The Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright stands majestically on 5th Avenue and 88th.
The rotundas of the central spiral serve not just an access to the galleries but also as exhibition halls, in this case of "The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplating Asia, 1860-1989".It brought together an eclectic collection of works by artists such as James Whistler, Jackson Pollock, Yoko Ono, Isamu Noguchi and others. I came here not knowing the scope of the exhibition and I was surprised - especially on the Asian influence that can be traced to calligraphy and abstract ink blots on the technique of Jackson Pollock.
The set of prints by Mary Cassatt that drew on the styles of Japanese compositions clearly is another example of this Eastern influence as well. 250 works were on exhibit but it was easy to view. There was plenty of room to roam about, the galleries at the Guggenheim do not leave the viewer with a feeling of being boxed-in.
My preferred way of exploring the Guggenheim, it's always an experience to walk down the central spiral looking down on the museum's lobby.
What I could not get myself to appreciate is Paul Kos' Sound of Ice Melting. On display at the lobby are two twenty-five-pound blocks of ice, eight boom microphone stands, eight microphones, mixer, amplifier, two large speakers and cables. The viewer is invited to "listen to the sound of melting ice", which I thought was bizarre. I stood there like a fool waiting for it to happen but didn't hear a drop. Far from being an artist to understand the concept, I guess I was too literal. And that's why I'm not into contemporary art.
The other exhibit is that of Ann Hamilton entitled "Human carriage". It is a contraption composed of book weights made from cut-up books that ascend and descend along the rotunda spiral by a pulley system, and a pair of Tibetan cymbals that rush down the balustrade. The chimes invite the museum goers to look up and watch the action, leaving them with a variety of interpretations as to the theme it was trying to convey.
I would prefer to deal with some form of art that's not so blurry. Some of it was much too abstract, I spent more time at the Thannhauser Gallery where the Whistler, Georgia O'Keefe and Picasso collection was more my style.
As I exit, I went down to the Sackler Annex where a travelogue of Isamu Noguchi was on display. It captured his fellowship visits to India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and elsewhere. This I enjoyed as well.
Give me something more concrete, abstract patterns can be frustrating.
