Sunday January 25

Man Ray (Silhouette 1916)

Sunday the 25 of January I visited a pretty little museum known as the Guggenheim in Venice, Italy. During this visit I was blessed with the opportunity to see masterpieces by the well known artists: Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Max Earnst, Vasily Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, Man Ray, and many other well known truly inspirational artists. These artist that I mentioned are the artists whose work impacted me the most. 

It is one thing to see pictures of an artists work and to study an artists work. It is quite another to see it... RIGHT THERE.... on the wall. It was as if I did not believe my eyes when I saw the name plates beside the paintings. The artists signature on the paintings clarified my doubt.

Picasso (On the Beach, 1937)

The first piece I came to on my right was a painting by Pablo Picasso. I was stunned. I then saw a flash come from the girls 

camera who was standing next to me. One of the interns who worked in this area told her no flash photography. I have been told that a flash on a painting is the equivalent to 5 days in direct sunlight on a painting.    (This is the Painting to the left.)

One piece that had a great impact on me was definitely Alchemy, 1947.  This is a painting by Jackson Pollock. I have always seen his work and admired the crazy beauty hidden within the paint but I never understood his work until this exhibit. When you get up close to this painting you realize there is sand, rocks, string, and who knows what else. I could look at a Jackson Pollock painting for days. Literally days. I did not want to leave. I also read in this museum that Pollock puts loose canvas on that ground and then pours paint upon paint and does his thang. 

Another piece that made me stop and go oh no! SERIOUSLY! SERIOUSLY! Please tell me this is real! Oh yes it was real two original Man Ray rayographs. I was stunned. They were beautiful. 

During this Guggenheim Visit I also learned that Peggy Guggenheim was married to Max Ernst. If I am not mistaken Max Ernst was jewish and Peggy Guggenheim saved hi

m from the Germans through marriage. The tour guide also said that Peggy Guggenheim was a very self confident woman and no one ever made her jealous except for Max Ernst. Evidently he was quite good looking. They married in 1942 and divorced in 1946.

I am on cloud 9! Thank you Guggenheim! And thank you so much for reading!!