first visit to the Seattle Art Museum

I went to visit the Seattle Art Museum today. I took off work early and went over there to check it out, something I'd been putting off for a long time. Not because I didn't want to go, but because I'd heard that it was bad.

While it wasn't a mind blowing experience by any stretch of the imagination, it wasn't really that bad. There were some things there that I would like to spend some more time with. For instance I'm always surprised to see any of Robert Arneson's work outside of the Bay Area. SAM had on display Arneson's John with Art from 1964. I'm always appreciative of the huge role that toilets play in my art appreciation. There was a nice sketch of the piece on the wall as well. Also hanging nearby was a great William T. Wiley drawing. Another Bay Area funk artist that I am always delighted to see represented. I got hung up on a Robert Morris piece called Box with the Sound of Its Own Making. Sitting in the minimalism room, it is just what it sounds like, a wooden box with a recording of its own construction playing from it. Just the kind of self-referential stuff that I'm a total sucker for. There was a Joseph Beuys Felt Suit. I remember hearing a story about a woman (artist presumably) who was going into museums and attempting to consume these suits. A quick google search couldn't back that up, but I swear I didn't make the story up.

Also I got yelled at by a security guard for taking pictures with my phone. Below are the images. I didn't make it very far before getting caught. Weird thing is that I almost never take pictures in museums or galleries. Oh well, I don't feel bad, it's ridiculous anyhow to try to stop people from taking photos, and telling me not to pretty much guaranteed that I would post them here.

The middle one is pretty great. It is a collaborative painting from a group of Aboriginals. On the floor is a projected video of the group creating the piece that is on the wall. It was really interesting the way every member seemed to contribute in the same manner. I didn't spend much time with it, but my idealized thought about the way they worked together was very compelling.