CHEE-ka-go and Wisconsin
Growing up, I knew Chicago as “CHEE-ka-go.” That was what my mother’s father called the city. He thought it was the prononciation américaine to use the hard “ch” sound that doesn’t exist in his native French. He didn’t realize that Chicago’s “ch” is pronounced à la française!
My mother’s father always had this strange fascination for the city of Chicago. He and my grandmother ran a candy-stationery-tackle-souvenir-odds-and-ends store on the town square of a small village in Brittany. They sold pens that never made mistakes and candy which my Papy claimed to have imported personally from Chicago. I never understood why he picked that particular American city. Until now.
Last week, my father and I flew to Chicago. Though my Papa is impressed with the number of art museums I’ve visited in my lifetime, he has long felt that my collection lacked an essential piece: the Art Institute of Chicago. And that sounded good to me—I need very little prompting to get me into a museum, even if it is 1800 miles away!
Papa with Clyfford Still’s 1951-52 1951-52
This was my father’s favorite piece in the museum. Actually, it wasn’t. I am being sarcastic. It wasn’t my favorite piece either. Why is it so easy to make fun of big single-color Abstract Expressionist art? And does that say something about my father and me? Or something about the art?
myself with Charles Ray’s Hinoki 2007
photo by my father
This really was our favorite. It’s a carving of a dead tree that the artist found in a meadow somewhere. It’s an exact replica of the original tree sculpted out of cypress wood. It was breathtaking and lovely and mind-boggling and moving…
detail image of Charles Ray’s Hinoki 2007
...until we read the statement.
The artist had not sculpted the piece himself: he had hired a master woodworker to do the carving. The artist (Charles Ray, I mean) carefully reasoned out his decision in his statement. Yuboku Mukoyoshi is known for copying old Japanese sculptures that are beyond restoration, so I suppose there is a sort of poetry to Ray’s gesture—to hiring someone who re-creates what is beyond restoration to re-create the beauty of decay. Still, it was disappointing that the poetry of the piece didn’t lie in the lonely and meditative hours of the artist sculpting an hommage to a fallen tree.
In the end, the piece fails to allow the audience to reflect on death and beauty and how this work can “hopefully breathe life into the world that surrounds it.” Instead, it brings up questions of appropriation and of craft in art. While those are interesting discussions, I’m not certain that the tree is the best way to broach them.
Giovanni Boldini’s Woman With A Parasol 1872
While at the Art Institute, I found myself drawn to the 19th century European work. For the most part my interest has something to do with the new series that I’m thinking about doing, but this piece has nothing to do with the work I’m cogitating on.
detail image of Giovanni Boldini’s Woman With A Parasol 1872
It’s just beautiful. So painterly and so completely realistic at the same time.
Jules-Adolphe Breton’s The Song Of The Lark 1884
I love the use of contrast in this painting. The setting sun is that much more spectacular because the dull dusk light is so accurately respresented. It made me think of the keyed-up colors in my own work and how I might learn from both the subtlety and the contrast used here.
James McNeill Whistler’s The Artist In His Studio 1865-66
I also found myself interested in paintings like this one. I am working on a full-length life-size portrait of my partner and myself and, while the size of the piece is intimidating, I’m also nervous about depicting our clothes since that’s something I tend to avoid in most of my work.
detail image of James McNeill Whistler’s The Artist In His Studio 1865-66
I like how Whistler showed the flowing dresses here, and though my painting is quite a bit bigger than this one I would like to capture something of that feel.
Dante Gabriel Rosetti’s Beata Beatrix 1871-72
This painting was also striking, but not in a good way. I had read that the other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood ridiculed Rossetti’s lack of technique, but I thought that it was their jealousy talking. When I saw this work in person, it was immediately clear that it was honesty talking and not envy. Rossetti’s Beata Beatrix is one of those pieces that looks better in reproduction!
myself with Grant Wood’s American Gothic 1930
photo by my father
I was expecting American Gothic to be something of a let-down too. After all, there are images of it everywhere, so I figured that the real thing would have a hard time living up to the hype (like the Mona Lisa). It didn’t. Seeing it made me want to add to my version of it.
Ivan Albright’s Into The World There Came A Soul Called Ida 1919-30
It was neat to see some of Ivan Albright’s work in person. My work has been compared to his—well, it was when I was 16 and making work like the prints featured in this post.
Georgia O’Keefe’s The Shelton With Sunspots 1926
And I was happy to see this old favorite, a painting that I learned a great deal from.
