakingly landscaped trees, shrubs, and flowers...I still feel as though this is my own private place.

I imagine myself living here, this manicured lawn leading up to my colonial styled mansion with steel latticed window coverings and richly colored imported tile patios, walkways, and balconies. Even if it means I would have to live during the 1900s without indoor plumbing or air conditioning, I would have loved it.



An immediate soothing calm follows the first few seconds of embarrassing questions about which exhibits are free at the entrance of the museum. The artwork intrigues me--How do they do that?, I wonder. I decide to watch the brief skit in the auditorium that celebrates the birthday of Marion Koogler McNay. I am certainly glad for her and thankful for this sanctuary she has built.







She led a fascinating life and I can't help but feel kindred to her. She is described as high-spirited and daring. I blush to think of you reading this and imagining that I think myself either of those admirable qualities so I will go on to describe her and explain my feeling of connectedness.

She grew up in El Dorado, Kansas as the only daughter of a well-to-do doctor who purchased land that would later be discovered to hold oil, thereby ensuring her wealth until the time of her death. Again, this is nothing like me who is the eldest of 2 daughters of hard working laborers who struggled and rose from poverty to middle class.



She was, however, a strong woman with an artist's heart and a love for life, a romantic. At the age of 34 she married the love of her life, the 26 year old, Don McNay. Marion fell in love with Don because of his innocent and earnest way of being. They were only married 10 months before he died of the Spanish Influenza that killed off 25% of the population in the early 1900s. Although she married 4 subsequent times and is known as The Liz Taylor of Texas, she never stopped loving her Don and kept his name after her divorces.






These are a few of my favorite pictures from the ones I saw today. This is John Sargent's Study of a Young Man (Seated) 1895 Lithograph and I love the multi meaning expression on this young man's face. I am curious if he was wondering what he was doing there, whether he should leave without waking his partner, or replaying the fantastic scenes of the night before in his mind over and over again. I sometimes do that same thing myself, but mostly as I am driving in my car.






This is a 1910-12 watercolor and graphite on paper by Maurice Prendergast called Venice. I was particularly drawn to it because its vibrant colors and bustling waterways and market remind me of my trip to Venice in 2005.

This picture was incredibly moving. I was able to feel the strife of people in Mexico making their way across the desert seeking refuge in the U.S. The gross juxtaposition of the horrific-faced woman with her breast exposed running along the family man carrying his little girl to safety is moving. In a few years, if left behind, who knows if the child would become the presumed prostitute? This lithograph by Luis Jimenez titled Tan lejos de Dios, tan cerca de los Estados Unidos (So far from God, so close to the United States) 2001 was donated to the museum by my former University President and boss, Ricardo and Harriet Romo. Small world, right?

But this is by far my most favorite painting. It is Cesar A. Martinez's Sol y Remolino 1992 acrylic with sand and organic matter on canvas. I wrote the following notes down while I watched the painting and hope to make it into, or the inspiration for, a poem soon.

earthy

an eruption from the core

spray of organic detritus

desert in the foreground

over emphasized circular figure as focal point; juxtaposition of far and near

a wounded openness, cut with surgical precision; the impression of a red eye

one earth staring at its twin; the viewer is the earth

the beginnings of an identical wound is forming on viewers earth; foreboding of similar future

Impression that it can still be mended by the way the bits of the viewer's earth begins to cover the open wound of its twin.

At first, the colors are warm and soothing; browns, purples, reds, whites, but as you stare a while and contemplate the work inch by inch, your mind wanders and connects the colors with a dying of light and the movements of the painter's strokes with anxiousness, fearfulness, sadness for the pain, but gladness of the promise of healing.

I encourage you all to go check it out. Wishing you the best year ever!.....Mel