Island Woman's Culebra: Suffering for Art

I suppose I can't call it suffering if I chose to overdose myself yesterday in the Detroit Institute of Arts. I wasn't alone, with my trusty cohort Lorraine complicit in full. A good thing, because if either of us were a different sort, it would have been a shame to see one of us stuck waiting on the sidewalk for hours. Luckily, while we may differ on a few issues, on museum crawls there is a mind meld and when we finally were amazed, dazed and eyes glazed, it was at the same time.

If we could have managed a few more hours (which was NOT going to happen) we would have enjoyed what I have no doubt was an amazing concert in the Diego Rivera mural hall. Had I known at the time who would be performing, La Bottine Souriante, I think we'd have planned differently, but planning has never been my strong suite; this time, my/our loss.

Ah well, I shouldn't have looked that up! Onward with what was a seemingly endless series of rooms, none the same, ceilings carved and painted, masters hidden next to much less well known genius. The only thing behind glass was glass. Monet, Degas, Picasso, Van Gogh - all their works were within touchable, breathable distance. I concluded they were all fakes. Lorraine concluded there were a lot of discrete guards and a lot more cameras. I think she wins.

There was the beginning of course ('a very good place to start'), the Diego Rivera court where huge murals were painted onto the walls, far beyond the original commission to paint the automotive industry's impact on Detroit. Diego went for the massive and hugely symbolic, along with the blatant representation of his feelings about - well, a lot of things, including the auto industry.


A little peek into Diego Rivera's thinking...Jean Harlow plays Mary, the baby is getting injected, a perfect cell behind him. This is just one very small section of a fairly mad sanity. The symbolism was everywhere and would take more than 20 minutes with a fairly well informed docent to stick in my brain.

There was a lot of dragging ourselves away from various pieces; while I could happily skip through lots of religious and medieval periods, with a few nods to some sly dogs.

But it was more fun to think about installing this hand washing station at the shack

Another reminder of Culebra, the snake pipe


Yes! I know what you are hearing!


That's it. No more strawberries for me unless I'm offered them in this strawberry server.

While I never considered myself much enamored of marble statuary, as it turned out my two favorite pieces were just that. It took pretty much superhuman power on my part to not touch this piece, The Veiled Lady, by Giovanni Benzoni. The link is a pretty badly translated piece but the most I could find on him. Apparently this style of marble sculpture was employed by a fair number of artists, but damned if I can figure out how they do it. The photos do NOT do any justice but the bare minimum of giving you an idea what was so transfixing; sorry about that.

She is one of four of her kind in the world that are M. Benzoni's.


Yes, that veil is marble. There is even the minutiae of the lace hatching.

And then there was Penelope. I half remembered her story when I saw the spindle by the hem of her dress. Life sized, entrancing, brilliant.

Confession - I did touch the intricately carved hem of her dress, until Lorraine reminded me that this was not acceptable museum behaviour. Oops.

Ok, enough statuary. There were enough Van Gogh's, Seurat's, Dali's and

O'Keefe's and Wyeth's to drag me away.

I'd never have guessed this was the work of Georgia O'Keefe


But a Wyeth is a Wyeth is a Wyeth

Henry Moore. I just want a small one, so I left this behind.

I have no idea who did this but it made me think of a lot of friends and you know who you are.

Then there was the glass.

This glass ladder was filled with glass


There is something about stags in my trip here. I'm drawn to them everywhere. This is one of them, filled with light. I'd get this for my brother for his place in North Carolina, but...

We were going to see a pottery place, where they've been in business over a hundred years, but by the time we staggered out of there we were starving and the chosen venue was Mexicantown. It's a whole area in southwest Detroit, but all we could think about was food. Conveniently located next to an awesome supermarcado that I was too tired to peruse more than a few minutes was El Rancho. As their own copy says, I was looking for “El sabor que tu quieres” - the flavor you crave. As much as I love Zaco's Taco's, I was hoping for something I'd not had in years and we got it. If you're needing a fix of the real deal while in Detroit, this is a place I can vouch for.

Still cooking on its own brazier was beef, chicken and chorizo, along with onions, a serving of homemade tortillas on the side and some HOT sauces, along with beans and rice. It was perfect. Lorraine had the shrimp soup, the photo was not nearly as good as the soup.

Hopefully you aren't too tired or too hungry now. I have a dog to wash and more to see.

La Bottine Souriante: 7 & 8:30 p.m.
This 10-piece Quebec roots ensemble is hailed for its innovative arrangements and the wild spirit of its live shows. La Bottine Souriante (smiling work-boot) stays clear of popular trends and folk purism, offering music of depth and substance with the freedom to let the good times roll. - See more at: http://www.dia.org/news/1504/September-at-Detroit-Institute-of-Arts-brings-live-Performance-by-Yo-La-Tengo,-Outdoor-Family-Programs-and-More-.aspx#sthash.0bqoZ6vW.dpuf

Have a sated Saturday. Do something saturating.

Island Woman's Culebra

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Suffering for Art

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