Monday, July 23, 2012

Kylie and Anth Visit MOMA (Perth Edition)

Yesterday Anth and I hit the big smoke and got all cultural at the W.A. Art Gallery's tribute to Modern Art: Picasso to Warhol Fourteen Modern Masters. *


"For the novice, modern art is not nearly so terrifying or so grotesque as it may seem at first."

(Pic and quote from my latest op-shopped treasure, Womans World - can't find a publishing date on this, but I'd guess late 50's.)

It was an amazing exhibition, breathtaking even. If you live in Perth and love 20th Century art etc you must go. Over 100 masterpieces are on show by 14 of the most iconic artists of the 20th Century (paraphrased from the official blurb)

Here are some of our favourites

Night Fishing at Antibes, Pablo Picasso, 1939.

Forget about hanging this on a wall, I felt like diving into it!

Woman by a Window, Picasso, 1956.

Painter and Model, Picasso, 1928.

  (It was about here I had an altercation with art gallery security for using flash photography! O-Oh!)

We both love, love, loved this by Matisse

Gourds, Henri Matisse, 1928.


"We would suggest that you view modern paintings, whether resembling something you know or just an abstract pattern, with your feminine intuition. Say to yourself, "Does it stimulate any reaction? Does it soothe me or annoy me?" (Womans World)

This one soothed

Interior with a Violin Case, Mattise, 1918-1919.

Some artists were less familiar

Woman with a Book, Fernand Leger, 1923.

I especially liked his

Big Judy!

(I can't remember the details - sorry. But isn't it fab?  Apologies also to the stranger in the photo)

And Anthony, this

The Nostalgia of the Infinite, Giorgio de Chirico, 1912-1913.

(Catchy title, no?)

I took oodles of photos and was moved by all of them in some way.

"The greatest condemnation of any modern painting is that it leaves you completely unmoved" (Womans World)

And, also in reference to the (hilarious!) notes in Womans World, none of them annoyed me.

I'll end with the Warhol's, our least favourite artist of the 14,  (but I think that's purely to do with over-exposure to his work) 


Campbells Soup Cans, Andy Warhol, 1962.

I would like to try
Cheddar Cheese Soup, would you?


Before and After, Warhol, 1961.

Brillo, Warhol, 1964.

And here I am in a cute little cafe called Little Willy, it's on William Street in Northbridge. You could go there for a coffee after you've been to the gallery...
 
(Poser!)

...if you want to.

Now it's really, finally (thankfully!)

Tom Gibbons. Born in Lancashire 1928, died in Western Australia 2012. Not in Picasso to Warhol, but I like it just the same x

p.s. you can be sure I'll be trotting out more little gems from Womans World, down the track.

* until 3 December.

19 comments:

  1. I missed that exhibition when it was in Brisbane and I was so cranky at myself for not going. So thanks so much for sharing.

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  2. The Nostalgia of the Infinite is breathtaking and I love Interior with a Violin Case too, both pieces I'd happily buy a print of! What a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours!

    Jem xXx

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  3. I missed it too, I tend to go to the art for smalls now instead. So pleased you shared, I love Matisse's work in particulary. Although not sure about gourds as a still life object inspiration! melx

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  4. Love the Woman's World comments! I liked some of the pictures, but I'm not a fan of modern art, probably need to know more about it before I can appreciate it. I enjoyed the post, though.

    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  5. Aren't you hot with great eyebrows! Thanks for the art lesson miss, lover the Leger!
    Glad you and hubs got all cultural like! ;)

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  6. We had a Warhol exhibition here in town for a few months - ended not so long ago - I went three or four times and each time got more bemused by his art. Funny we also had a Brillo box 'work' - heaps of boxes piled on top of each other. I mean there's art and then there's art. And to me, that was not it. But then what does this pleb know?

    Not terribly keen on Picasso either but I do love Matisse.

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  7. No, I would not cheddar cheese soup - lol! Looked like a great day, and nice to see a pic of you! x

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  8. Love this post! Wish I could visit the exhibition.

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  9. Wow - this is a really great exhibition. What I'm amazed at too is that you were able to take photos - cameras are never allowed at that sort of thing here! We had a marvellous Matisse exhibition in Dublin a while back - it is fabulous to see the original works. Love the photo of you too - very dreamy.

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  10. What a great exhibit! Love the Picasso and Matisse pieces you photographed. I would have loved to see the MirĂ³ and Mondrian pieces too. I have MirĂ³ prints (and Kandinsky and Modigliani) throughout my house.

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  11. Lucky you, what a superb exhibition!! Can't believe you were allowed to take photos!! that's great! They are so strict with cameras here although in all the NY museums taking photos is allowed. I think it so great to capture the experience and be able to look at it all again (not just the art works but the exhibition itself) afterwards.

    And you look so pretty in this photos!!! Bring more of your photos Kylie!!!! It's great to 'see' you!

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  12. We will be there soon! Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog the other day -
    Nice to see a photo of YOU in your post... :-)

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  13. This looks amazing Kylie, what a great outing. I love the Gourds, definitely soothing!

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  14. aahh it looks like a great place for a moouch around all that wonderful colour. You look gorgeous in your photo to ;-)) dee xx

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  15. That looks awesome! I went to the moma in NYC but we didn't really enjoy it that much. x

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  16. I do love a wander around an art gallery (and the cafe and shop, else I feel short-changed) - I love the Picasso Night Fishing, I don't know if it makes me feel soothed but I love it anyway. I like the Saatchi gallery best for modern art here.

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  17. Phew so glad you were soothed and moved. The Gourds are my fave as well. Looks like a wonderful day out.

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  18. looks like an amazing exhibition. a little bit of culture goes a long way and i am now thinking about sala festival coming up in adelaide that i must get out and about with - www.salainc.com.au. love the pic - looks like a lovely place to sit. :)

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  19. Hi! Thanks for pointing me to the exhibit. That is interesting that some of the items you saw ended up in the Warhol exhibit I saw at the NY Met just a week ago. Small world isn't it?

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