Sundial Bridge

If you happen to be close to Redding CA, make sure to take a breather and go for a stroll across the Sacramento River on the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay. 

Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (born 1951), the bridge took eleven years to built and was inaugurated on July 4th, 2004. Seemingly airy and light-weight, it was constructed from tons of concrete, steel and glass. It is the first steel, inclined-pylon, cable-stayed bridge in the US. With a length of 720 feet and width of 23 feet, this pedestrian bridge spans gracefully across showcasing the river's beauty and surrounding landscape. The glass-panneled deck is lit by 219 lights from below - wish I will get a chance see and walk across it at night sometime soon. 

To learn more, check out Turtle Bay. 
Also visit Santiago Calatrava. 

Art Exhibits in 2015

Seeing Time at the KALA Art Institute, 2nd Hand at Pier 24, Fertile Ground at the OMCA, Toulouse Lautrec at the Crocker, Botticelli to Braque at the de Young....

---

BOTTICELLI TO BRAQUE @ DEYOUNG
May 30, 2015

If you'd like to get inspired and view masterpieces spanning from a period of over 450 years, then you are in for a treat at the de Young Museum, San Francisco. Botticelli to Braque features some fifty plus masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland with the majority being true gems to revel in forever: the exhibit includes religious and mythological paintings, landscapes, portraits and still lifes.

I fell with love with John Singer Sargent's Lady Agnew of Lochaw (1892), her striking yet delicate pose and the masterful rendering of her silky dress. Then the detailing Allen Ramsay did on Margaret Lindsay of Ewlick, Mrs. Allan Ramsay (ca. 1759) is exquisite. I caught myself wanting to caress the lace of her satin dress and steal the roses off the painting. Just has I wanted to snatch the strawberries off Sandro Botticelli's The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child (ca. 1485). 
Camille Pissarro's Chennevières-sur-Marne (ca. 1865) is equally fascinating with its capturing of the hilly, riverside landscape of this Parisian commune, as is River Landscape with a View of a Distant Village (ca.1750) by Thomas Gainsborough. Or André Derain's Collioure (1905) and Pierre Bonnard's Lane At Vernonnet (ca. 1914), both are absolutely captivating in their color scheme depicting the vibrancy of Southern Europe. Eduard Vuillard's The Candlestick (ca. 1900) is superb in its unique viewpoint, composition and rending of the different textures. And not to mention Reverend Robert Walker, Skating on Duddingston Loch (ca.1795) by Sir Henry Raeburn, which is as simply as it is brilliant in captivating the reverend enjoying his favorite sport. 

But there is also Frans Hals, Paolo Veronese, Gerrit Dou, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Edouard Vuillard, Paul Cézanne, Piet Mondrian…..So much to say, however this should suffice. Go and see for yourself!

Learn more, visit Botticelli to Braque. 

Through May 31, 2015. 

---

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC @ CROCKER
March 30, 2015

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) has always been a favorite artist of mine. He has been an inspiration not only for his masterful depiction of the colorful Parisian nightlife of theaters, cafe-concerts and the demimondes of the Belle Epoque but also for his huge contribution to the renaissance of the art of lithography. With his elegant yet exciting creations he immortalized formidable artists such as Yvette Guilbert, La Goulue, Jane Avril, Marcelle Lender, Aristide Bruant and Valentin Désossé. 

This traveling exhibition at the Crocker was drawn from Dutch private collections featuring lithographs, paintings, drawings, book illustrations and rare zinc show puppets by more than 50 artists. Classic lithographs by Toulouse Lautrec are juxtaposed with works by other well known avant-garde artists such as Pierre Bonnard and Juan Gris documenting modern life around them. While I enjoyed immersing myself into this colorful ambience - with Louis Abel-Truchet's Le Café-Concert, József Rippl-Rónai's Portraitand Henri Gabriel Ibles' Mère Moderne being especially eye-catching - I also found myself wanting to see more of Toulouse-Lautrec and his vast oeuvre. It felt as if they were trying too hard to re-create the vibrant fin-de-siècle atmosphere of Paris by including all these different artists and subsequently neglecting Toulouse-Lautrec and the art of lithography a bit too much for my taste. Nevertheless, the exhibit is very much worth seeing! 