My father and I got to experience the feel of The Shelton With Sunspots among Chicago’s skyscrapers, a rare treat for Portlanders.
As much fun as the city was, this woman was the main reason for our visit to the midwest. Irene is my father’s sister and she lives in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
I enjoyed learning about Papa from Irene. She shared lots of stories about growing up on “the homestead,” depicted above in a painting by a cousin of ours.
My aunt showed me old photos, like this one of the family sorting strawberries on the homestead…
...and this one of my grandparents.
This one is of my father. Handsome polecat, isn’t he?
photo by my father
Looking at the old photos made me wonder if the pictures taken on our visit would ever have the same importance.
You would think that a photo of Irene with one of her great-grandchildren would be cherished by later generations, but in a world where I can take 500 digital pictures in an afternoon I can’t help but question if it will.
I know I’m not the only one who still makes prints of the nicest digital images…
...but it seems to me that there are fewer and fewer of us old-fashioned types.
Then again, maybe it’s as it should be.
Printed photos became too ubiquitous for a while before the invention of the digital camera.
Film was relatively cheap, and people were taking and printing pictures to fill countless albums.
Now it’s unusual for an image to be made more permanent than some bits of information on a computer hard drive, so the printed photo has a chance at again being a kind of legacy.
In any case, it was lovely meeting and photographing all my cousins!
Aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of my family live far from where my parents and I have ended up in Portland, Oregon.
And on both sides I often met relatives once when I was a child and then don’t see them again until I am an adult.
French or American, the thing I have noticed about re-meeting family members whom I hardly know is this: relating to relatives is effortless. I love how the simple fact of our shared blood makes it easy to get to know people.
Visiting Sheboygan, I realized that my parents come from similar places. My mother may have grown up in France and my father in the United States, but Brittany and Wisconsin are not so different—lots of farm fields, cows, and yummy cheese!
It was sweet to see my father with his sister. My aunt and my father haven’t lived in the same state for almost 70 years, but it’s still so obvious that they’re siblings. Here Irene is making a face that I thought only my father made. She has just said something mildly outrageous and she is looking at me out of the corner of her Seemel eyes to see if I caught her humor!
Brother and sister were still bickering in that playful way that siblings do…
...even at 86 and 88 years old!
It made me look forward to growing old with my siblings.
RELATED ARTICLES:
- Getting used to the idea
- Portrait of the artist’s father
- My father’s world
CATEGORIES: - Philosophy - On photography - Featuring artists - Reviews - Events -
(8) Comments / Commentaires: CHEE-ka-go and Wisconsin
I knew my children where beautiful, but your photos captured thier souls. Incredible! You have a talent from God!!
Our lives are richer for it too, Linda! Thank you, Tim! Prints of the photos will be in the mail tomorrow… 
Hi Gwen! I am Grandma Irene’s granddaughter. Alan’s daughter. I enjoyed your post. Linda sent me the link via facebook. If you want to send me an e-mail we can exchange a little more info. Ruth
I’m glad I’m not the only one who goes to art museums and looks at that particular kind of modern art with some skepticism… And I love the photos you took of the family! Especially of the one with my grandma making her sassy face! (I think I use that expression sometimes too…must really be a family thing)
It’s easy to make fun of because your both looking at the wrong things. Were you both looking at the TEXTURE? Where you both looking at the sublties(I cant spell) of black?
Your art is straightford and quicker to read. I love it but it is a bit of a different game.
I prefer the 19th century stuff, too, but making fun of great fine art has gotten a little with me. I.E. I get tired of my own families closed minds.
Anyway, you both look happy and That’s the biggest issue.
Thanks for great pictures
Abstract Expressionism, like a lot of modern art, was important for its time. It created paradigm shifts for its original audience and paved the way for future art by opening up ideas about what art can be. But that doesn’t mean that work like 1951-52 has the same meaning and purpose today as it did 60 years ago in its original context.
Does art have to be timeless? Maybe not. But my father, myself, your family, and you are each allowed to look at art any way we choose and have our own opinions.
You make good points. Much in the 20th Century are very timely REACTIONS.
Also, For people like me with a familiarity with art history, our subjective opinions in the face of art history, art criticism, high reputations and museum choices, ones tastes and preferences need to be absolutly respected and followed.
Noone ever talks about my favorite pieces at PAM. My open mind keeps me from what I Love, in favor of art education and “Understanding” along with keeping up with the NEW.
Linda...
Thank you Gwenn. My life is richer because you and your dad came to visit. I count it a privilege to have you as a cousin.
--- -- - --- - ---- - - --- ----- -- -