Monday, December 15, 2008

weekend trip

Over the weekend we went to DC to visit friends - my friend A has been mansion-sitting, and this is where we stayed:Pretty spanky, right? We had a nice time. Only sad thing was a couple of certain DC friends couldn't make it! ):

On the way out of town we popped into Baltimore's Visionary Art Museum - it was terrific. We saw some crazy sh*t, including a guy who carves in pencil lead. This was the most amazing one - I mean, do you see what's going on there?

In other art news, we went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a few shows there, including an rather ridiculous exhibit: Women of Our Time: Twentieth Century Photographs. There were photographs of famous women of the last century, coupled with labels that explained who they were. Frankly, I thought the whole exhibit was extremely insulting - I don't need no damn plaque telling me who Rosa Parks or Dorothy Parker is. The presentation of these women (Oh, look! Women! Who were important, just like men!) alongside these moronic labels I thought merely perpetuated the idea that brilliant women are something of an oddity. Not to mention that their images were just splayed out all over, waiting to be consumed by the male gaze. Anywho, the gentle reader may not be interested in my radical anti-label ideas, but I found myself thinking What is the use of a portrait gallery? I'll be pondering that.

And while I'm pondering, why don't you watch my lovely hus. play the piano?

5 comments:

KHM said...

Heeeeyyyy--- I'm so sorry that Rob's party totally used up all my social grace for the weekend; I did think aboutcha!

I totally love the Bmore Museum of Visionary Art---did you catch the mirror-glass mosaic egg sculpture outside? My profile pic is a self portrait reflected in it... there is always crazy sh*t there but I'm also always so moved by the urge to express and create conveyed in those works.... like the collage-y stuff made from mashed potato/spit paper by the institutionalized woman who just didn't have any materials... yeah. But they also have one hell of a gift shop; did you browse there?

Special K said...

Yes! Best museum gift shop evah!

Oh, we'll meet one of these days, won't we? (:

Carrie said...

Who lives in that house when A doesn't? Nice place.

I like portrit galleries as a whole. I'm like a baby- I just like to look at pretty faces. Even in my home, I have mostly photographs, not real art like you. However, the concept behind that exhibit sounds insulting.

Anonymous said...

Neat week-end! I wish I could have been with you; just who is it that lives in that house?

clterry said...

I never knew M could play the piano. I was totally impressed by how he moved and could look up at you while he played so fast!

Awesome place you got to stay in.