As a side note, the Crocker museum is one of the oldest museums on the West Coast. Created as trust for the public by Margaret Crocker in honor of her shared vision with her late husband Edwin B. Crocker, the E.B. Crocker Art Gallery was built in 1871. It opened to the public in 1890. The museum's collection focuses on Californian and American as well as European Art. In 2010 - after an extensive eight year expansion designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates - the museum reopened with triple of its former exhibition space. 

To learn more, visit The Crocker and Toulouse-Lautrec Foundation. 
Also check out Gwathmey Siegel & Associates. 

Trough April 26, 2015

---

FERTILE GROUND @ OMCA
January 30, 2015

Combining their collections for the first time, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) have imaginatively created a remarkable exhibition addressing local histories and social forces that impacted the arts in California. Featuring a vast array of art works by legendary artists such as Diego Rivera, Imogen Cunningham, Mark Rothko, Jay DeFeo. Richard Diebenkorn and many more, Fertile Ground not only illuminates key moments in Californian art as well as social history but also highlights trends happening from the first half of the 20th century up to today. 

Learning more about San Francisco in the 1930s, made me want to go and see the murals at Coit Tower again. I also thought that the selected works representing GROUP f.64  were true gems: Water Hyacinth (1920s) by Imogen Cunningham and Dunes, Ocean (1934) by Edward Weston in particular. The main gallery fabulously chronicles the different movements and influences of the postwar area showcasing classics such as Untitled (1953) by James Weeks, Figure on a Porch (1959) by richard Diebenkorn and Horse (1982) by Deborah Butterfield. Barry McGee's Untitled (1996/2009/2014) marks the crowning end point to an excellent exhibition about visionaries and artist communities that have been crucial in shaping the arts in the San Francisco Bay Area, California and beyond. A must see!

To learn more, visit omca. 
To learn more, check out Group f.64. 

Through April 12, 2015. 

---

2ND HAND @ PIER 24
January 20, 2015

The photographs presented in this comprehensive show at the Pier 24 in San Fransicso focus on found and reused imagery while resonating with today's digital age of sharing images. Through a simple change of context, existing pictures suddenly appear in a new light and are given new meaning. Works by Erik Kessels, Matt Lipps, Joachim Schmid and others are examined and brilliantly paired with vernacular photographs by pioneering artists such as John Baldessari.

I very much enjoyed Matt Lipps' Horizons and Maurizio Anzeri's Embroidered Postcards. Erik Kessels' 24 HRS in photos installation was quite overwhelming, and left me with a feeling of drowning. I think my favorite were Joachim Schmid's Photogenetic Drafts, a witty series of B&W portraits created with found photographs.  And last but not least, the Employee Badges (1930 - 1960) were absolutely fascinating. Do not miss them as you start your visit. 

Admission is free. To visit, please sign up at Pier 24. 
Also check out Melissa Catanese's video Dive Dark Dream Slow. 

Through May 31, 2015.

---

SEEING TIME @ KALA
January 16, 2015

Celebrating 40 years of inspiration and creativity, Seeing Time - Time Traveller closes Berkeley Kala Art Institute's 40th anniversary year. This special exhibit, curated by Mayumi Hamanaka, revisits Kala's Seeing Time program (installations and performances throughout the Bay Area 1982-1992) featuring Kala fellowship alumni Freddy Chandra, Desirée Holman, Ranu Mukherjee, and Yasuaki Onishi. Their works explore the fleeting aspect of time ranging from astrology, nature, culture, light, and life.

The various contributions are as diverse in regards to style, technique, medium and hand writing as the artists themselves. Ranu Mukherjee Desert Bloom (2013) is as big as it is fascinating addressing many layers and questions.  Xeno-Real (2013), a hybrid film just on the wall next to the entrance sheds light on how it was created. My favorite was Vertical Emptiness KL (2015) by Yasuaki Onishi, which take up the entire left back area of the exhibit space. It is especially striking in its unique form and beauty. It is probably the most ephemeral piece in the exhibit. It will get destroyed - as other works by the artist - once the exhibit closes. 

