pre-2011 museum resources

[Anonymous]

My wife and I recently spent a long weekend in San Francisco, and although we have been there many times before, we had made it a priority to accomplish my make-up work for missed seminar sessions. With this in mind, we travelled on Sunday, July 15th into wonderful Golden Gate Park to the new De Young Museum, specifically to the Herbst Exhibition Galleries, to view an exhibit of Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto's eerie photographs. If you go to San Francisco and have the time or inclination, please make a point to check this place out- it is a wonderful museum in a gorgeous locale. Do not drive though, as it is not car accessible- we took the Bart bus from the Union Square area...one transfer and 30 minutes later we were deposited outside the building. Cost is $10 a person, and the museum is open from 9:30-5:15pm. Another travel tip: if you want affordable and funky digs, try staying at the Mark Twain Hotel.
Other than going to the Saturday Night Market in Chinatown, we had no concrete plans to fulfill my requirements. We travelled to Japantown, but honestly, there wasn't much going on and it seems like the area is becoming progressively more homogenized. There seem to be fewer and fewer Japanese-related businesses and cultural events each time I visit. Being thwarted, we looked in the SF Weekly and found the advertisement for the Sugimoto exhibit. I knew nothing of the man or his work prior to our visit.
Sugimoto is one of Japan's most celebrated photographers of the last 30 years, and his claim to fame is his use of black and white photography. There were certainly plenty of those on display. The museum is displaying a series of 120 of his photographs from the mid-1970's to the present day. The mid-70's work focused on static structures. There were several that are movie related- haunting shots of the interior of movie theatres (without patrons). One very striking photo was of a drive-in movie screen set against a black exterior. It looked like a night shot, but without the knowledge of the technique being used, it is hard to say for certain. The blank screen positively glowed in such fashion that if you stare at it it does take on a kind of magesterial beauty, and the philosophical implications become profound. If the screen itself can be rendered into something of such profound beauty, does it matter which )if any) images flow across it? Many of the photos showcased very mundane, yet intensely beautiful images. One area had a curved wall with special windows in it that offered views of Sugimoto's sea photographs. Once again, very simple in many respects. Shots of the ocean rendered in black and white (perhaps filtered or processed in different ways). The area was also dramatically lit to showcase the details in the photos. They were really quite eerie and serene at the same time- The power and physical sweep of the ocean was not the primary emphasis- although you do come away with an appreciation of that- as much as the shades and physical makeup of the waves themselves. I could imagine a Zen priest having a field day looking at these. The awesome power and tranquility of nature were both represented in the same shot- very similar thematically to some Japanese writers I have read.
One other area of interest were the seven photos taken from his work Portraits. Sugimoto travelled to Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London to photograph wax models of Henry VIII and his six wives. He then "remade" the images to make them resemble the paintings from which these figures were derived. Very odd. You swear you are looking at an ancient photograph, yet it is entirely reconstituted from a very 'non-artistic' source. The metaphorical and philosophical implications of this are profound. My wife summed it up very well when she said, "Why would anyone go to all of that trouble when they could just photograph the original source?" Excellent question.
We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and the museum itself. Sugimoto's photos are sparse, enchanting, and quite mysterious. I have never seen anything like them before. They seem to aspire to capture a kind of magical element that exists beneath the veneer of everyday life. Not knowing much about photography (virtually nothing), I think I was robbed of the true appreciation of the technique and mastery involved in his work, yet I appreciated the work on a different level. The photos aroused feelings that I have enountered when reading Borges. It was a great day.[Edit by="gjones on Jul 23, 10:49:37 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I was interested in a painting that was used to illustrate a symposium announcement and I was led to a great online museum site for "The Macao Museum of Art”. Currently there is an interesting exhibit of paintings and artifacts from the Qing dynasty. Another interesting series is called "Export paintings" which are paintings of export sites like Guangzhou and other coastal cities. It is part of an exhibit called "Historical Paintings of Macao in the late 19th century". The paintings are by European residents of Macao at the time and are reminiscent of the British landscape painters of the same era. There is also a photo exhibit of Macao in the late 19th century. Previous exhibits are available for view.
http://www.artmuseum.gov.mo/main.asp?language=3

[Anonymous]

I'd love to check out the new Huntington Garden Asian section/exhibit... I bet it would be interesting, peaceful, and provide great photos for classroom use or decoration. Might be a nice field trip too.

[Anonymous]

This is the perfect place to tell you about a secret jewel in Southern California. It is located at the Sunrider Corporation headquarters in Torrance California. It is free and open from 10am to 4pm Mon through Friday. It is probably the most impressive collection I have seen of Chinese imperial period art. If you go to Sunrider.com you can get more info on the Chen's, their company (produces food combining Chinese and Western medicine), and their contirbutions to the Olympics, education and the arts.

http://www.chenartgallery.org/

"Welcome to the Chen Art Gallery. This in-house gallery houses Drs. Chen's astounding personal collection of more than 500 rare Chinese pieces dating from the Neolithic Era through the Qing Dynasty. It includes, among other things, a one-of-a-kind replica of a Qing Dynasty Imperial Throne, impressive sculptures, hand-painted manuscripts and priceless artifacts, all presented in a custom-made setting. "

