I had not been to the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art since it reopened in May of 2016. I was impressed by its beautifully lit gallery spaces, overall size (170,000 square feet of exhibition space) and design. They have over 33,000 works of art in their permanent collection. I was hopeful that they would have one of the two paintings that they own by Bay Area artist Roland Petersen on view, but no such luck. I was enamored nevertheless.
As with any large museum, there is a lot of art to take in. We started on the 7th floor and worked our way down through the entire museum. The following photos are the highlights for me.
Cast aluminum, silicon, polycarbonate, chromed metal and painted metal
I first learned about Berlin artist Nairy Baghramian at Art Basel this past December. You might remember the large resin bone that I showed in my blog post. Baghramian’s work “explores the relationships between architecture, everyday objects, and the human body and prompts us to consider form and meaning in the context of interior and exterior spaces. Retainer recalls the apparatus used to shift nonaligned teeth – the elements that constitute the work are made of translucent peach-colored resin and silicon panels, cast and hand-applied” (SFMOMA)
Rhinestones, acrylic paint, oil and enamel paint on wood panel
Tandem Press works on prints with Mickalene Thomas. See my blog post from INK Miami Art Fair.
Neon tubing with clear glass tubing suspension frames
The great thing about seeing a lot of art is having a connection with pieces and artists you’ve seen in the past. When coming around the corner and I saw this piece, I immediately thought of the wonderful Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts show that I saw at MoMA in New York in 2018. I can’t remember what I did yesterday, but I never forget a good art show.
Graphite and crayon on seven walls
In October of 2017 I visited MASS MoCA. There are three stories of a historic mill building full of work by Sol LeWitt. The show, Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective is on view through 2043. I’ll definitely be seeing it again.
Wood, paint and canvas
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
I’m not a curator, but as a viewer I think that Ellsworth Kelly’s work looks fantastic in the newly renovated museum. Great lighting, white walls, and high ceilings. The vibrant colors of Kelly’s work looks fantastic in this museum.
Acrylic paint on canvas
Oil on canvas
Left: On a Clear Day I Can Usually See All the Way to Watts, 2001
Mixed media on canvas
Right: Monster, 2009 (detail)
Printed materials, acrylic, carbon paper, twine, paper, and mixed media on canvas
Cedar
There are beautiful outdoor spaces at SFMOMA. I like the facade of the museum, and particularly liked the juxtaposition of the Rydingsvard piece.
Steel panels with iron, lead, and burlap sacks
78 1/4” x 141 3/4 in
Top left: Untitled (Studio Stool with Gold Luster Heart Charm), 2019
Bronze, ceramic, glaze and steel
Top middle: Untitled (Shawarma Topiary), 2019
Ceramic, steel, gearbox, papier-mâché, and leather belts (the shawarma rotates)
Top right: Untitled (Cage Topiary with Accessories), 2019
Animal cages, ceramic, cement and steel
Bottom: Untitled (Security Gate Topiary), 2019
Ceramic, steel, leather belts, textile, papier-mâché, rug and sand
Sahar Khoury was one of three SECA (Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art) award winners. “Since 1967 the SECA Art Award has honored more than ninety under-recognized or emerging talents contributing to the vitality of art in our region. It remains central to SFMOMA’s support of the Bay Area art community, elevating creative visions that are shaping artistic dialogues here and beyond.” The award winners this year were Sahar Khoury, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, and Marlon Mullen. You can read more about Sahar Khoury here.
Left: IKB 74, 1958
Pigment on fabric over panel
Right: ANT 154, 1961
Pigment and synthetic resin on paper mounted on canvas
Left: Eponge (SE 180), 1957
Resin with pigment on sponge
Right: Eponge (SE 251), 1961
Resin with pigment on sponge
My heart lept when I walked into the room with the Yves Klein pieces. I particularly love Klein’s Eponge series. Read more about Yves Klein and his signature hue IKB (International Klein Blue) in my blog post from Art Basel.
earthenware with applied decoration, luster glaze
Bottom right: Beatrice Wood, c.1980s
earthenware with applied decoration, luster glaze
I went to San Francisco just for the day to see the Annabeth Rosen show before it closed. I couldn’t believe when I got off the plane that I immediately spotted some Beatrice Wood pieces. California Studio Craft featuring works from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection is one of many art displays at San Francisco International Airport.
earthenware with painted decoration, glaze
Bottom right: Beatrice Wood, tile, 1942
Hermosa tile with painted decoration, glaze
stoneware with sgraffito portraiture, glaze
stoneware, glaze
Bottom: Peter Voulkos, sculptural plate, 1999
wood -fired stoneware, glaze
earthenware, lava glaze
looped copper wire
Bottom: Ruth Asawa, sculpture, c. 1980s
bronze over looped wire
Having just seen an incredible Woody De Othello installation at Meridians at Art Basel, I was excited to find out that San Francisco International Airport has a beautiful deck full of his pieces. Time, Turn and Light are bronze pieces installed in 2019. “Time, Turn and Light depict ambiguous sets of hands interacting with everyday objects such as clocks, a flashlight, a candle, and a doorknob. These objects are rendered in an uncanny fashion with a sense of play, emotional intuition, and surrealism that provokes viewers to reimagine themselves and the way they view the world around them.” These pieces belong to the Collection of the City and County of San Francisco. I’m eager to see Woody De Othello: Breathing Room at the San Jose Museum of Art. It is open through April 5, 2020.