In addition there also works on paper from the Kala Collection on view in the Roger Smullen Print & Media Center. 

Through March 21, 2015. 

To learn more about the exhibit, visit Kala. 
To learn more about each artist, visit Freddy Chandra, Desirée Holman, Ranu Mukherjee, and Yasuaki Onishi. 

---

LA.7: The Norton Simon

This museum has just made it to my top ten list of favorite things. I love everything about it: the stunning building along with its beautiful sculpture garden and exquisite art collection. The museum was designed by Ladd & Kelsey and opened in 1969. In 1998-99 the museum was renovated by Frank Gehry along with Greg Walsh and landscape architect Nancy Goslee. 

It is so enjoyable walking around this wonderful building featuring Heath ceramic tile cladding and rounded corners. I caught myself thinking of Richard Serra's Band (2006) by doing so. It meanders through the property spreading its four arms and revealing a delightful sculpture garden and café in the rear. The sculptures by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Jacques Lipshitz, Aristide Maillol, Auguste Rodin and many others seem thoughtfully chosen and displayed around the pond and amongst the colorful shrubs. The Café invites you take and seat and revel in the peacefulness of the garden. 

When entering the museum and walking through the galleries, I noticed once again how thoughtfully the sculptures were displayed. The collection of Degas sculptures is remarkable. However it was the collection of paintings that has left me stunned. Featuring works by outstanding artists from the 14th through the 20th century, the collection has many a highlight to enjoy. The three paintings by Zurbarán, especially The Birth of the Virgin (ca.1627), are magnificent. And so are the two small works by Edgar Degas, Olive trees agains and mountain background and Wheat Field and Green Hill (both ca. 1892). I am also in love with Still life with Flower (1887) by Emile Bernard. And there is Vassily Kandisky's Unequal (1932). I could go on and on and on…. best to go and see it yourself. 

Located on 411 West Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA 91105
To learn more, visit Norton Simon. 
heck out Heath Ceramics. 
heck out Ladd & Kelsey. 
heck out Nancy Goslee Power Associates. 

While in Pasadena, make sure to check these out… 

Top left: The Gamble House by Charles & Henry Greene 1908; 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena; Reservations highly recommended. 
Top center: The Cole House by Charles & Henry Greene 1906; 2 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena
Top right: Mansion Fenyes by Robert Farquhar 1906; 170 N. Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena; to visit, check out Pasadena Museum of History
Bottom left: The Bentz House by Charles & Henry Greene: 657 Prospect Blvd, Pasadena
Bottom center: The Millard House by Frank Lloyd Wright 1923; 645 Prospect Blvd, Pasadena
Bottom right: The Millard House by Frank Lloyd Wright 1923; 645 Prospect Blvd, Pasadena

---

Talking museums….. here is a list of my favorite ones in LA: 

The J. Getty Center for the Arts
- located on 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles CA 90049
- architect: Richard Meier (1992-97)
- highlights: pavilion, garden, patio system; extensive painting, manuscript photo collection
- visit The Getty. 

LACMA
- located on 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90036
- architects: Pereira & Associates (1964), Hardy, Holzman and Pfeiffer (1982-83)
- highlights: largest museum of the western states; huge collection
- do not miss James Turell's Ganzfeld in the Resnick Pavilion (make reservations @ iPad kiosk)
- visit LACMA.

A + D Museum  
- located on 6032 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90036
- will relocate to the Arts District and is expected to open in spring/summer 2015
- highlights: continuous exhibits on architecture and design 
- visit A + D. 

MOCA
- located on 250 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles CA 90012
- architect: Arata Isozaki (1983-87)
- highlights: European and Amercian contemporary art
- visit MOCA. 

The Broad
- located on 221 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles CA 90012
- architects: Diller, Scofidio + Renfro
- highlights: contemporary art collection of philanthropists Eli & Edythe Broad
- to open September 20th, 2015
- visit The Broad. 
- to learn more, check out Mega Patron. 
 