(This is a repeat of a post I did for our class that met Fall 2007)

[Anonymous]

This is a neat website that you can immediately get updates on the latest news coming out of China. One thing that make it really neat is that it has its own forum discussion community much like ours. I found some great resources that others had posted in the discussion room. Look up - http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/redirect.php?gid=2&fid=6&tid=570096&goto=nextoldset

[clay dube]

We'll have an article on Chinese gardens in the US in an upcoming issue of US-China Today, but for those interested in the new Huntington Garden (officially opening on 2/23/2008), here are some links:

official website: http://www.huntington.org/Advancement/ChineseGarden.htm

2 LA Times stories:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gardens17feb17,0,3859702.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gardens24feb24,1,2106375.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Yang Ye (UC Riverside), who often speaks to teachers in our seminars, was one of the scholars charged with naming every tree, nook, bridge and building in the garden. His calligraphy can be seen on the teahouse in the garden.

I hope those who visit the garden will share a couple of your pictures via the forum. The place isn't cheap ($20/adults on the weekends), but there are group discounts and I think they have one free Thursday every month.

[Anonymous]

So, Clay, I went to the Huntington Library today all excited about seeing the new Chinese Gardens. Unfortunately I left my camera at home and am stuck with cell phone photos. I'll post those as soon as I figure out how to pull them off the phone In any case, heres my review of the entire trip.

First off the size of the place is absolutely awestriking. To think that this was once someone's home and estates is just bizarre from my own perspective. Grand, but a waste of resources as a private estate. As a cultural center of Southern California its a gorgeous landmark.

I immedately headed for the Chinese Gardens. I had taken the time to download the audiotour from their website and was excited about getting a inner glimpse of the place from cultural, artistic, design and production standpoints. The audiobook did indeed live up to my expectations in terms of content, but I did not finish listening to it. Why? Two reasons which end up being the same issue. First, the order of the stops seemed to take you past the same areas at least twice, and in one case makes you travel across half the garden to see something you could have hit when nearby earlier.

Second issue was that the gardens were almost completely barren of life. Anyone who hikes knows that the trail looks completely different if you take it in the opposite direction. So perhaps it would have been cool to run all over then back, but there was simply not enough life to make it appreciable.

The garden itself had all of its major components in place and functioning, including the physical structures (wall, ponds, pagodas, buildings, and decorative objects), major trees and important ornamental bushes. Otherwise the place was completely barren. By that I mean bare, freshly turned earth, completely empty of all plants, weeds, or anything. In many areas you could tell they were planning trails though something, but at the moment they were simply dirt paths surrounded by dirt. There looked to be a number of minor to medium sized waterworks that are still under construction in areas, which should also enhance the overall effect.

What about the archetecture? It was phenemonal. Highly detailed elements that were in part constructed here, and in part created by artisans in China. In the entrance is a large, but not intimidating sized gateway. As you walk in are Beautifully shaped doorways and windows(circular, flower shaped) looking out onto some truly phenomenal rockworks with a falls and pond far below. A courtyard next to that hall holds some nice, but not fantastic bonsai (chinese name escapes me...pen tsai?). The tea house was a beautiful carved latticework of designs that kept the interior an enjoyable tempature compared to outdoors. Truly appreciated in the heat of the mid-afternoon day.

The quality of the tea? I was the only one to order it on such a blazing hot day, so heres my review of the oolong. Not too bad actually! lol...it had a reasonably complex flavor actually, but I was really let down by the aroma. For something with "Fragrance" in the title, I expected a heady aroma like with my Ti Quan Yin. Instead it just smelled like tetley. A good oolong to try when there, but not worth $28 1/4 lb.

The food? My suggestion? Go vegitarian. My mom's food was actually very good as cold, premade stuff goes. My meat plate was very nasty. The meat bun was dry and I don't even want to describe what was inside. I'll stop at that with the descriptions of the meat plate.

The composition of the garden? The finest and highest paid consultants were brought in to ensure the garden reflected the ideal Chinese Garden. At the moment I can say that the major features work beautifully. The structures look like a scene from China when viewed from across the pond. Otherwise I have to simply imagine what will be in some of the larger dirt areas with paths. I'm thinking groves of bamboo and chinese maple as dividers to make the space feel larger. The path was kind of winding in some areas.

So, my suggestion is to check it out in 2-5 years. Right now its still under construction in minor ways, and has yet to be filled out with the 98% of its plant cover. They'll need at least till the end of the year to get the plants in (my guess), and another 2-3 years for the plants to really settle and start to begin filling out and propagating (except bamboo). In 10-15 years it will start to really feel like a natural setting like you find in the Japanese Gardens.

Anyhoo. I also went through the Japanese gardens and was blown away. I've been to the puny thing at CSULB and its pretty, but doesn't put you in a different place, or really feel like an authentic location. The Huntington's Japanese garden is simply unbelievable. There was obviously the time, money, and passion for japanese gardening and culture to invest in a truly immersive environment. I'm not going into too much detail on this because most people have seen it, but I have to say something

Like most great gardens, this one is arranged in a complex fashion with folliage, and some structures and decorative objects to create blocks and breaks. This disguises the actual size of the area (much like I'm sure is planned for the Chinese Garden), and exposes picturesque views of the landscape where the artist intends the viewer to focus their attentions. The effect is awestriking. It really feels like you are in another world. It is set up with a valley in the middle, and you're looking across at a japanese landscape on the other side, while standing in one yourself. Its very cool.

