Art Noir

I've always had an affinity for Film Noir, even before I know it was called that. Maybe it's my childhood memories of watching late night movies on our TV before the days of colour. Well before the days of video cassettes, and way before DVDs. And since, lets say, I tended to like to stay up late, and lets say certain parents were a bit lax in official bedtime schedules, the only way to see any movie that wasn't a recent film at the local theatre was to catch it on at night right before the TV station signed off. What was usually on was a '40's gangster film or an old horror movie. Back then my whole notion of the '40's was that everyone lived in black and white, and all clothing was grey. (Technicolor movies almost blinded my eyes. All that red!).
So in homage to those shadowy films with shady people, dangerous men and loose women, snappy dialogue, dark alleys, damp fedoras on rainy streets, and the requisite window blinds letting light bleed in from an alien, outside world, I created a little book of dark, collaged images. (with a wee dose of Gothic mash-up) Kind of my own rainy day project. I still need a few more quotes in it, preferably written in acid:

Eureka! or just Eureka.

Every state has that one town that seems to take pride in its' own weirdness. I'm all for the quirky, the oddball, the unique. Oregon has Portland, Texas has Austin (or at least it did in the Seventies, the best decade of Keep Austin Weird. I remember going into a clothing store to try a dress on back then, and a guy came out of the girls dressing room in a formal gown, twirled a couple of times for the clerk, and asked, "Does this suit me?"). But I digress. I suspect, based on my visit to Arkansas, that Eureka Springs has volunteered to step up and be the 'crazy aunt at the reunion".

Apparently we had just missed the huge LGBT gathering when we checked into the Basin Park Hotel (a shabby place that somehow presents itself as so much more on its website). And we were too early for the annual Parade of Volkswagons. The town itself seemed full of bikers, lesbians, artists, New Agers, and traditional religious people. That went for the tourists too. Harleys cruised routinely up and down the main downtown drag, and occasionally some old timers wandered down from Branson, Missouri looking for more "Ozarkiness"

There was a giant statue of Jesus on the hillside opposite when we went for wine on the rooftop of the Crescent Hotel. Supposedly the largest in the northern hemisphere. He looks small here, far far away. Like he's yelling "Hey, Val!"

The view was supposed to be the best for seeing the town. It's definitely the best for seeing a dense layer of trees. I think the town was under all that. We also saw this in the hotel hallway, as well as another one in our own lobby. I do not know what it is but it frightens me.

We ate a nice meal at Ermilio's Italian restaurant in a small Victorian house (it goes without saying that everything was in a 'small Victorian house"). But our meal the next night on the balcony of our hotel was terrible. Tough steak, hard microwaved baked potatoes, and salad out of a bag with cheap, bottled dressing. Considering that they have a nice spa in the hotel and we had great massages and facials, this was a total letdown. I drowned my disappointment in wine. Glenn preferred a dark ale with a shot of Jamison's.

We wandered through a lot of shops but bought nothing. There was only one true fine arts gallery we saw, the rest mainly had kitsch and country. I am sure, had we stayed longer, we would have unearthed some more interesting places. We did enjoy the Mud Street Cafe for a morning coffee. It was in a downstairs lair, and  here I sketched my only drawing of the trip, an interesting looking girl behind the counter.

I always intend to do lots of plein air sketches and then....I just forget. We did visit a couple of cool churches.

Saint Elizabeth's Catholic Church is known for its' entrance in the steeple at road level, after which you wander a path down to the actual church. The second church, outside of town, is the Thorncrown Chapel in the Woods, an architecture-award winning structure built in the '80's that is truly a 'spiritual' space. I wish I could say the same for many churches I have been in that seem more like offices or schools or entertainment/activity centers, rather than a place to experience God.

And, that was pretty much our trip. Our hotel was supposedly haunted, but I saw no apparitions. There was a bit of quirk, but I suspect that Eureka Springs, like Austin, probably had better stories in the old days.

Here are a few more images in parting.

Art, people! Enjoy!