---

LA.6: Eames House

Built as part of John Entenza's Case Study House Program, the Eames Studio House (#8)  is one of America's great 20th century houses. Charles and Ray Eames purchased the lot in 1945 shortly after they had moved to California. Initially designed jointly by Charles Eames and Eerio Saarinen, the original plans of a cantilever were changed during the construction phase (1947-49) to accomodate the current lay-out. The final design consists of two metal-framed double-height boxes - one pavilion used as residence, one as studio. Set against a eucalyptus-covered hillside, the Eames House overlooks a beautiful meadow with a magnificent view of the pacific ocean. 

We got lucky enough to enjoy an outstanding private interior tour, which was didactically very well thought out. For almost three hours we immersed ourselves into the world of Charles and Ray Eames. The open, maximized space of the interior was very impressive and their collection of memorabilia astounding. Apparently the house has not been altered over the years; kitchen and furniture - all is still original.  We left with a fulfilled and inspired heart taking with us one of Charles Eames fitting quotes: "We take our pleasures seriously" . 

Located on 203 Chautauqua Blvd, Pacific Palisades CA 90272
To learn more, visit The Eames House. 
To learn more about the Case Study House Program, visit  Art & Architecture, Wikipedia and CurbedLA. 

Aa a side note: driving along Chautauqua Blvd, you will notice a Brutalist cliff hanger. In case you are curious, it was built in 1979 by Robert Bridges….

---

LA.5: Schindler & Neutra

Schindler House

R.M. Schindler (1887-1853) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts under Adolf Loos and arrived in the United States in 1914. Initially he was working for Ottenheimer, Stern & Reichart in Chicago. A big admirer of Frank Llyod Wright, he was able to secure work with him in 1918. Schindler left Wright's Studio after completing the Barnsdall project in 1921. 

The Schindler/Chase Studio House (1921-22) is one of his most important works. Featuring a modernist canon, the studio house has regarded as the clearest example of Schindler's principles. Built as a double house for the Schindlers and the Chases, the house speaks of honest materials, efficiency and economy. I love the simplicity of the kitchen with its flat red wood panels and ergonomic lay-out. Japanese and Spanish influences are detectable in the way the plan opens all rooms to the atrium as well as the surrounding garden and elegantly marries inside with outside. The Schindler House is beautiful - a classic in modern architecture!

Located on 833 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood CA 90069. 
To learn more, visit The Schindler House. 

While in West Hollywood...

Two houses to explore down the street. 

Top left: Apartment Building, Islamic Revival 1925, Carl Kay, on Sweetzer at Waring Aves.
Top center: Apartment Building, Islamic Revival 1925, Carl Kay, detail. 
Top right: Duplex, 1936, William P. Kesling, on 754-756 Harper Ave.

---

VDL Research Compound

Richard Neutra (1892 - 1970) is considered to be one of the most important modernist architects.  Neutra studied under Adolf Loos at the Vienna University of Technology. He came to the United States in 1921 and briefly worked for Frank Lloyd Wright. After accepting an invitation from his close university friend R. M. Schindler, he  moved to Southern California, where he lived and built for the majority of his career. 

The VDL Research Compound is named after Dir CH Van Der Leeuw, a dutch philanthropist, whose no-interest loan helped Richard Neutra build a radical, two story international style house with rooftop and balcony gardens. It was designed to accommodate Neutra's studio office and two residences. Built in 1933, it partially burned in 1963. The VDL Research Compound, the epitome of Neutra's aesthetic and beliefs, offers daily tours by Cal Poly Pomona Architecture students. 

Located on on 2300 E. Silver Blvd, Silver Lake CA 90036
For tours, visit VDL. 
To learn more, visit Neutra History. 

While in Silver Lake…..

Silver Lake, despite being a small district, has a high concentration of first-rate architecture. It is one of the most important places in LA to visit. Modernists: Schindler, Neutra, Ain, Soriano, Harris, Lautner abound!

To learn more, visit Silver Lake Architecture.  

Top left: Colony of Neutra Houses at Neutra Place.
Top center: Bubeshko Apartments by R. M. Schindler (1938 right; 1941 left) located on 2036-40 Griffith Park Blvd.
Top right: Bubeshko Apartments by R. M. Schindler, detail. 

