random Prague October 21, 2009
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Since I was in Prague for a week, I had time to check out lots of things that, while cool, might not merit an entire blog post of their own. Therefore, I present the following tidbits:
Franz Kafka! Of course, the Kafka statue begs a Kafka quote, and here’s one of my favorites:
“From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.”
Museums:
I visited the Mucha Museum, a small collection of prints by the Art Nouveau artist. The Sex Machine Museum was also interesting, but not particularly shocking coming from San Francisco. My favorite exhibit was the his and hers nightgowns with slits at groin level to allow intercourse without the sinful touching of skin – I’ve read about them, probably in some Latin American novel. Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Laura Esquivel? Someone else entirely? It’s been too long since I’ve immersed myself in magical realism.
The National Museum was cool in a sorta steampunk way. The halls are filled with cabinets upon cabinets and a musty smell that immediately rocketed me back to my childhood days. Rooms were filled with minerals, more rooms with the work of a hundred taxidermists, and yet more rooms were filled with dried, pinned, and pickled creatures ranging from beetles to starfish to amphibians. This is a museum like museums used to be, an exhibit of how knowledge was stored before the internet and before Google.
Shopping:
By far my favorite shop was Dr. Stuart’s Botanicus, filled with wonderful soaps, lotions, candles, etc. Other things to shop for in Prague are marionettes, hollowed and decorated Easter eggs.
Van Gogh Museum October 12, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Amsterdam, art, museums.add a comment
One of the first things I did during my stay in Amsterdam was to visit the Van Gogh Museum, but this is one of the last posts I’ve written. I’ve been casting about for ways to describe my experience there, but I’ve finally realized that an experience of the sublime requires a far greater writer than I to express it. Let me simply say that I was blown away by the emotion expressed by Van Gogh, and that I now understand how a great work of art can move one to tears.
SFMOMA: Leo Rubinfien February 25, 2009
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I joined a few friends at SFMOMA to escape the rain last weekend, and Leo Rubinfien’s exhibit Wounded Cities grabbed my eye. The photographer was in New York during 9/11, but “was less interested in physical wounds than in the psychological marks an attack can leave, in the sorrow, fear, and even nobility it may imprint on the faces of its survivors.”
Although there’s a growing awareness of the psychological effects of violence and terrorism, I still feel that this – and mental health in general – is our last frontier of human health.
Russ’ visit January 9, 2009
Posted by Sarah in family, museums.Tags: family
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Not one, but two members of my family meant many, many a feeding stop. Here my brother may be seen in his natural environment, the restaurant. (The Elephant Bar)
On top of Twin Peaks. Russell didn’t need too much time to enjoy the gale force winds.
Russell and the zebras at the Academy of Sciences.
Me with the skulls.
One of the many waterfalls on the Cascade Trail near Fairfax.
A rare morning picture of Russell. He perked up after lunch at the halfway point.
The view. Russell is more of a lets get there hiker than a look at all the pretty things hiker.
Hockey stop! Russell was kind enough not to capture me on camera when I fell while attempting to strike a pose even sillier than the one above.
Russ on ice. He got up some impressive speed for a second time skater, but had an unfortunate toe pick incident while at slower speeds.
Post ice pizza at Pizza My Heart. Yum.SFMOMA – Frida Kahlo and Contemporary Chinese Art July 11, 2008
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I went to SFMOMA tonight mainly to check out the Frida Kahlo exhibit, a once in your lifetime collection of her works. Although I’m familiar with many of her works, I was surprised at how much more intense they are when you see them in person. Definitely worth braving the crowds.
I also perused the much less crowded exhibit of contemporary Chinese art, which warrants a worth a trip to the museum in and of itself. The weird trippiness of the art just doesn’t translate well to the internet, but that being said, Fang Lijung and Zhang Xiaogang were definitely my favs in the collection. Turns out that I like cynical realism. You are shocked, aren’t you?
Another reason to love the Exploratorium June 13, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Bicycling, Bike advocacy, environmentalism, museums, sustainability.add a comment
The Exploratorium is one of my favorite museums in the Bay Area, and it just moved up another notch in my estimation for hosting a cycling page on their website.
SFMOMA – Take your time January 27, 2008
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I only managed one photo of the Take your time exhibit by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson before getting busted by museum security. Both Kim and I also got yelled at for interacting a little too vigorously with Notion Motion…Despite that, the exhibit was lots of fun and definitely kid friendly.
SFMOMA – Jeff Wall January 25, 2008
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I haven’t been to SFMOMA in ages, despite the fact that I have a membership through my employer. The museum stays open late on Thursdays…what better to during this marathon stretch of rain we’ve been having?
The first installation we visited was an extensive Jeff Wall collection. The works were all large transparencies in lightboxes, so the real life experience is much more intense than any pictures you’ll see.
This was my favorite work – a scene from Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, a novel that I read and loved in my high school AP English class. When I saw Jeff Wall’s interpretation of this scene in the novel, it was with a sudden jolt of familiarity, then recognition, and then my recollection of the power of the novel.
Body Worlds 2 and the Three Pound Gem December 3, 2007
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Plastinated skateboarder
Conservatory of Flowers October 27, 2007
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I visited the Conservatory of Flowers for the first time today to catch their “Chomp! carnivorous plants” exhibit. It felt wonderful in the conservatory – warm, moist rooms lightly scented by flowers. I love quiet, calm spots in the middle of the city.
The largest hibiscus flower that I’ve ever seen.
Water lilly.