The highlight of our trip to Arkansas, the only reason for going within spitting distance of Branson, Missouri (no thank you) in a muggy August heat wave, was to see this magnificent art museum:

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, was built by Wal-Mart heiress, Alice Walton. and designed by Moshe Safdie (he designed the Habitat at the 1967 Montreal World's Fair). It is not without its controversies, mainly critics comparing its 'let them eat art' values to the way it treats its own workers, and rides roughshod over small towns and businesses.
I had seen a story on it on CBS 60 Minutes and realized it was in a day's journey away from us, so while Glenn was in Spain I made the plans. We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in Bentonville, near the museum, nicely remodeled, and close to the old town square still sporting the old five and dime store that would later be the Wal-mart evil empire.

I notice Sam Walton lovingly preserved his own home town, although he probably owns every inch of it.

Not that I'm judging. Who me? Miss Tolerence 2012, putting up with other people for 62 years? Oh no.
Well, at least his daughter spared no expense for the lovely museum, and it's free to the public. Art for all, and it's not sequestered away in New York. I like that.
Here are some more views of the building and grounds. Many nature walks outside (at the risk of heat stroke), and a nice cafe to break up the visit. You enter from above and then descend downwards to the water level:

As an architect, Glenn was quite impressed, and noticed all the details, like concrete pillars polished and varnished with a soft patina to look like marble.

Meanwhile I was looking for my own photo ops:

I didn't take too many photos of actual artwork, too busy enjoying it and fearful of the flash going off and a stern guard approaching. There was a touring exhibit of the Hudson River School that was just beautiful, featuring many of the leading artists of that group. The most impressive was a five painting series of the rise and fall of an empire by Thomas Cole, huge dramatic paintings with infinite detail. They were supposed to be symbolic of the U.S. at that time in 19th century history but this one reminded me of our current state and the upcoming election. Looks like the Tea Party and the Liberals are having it out:

The museum's own collection was arranged from Colonial to Modern art. The journey took about five hours including lunch and I did not get museum fatigue at all. There many familiar names: Sargent, Whistler, Homer, Eakins,Wyeth, Avery, Cassatt, O'Keeffe, Parrish, Pollock, Rockwell, and Warhol. Something for everyone. I had a few favorites, including this intriguing sculpture of Martha Graham, so exact in representing her personality:

This famous painting resides here too. Asher Durand's 'Kindred Spirits'.

And this stunning painting, nearly seven feet tall by Robert Henri. I love the way the woman seems to unfold out of the darkness and gaze directly at you with a serene, confident air.

This painting also held my attention, "The Intruder", a tempera work by Andrew Wyeth. I felt the still, alertness of the dog looking into the twilight. The textures of the rocks were just incredible.

And here's this ironic and iconic image by Norman Rockwell, a huge canvas of Rosie the Riveter, posed like Michaelangelo's prophet Isaiah on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. An ode to both women and workers that may be lost on the Waltons. Not judging, just observing...:-)

One of the last paintings we viewed was this huge canvas that took up an entire wall, done by Tom Uttech in 2009. It seemed a fitting end to a journey that started in the American wilderness of the Hudson River. A lone bear ponders a setting sun while thousands of birds swarm through the air like mosquitos. Is it the end of the world? A new beginning? Has nature reclaimed the land? The bear is the still point and only he knows.

Heat Wave Big D style

How hot was it in Dallas last week?

Yeah, it was pretty hot. And we were walking around Oak Cliff enjoying the shops and galleries but after awhile we were pretty parched so it was time for a little refreshment at a local establishment designed for such things.

Our moustached friend fixed me something called a Blackberry Crush: muddled berries, ginger, curacao, and vodka. I'm not normally a frou frou fruity drink person but since I was on vacation I decided to experiment.

I had also bought a necklace earlier (continuing the death by heat theme).

When we got back to Andrea and Tina's house, Dolly wondered where her drink was. She's such a barfly.

The next day, Glenn and I were off to Arkansas to see the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville then on to Eureka Springs. But I have many more photos to upload first so I'll be back. Taking my sweet slow August time........