---

LA.4: Hollyhock House

Barnsdall Art Park has many highlights to offer. First and foremost it is home to the Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). Originally built between 1919 and 1921 as a private home for oil heiress Aline Bransdall, the 5,000 square foot abode - including the eleven surrounding acres - was donated to LA in 1927 as a public art park in memory of her father Theodore Bransdall. It has just been nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site. 
Closed due to extensive restoration since 2003, it will reopen on February 13th 2015 and this much to my delight. I'll have to got back soon to view the interiors; I hear the fire place is spectacular. If you happen to visit, make sure to walk around this magnificent building to get a view of the Wading Pool and Pergola designed collaboratively by R.M. Schindler and R. Neutra (1925). The Garden Wall and Landscaping were designed by R.M. Schindler, as was the Studio Residence A located at the entrance of park. If you happen to get there in the late afternoon, remember to take a breather: sit on the lawn and enjoy the beautiful view. 

Barnsdall Art Park is located on Hollywood Blvd at Vermont Avenue, East Holywood. 
To learn more, visit Barnsdall Art Park. 
To learn more about the restoration, visit Boulin Art. 

More Frank Lloyd Wright….

Top left: Storer House, 1923 on 8161 Hollywood Blvd, West Hollywood.
Top center: Wright House, 1928. On 858 N. Doheny Drive, West Hollywood. 
Top right: Millard House, 1923. On 645 Prospect Crescent, Pasadena. Its famous view is from a gate on Rosemont. 

---

LA.3: LA Phil

The Disney concert hall, located Downtown LA, Civic Center is a curious building. Designed by Frank Gehry, it built between 1988 and 2003 with numerous changes being made to the initial design. The exterior seems almost adventurous with its many concave as well as convex surfaces, sharp edges and brilliant reflections. The matt stainless steel panels are be rather bright on a sunny sky and when stepping closer you can feel the heat radiating off. The interior seems equally swooping with is curved galleries and red carpet. However the spruce representing the material wood instruments are made of, is an equalizing contrast to the shiny exterior. The Blue Rillon Garden on Level 3 is a very pleasant surprise in the midst of Downtown LA. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

More to see Downtown LA ….. 

Top left: The Broad, Diller Scofidio + Renfro; opening fall 2015. 
Top center: Hall of Records, Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander, 1961-62. 
Top right: LA Department of Water and Power with reflecting pool, Albert C. Martin 1963-64. 
 

Top left: LA Performing Art Center; Mark Taper Forum with reflecting pool, Welton Becket Ass. 1964-69. 
Top center: Eastern Columbia, Claude Beelman 1930. 
Top right: High School for the Visual & Performing Arts, Coop Himme(l)blau w/ HMC Architects, 2002-08. 

---

LA.2: Our Lady of Angels

The Cathedral of our Lady of Angels is located Downtown LA on the northeast corner of Temple Street and Grand Ave. It was designed by Raphael Moneo and built in 2002. 
Quoted as one of the most beautiful spaces in LA, this cathedral with its tinted cement walls and alabaster windows takes your breath away. The light that floods through the magnificent thin panels is mystifying and spiritual. Moving in the space, let's you experience it in a fascinating way. 

---

LA.1: Theater @Ace

The United Artist Theater (1927) was designed by Charles Howard Crane; building architects were Walker and Eisen. After an extensive remodel by Commune Design, it was reopen in 2014. The interior is a feast in Spanish Gothic style and a marvel in materials as well as colors. Mary Pickford, one of the founders of the United Artists, apparently contributed a fair amount to the design. 

To learn more, visit Historic Los Angeles. 

A great place to stay….

The Ace Hotel next door. 

---

Ai Weiwei @Alcatraz

Today, I ventured out to Alcatraz, located in the San Francisco Bay, for the first time in my life and the reason was Ai Weiwei, a political activist and vocal critic of the Chinese government.  Consisting of seven site-specific installations, @large was created exclusively for Alcatraz and poignantly raises questions about human rights, freedom of expression and liberty. By addressing the fate of people around the world, who have been deprived of their individual rights for something they believe in, this exhibit touches you at the core.

Greeting visitors is With Wind, a breath-taking dragon kite meandering through the entire first exhibition hall showing off not only its colorful coat but also many quotes by activists, who have been imprisoned. Trace consisting of 176 portraits entirely made of Lego is striking and especially touching through the corresponding stories each of them has to tell. Featuring a magnificent larger than life bird's wing, Refraction can only be viewed through cracked and rusty windows and left me wanting more. I thought it added a potent edge to the feeling of restriction. Stay Tuned, a sound installation occupying a series of cell, invites visitors to sit and listen to music, poetry and spoken words of activists, who have been detained. Again, I thought it was heartrending just as Illumination, which occupies the former hospital and pays respect to people who have resisted cultural oppression. @large is as stunning as it is poignant. An absolutely must-see. I left very inspired however also with a heavy heart. 

Through April 26, 2015. 

To learn more visit Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz.
Or listen to How Alcatraz Became a Canvas for Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei: Forum Archive 10/22/14. 
Have passport, will travel: where will Ai Weiwei go? 

---

OMCA

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opened in 1969. Designed by architect Kevin Roche in collaboration with Dan Kiley (landscape design) and Geraldine Knight Scott (gardens), this concrete building with its pavilion system and its integration of outdoor/indoor spaces signifies an important example of mid-century modernism. The museum features three tiers housing the art, history, and natural science collection. In 2009 plans for a major renovation and expansion were announced: Mark Cavagnero Associates was selected for the design. In 2013 the museum reopened showing off the collection in a new light. 

I always enjoy strolling through their permanent collection and exploring the works by Richard Diebenkorn, Ruth Asawa, Mark Rothko and many others. The OMCA has a imaginative way of orchestrating temporary exhibitions with focus on the Bay Area in particular and California in general. Their permanent collection on California History on Level 2 is a must see.

The equally terraced sculpture gardens have a very inviting feel about them and are accessible from all three levels. They are home to more than 80 spices of plants and more than 50 sculptures. These gardens are one of my favorite outdoor spaces in Oakland to visit - both peaceful and inspiring - especially in spring when the cherry trees blossom. 

To learn more visit omca. 
Check out Mark Cavagnero Associates. 
Check out Kevin Roche. 
Check out Dan Kiley. 
Check out Geraldine Knight Scott. 

FRIDAY NIGHTS @ OMCA…..

De Young

This is one of my favorite (museum) buildings in the Bay Area, mainly because I am a secret admirer of the Swiss architects Herzog & DeMeuron. I think their way of working with materials and space is rather unique and fascinating.

Named for its founder and newspaper man M.H. de Young, the former building, which opened in 1895 and remodeled in 1915 by Louis Christian Mullgardt, was deemed seismically unsafe in 1989 and subsequently demolished in 2003. The new building designed by Herzog & De Meuron in collaboration with SF based architects Fong + Chan, Swinerton Builders and Hood Landscape Design opened in 2005. 

The exterior skin is of perforated embossed copper and acts more like an natural organism. Exposed to the salt air it will with time patina and turn blue-green reflecting the foliage of the surrounding Golden Gate park. This idea of the museum having a constant relationship with the park is also repeated inside. Interior fern courts and glass panels connect the inside with the outside and play with the visitors indoor/outdoor experience. 
Interestingly enough, the main museum and the tower are two structurally disconnected buildings. While the main museum is placed to emphasize its connection with the park, the tower rotates as it ascends/descends in a way so it orients itself with the grid of the City offering panoramic views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Park. Make sure to check out Ruth Asawa's wire sculptures in the tower lobby. 

The collection focuses on American Art from 17th century onwards, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes and art from the Americas, the Pacific and Africa. Their current exhibitions cover many a topic with focus on the 20th century.
Their scupture garden is a must and open to the public. Do not miss James Turrell's Skyspace Three Gems (2005) located in the sculpture garden on your right.

To learn more, visit de Young. 
Check out Herzog&de Meuron. 
To learn more about James Turrell, click here. 

---

Queen of Wire…

Ruth Asawa (1926 - 2013), one of California's most admired sculptors, has been a brilliant inspiration not only for generations of San Franciscans but also nationwide. She will always be remembered for her extraordinary wire sculptures, public commissions and community art projects. 
In 1982, February 12 was declared "Ruth Asawa Day" by the City and County of San Fancisco.

To learn more, visit Ruth Asawa. 
Also see California sculptor Ruth Asawa dies. 

Top left: Untitled, Oakland Museum of Art, 1974
Top center: Andrea Mermaid Fountain, Ghirardelli Square, 1968
Top right: Hyatt on Union Square Fountain, 1973
Bottom left: Buchanan Mall Fountain, Japantown 1976
Bottom center: Aurora Fountain, Bayside Plaza, 1986
Bottom right: Wire sculptures installation at de Young, Tower lobby, 2006
 

Centre Le Corbusier

The Maison l'Homme of Zurich, Switzerland, today the Centre Le Corbusier / Heidi Weber Museum, is an inspiring art museum, which I always make a point of visiting when I am back home. 

The center was commissioned on the initiative of Heidi Weber, owner of the interior design gallery Mezzanin. She met Le Corbusier (Charles-Eduard Jeanneret, 1887- 1965) in 1958 in Roquebrune Cap Martin and maintained a close professional relationship with the architect throughout last years of his life. 
Thanks to her inspiration and tenacity, Le Corbusier completed his sketch of the kind of dream house he had been working on since 1950. Heidi Weber's vision was a museum / an exhibition hall serving as the perfect space to house Le Corbusier's works of art - a Gesamtkunstwerk reflecting all aspects of his oeuvre: architecture, sculptures, paintings, furniture, design and theoretical writings in unified harmony. Construction began in 1964. The center was completed in 1967, after the death of Le Corbusier. 

To learn more, visit Heidi Weber Museum.

---

Abbeye de Fontenay

The Abbeye of Fontenay, near Montbard Burgundy France, was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, abbot and primary builder of the reformed Cistercian order, and it is considered to be one of the oldest Cistercian abbeys. Beautifully restored through the initiative of Edouard Aynard in the early 20th century and well maintained by the Aynard family to this day, it became a Unesco World Heritage Site 1981.

Fontenay is one of the most complete abbeys in Europe and my absolute favorite abbey to visit. The interior of the church wonderfully reflects the aesthetic as well as spirit of the Cistercian order. Devoid of any pomp, its magnificence is characterized through simple, pointed arches and beautiful latticed glass windows. It is the light in particular shining through that lets you experience the spirituality of this glorious space. Simplicity and quietness is also featured throughout the complex, most significanlty in the cloister. In the capitals for instance there are no decorative motifs - such as figurines or images so poplar with the Benedictines - only floral themes like leaves and flower buds. This abbey truly is an inspiring site. 

To learn more, visit Abbeye de Fontenay. 

Euro Trip

With our hometown being out base, this trip took us to beautiful Alsace and Burgundy to enjoy fabulous wines, delicious food and medieval architecture. 

~ EUROPE BOUND over the North Bay ~

~ ZURICH on a rainy day ~

~ ZURICH on a sunny day ~

~ ZURICH: Reliefs at the Grossmünster ~

~ BASEL: Kristof Kintera at The Museum Tinguely ~ 
The museum was designed by Mario Botta and opened in 1996. It houses a permanent collection of the works of Swiss artist Jean Tinguely (1925-1991), whose kinetic sculptures never fail to delight the young and the old to this day. Therefore the Museum Tinguely provides a fitting backdrop to the works by Czech artist and sculptor Kristof Kintera (1973*). 

~ ALSACE ~

~ BURGUNDY ~
Please feel free to check out also my blog on the Abbeye of Fontenay (September 02, 2014). 

~ HOMEWARD BOUND TO THE BEAUTIFUL SF BAY AREA ~

---

SFAI

This is one of the most interesting and inspiring places San Francisco has to offer. The San Francisco Art Institute, founded in 1871 and with the main campus being located on 800 Chestnut Street, is a two-story complex featuring two versions of exposed, reinforced concrete. The original, older part, designed by Bakewell & Brown (1926), was crafted as a Mediterranean Revival, a monastary complete with cloister. Its later companion was designed by Paffard Keatinge-Clay (1970) and cast as a brutalist addition.

Don't miss the Diego Rivera legendary mural The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City (1931) inside the older building. And make sure to enjoy the magnificent views of San Francisco, The Russian Hill district and beyond.  

Check out SFAI. 
Check out Bakewell & Brown.
Check out Paffard Keatinge-Clay.
Check out Diego Rivera and Diego Rivera + SFAI. 
 

---

Impressions from Edge Effect May 14-17, 2015 at Fort Mason, Herbst Pavilion

Artists at the SFAI's graduate exhibition presenting their eclectic visions: installations, panting, photography, film/video, sculpture, printmaking, performances and hybrid forms. 

To learn more, visit SFAI. 

Top center: Elizabeth Bowler
Center left: Jay Scantling
Center center: Ann-Marie Cunningham
Center right: Shiwen Jing
Bottom left: Takako Matoba
Bottom center: Brittany Acocelli
Bottom right: Bari Fleischer, detail

Craneway Pavilion

Albert Kahn (1869-1942) was born in Rhaunen, Kingdom of Prussia, and came to Detroit in 1880.  In 1895, he founded the architectural firm Albert Kahn Associates with his brother Julius. Their new style of construction, where reinforced concrete to replaced wood in factory buildings, was used for the first time with the Packard Motor Car Company's factory (1903). Henry Ford, whose was impressed by Packard plant's success and intrigued by its design, commissioned Albert Kahn to design the Ford Motor Company Assembly, now Ford Richmond Plant, in Richmond California. It opened in 1931 and became a major stimulant to the local and regional economy of Richmond and the SF Bay Area. During WWII the factory switched to assembling military vehicles. After the war the factory continued production of the Ford Plant keeping the economy afloat. However due to inability to accommodate increase production demands, the factory was closed in 1956 and production transferred to a new San Jose plant. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 severely damaged the plant. For decades the building stood largely abandoned. 

In 2004 Orton Development purchased the building and commissioned Marcy Wong Donn Logan for the restoration. The project was completed in 2009. Beautifully restored this outstanding example of 20th century industrial architecture is now home to retail and industrial tenants like Mountain Hardware and others.
The Craneway pavilion is a state-of-the-art facility hosting events, concerts and other productions. One of which is Codex, a biennial international (art) book fair and symposium being held this year from February 8th through 11th. Featuring close to 200 of the world's leading fine presses and book artists, this event is loved by bibliophiles, collectors and scholars alike. A must-see!

To learn more, visit Craneway Pavilion. 
To learn more, visit Codex Foundation.  

St. George's Abbey

I always enjoy exploring medieval churches as well as abbeys. St. George's Abbey in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland, is one of my favorite places to visit. 

As a former Benedict monastery founded in 970, it has a rich history to look back on. The banquet hall, containing the frescos commissioned by David von Winkelsheim (dating from around 1515) are a must-see and are considered to be the earliest proof of Renaissance influence in northern Switzerland. The cloisters are equally note-worthy. In 1525 the abbey was secularized. In 1927 the property underwent an extensive restoration and was eventually turned into a museum.  St. George's abbey is a wonderful place in order to immerse yourself into the monastic life of the Late Middle Ages. 

To learn more, visit Kloster St. Georgen. 

---

Neues Museum

This was a long awaited dream of mine. On our recent Euro trip we made it all the way up to Berlin and spent an entire day, if not two, on the Museumsinsel, devoting most of the time to The Neues Museum. It was built from 1843 to 1855 according to the plans by Friedrich August Stüler (1800-1865), a student of the prominent Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841). Over the decades, time took a heavy toll on the museum and it was in danger of being demolished. In 1997, David Chipperfield and Julian Harrap were chosen to overview the rebuilding and renovating of this UNESCO world heritage site. The museum officially reopened in 2009. 
I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through the museum and catching myself time and again being more fascinated by the renovation than by the actually art collection itself.  I loved how Chipperfield and Harrap accomplished to gently restore and touch up the building while leaving murals, mosaics, columns or sculptured unfinished or just filled in and juxtaposing them with modern materials.