I'll go on about one more little bit. I was most impressed with their bonsai collection. I was a bit underwhelmed by the selection I saw initially in the Chinese Garden, but was awestruck by the variety and quality of those in the Japanese Garden. They had representitives of almost every style of bonsai composition, and high quality to world class quality examples in more than a few cases. At one point I looked around, grinned and said, "boy there sure are a lot of motion detectors around here arent there?" Yep. they have security over those and for good reason...their collection is seriously valuable.

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[Edit by="mvhudnall on Mar 21, 11:51:58 PM"][/Edit]
[Edit by="mvhudnall on Jun 25, 12:11:12 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

hmm this message board does not support uploading images for a post and I don't have a host for images so I can't post them I guess. Not a huge loss, the quality was better than I expected for a phone, but not great.

[clay dube]

For Matt and others -- you can attach images to your post. You can only upload one photo at a time, but this allows you to provide a description for the images, so individuals can decide if they want to open them.

Here I'm attaching a photo from the election I'm here in Taiwan observing. It offers an action figure version of Hsieh Ch'ang-t'ing (Frank Hsieh), the Democratic Progressive Party's presidential candidate. The figure is standing in front of a clock showing the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates (the clock is in a Snoopy box). I took it during a visit to Hsieh campaign headquarters in the southern city of Kaohsiung.

[Anonymous]

The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito

May 8 - June 29, 2008
Westwood Art Forum, Los Angeles
http://www.shinjoito.com

Press Release:
THE VISION AND ART OF SHINJO ITO EXHIBITION
CELEBRATES MODERN BUDDHIST MASTER AND ARTIST
The Centennial Exhibition Presents Work Never Before Seen Outside of Japan
In 2008 the U.S audiences will be
introduced to The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito, a landmark exhibition that commemorates
the 100th anniversary of the birth of Shinjo Ito, the founder of the Shinnyo-en order of
Buddhism and a major Buddhist sculptor of Japan’s Showa Era (1925-1989). The Vision
and Art of Shinjo Ito, which features over one hundred pieces of Buddhist and secular
sculpture, engravings, calligraphy, drawings, photography, audio-video installations and
other artifacts, will be on view in Los Angeles (May 8 – June 29, press preview on May 7).
“This important exhibition gives U.S. audiences a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to gain insight into the heart and mind of a major Buddhist figure of the 20th century and
one of Japan’s most revered spiritual leaders,” said Hiroko Sakomura, exhibition’s
curator and general director. “Shinjo Ito created devotional images based on a personal
interpretation of scriptures, combining elements of traditional Buddhist art with a fresh,
modern approach.”
The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito
Shinjo Ito created extraordinary art objects that are, at the same time, powerful meditative tools. The exhibition’s centerpiece and most inspiring image is the Great Parinirvana Image, a sculpture of a reclining Buddha about to enter nirvana at the end of his life. Completed in just three months in 1957 with the combined efforts of Shinjo Ito and his congregation, it is the artist’s first major sculpture and his largest work of art at 16 feet long. Other sculpture on exhibit reflects Shinjo Ito’s personal sense of Buddhism as well as his interest in Greek sculpture and aesthetics: In addition to the devotional works, The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito includes a number of busts of the artist’s family members, friends and of senior priests of the
order. Prominent among them are the portrait sculptures of the artist’s two sons, both of
whom died at an early age. In Shinjo Ito’s own words: “What I seek to create is not just
the physical form of a Buddha figure. My purpose for sculpting them is to inspire and
motivate everyone to grow spiritually.”
Shinjo Ito (1906-1989)
Shinjo Ito was born on March 28, 1906 in Yamanashi, Japan. He showed extraordinary artistic talent as a child and went on to study photography and to win awards for his work. At the
same time Shinjo Ito was drawn towards spirituality. Eventually he gave up his job as an engineer to enter Kyoto’s Daigoji monastery, the head temple of the Daigo school of Shingon
Buddhism, one of Japan’s oldest denominations where he attained the
rank of Grand Master. Even after Shinjo Ito and his followers established the order of
Shinnyo-en, art continued to be an integral part of Shinjo Ito’s religious pursuit and he
sculpted and photographed throughout his life.
Shinnyo-en
Shinnyo-en is an independent Buddhist order based on the teachings of the
Nirvana Sutra which emphasizes Buddhism for lay practitioners as well as monastics.
Founded on the commitment to universal truth, compassion and service, Shinnyo-en
teaches that all people carry the seed of enlightenment within them and that by acting
with sincerity and kindness, they can bring that seed to fruition. Shinnyo-en encourages
the application of the teachings of the Buddha into one’s daily life, with no requirements
to leave one’s current faith.
Today Shinnyo-en is a global order, with almost one million active followers in
48 countries around the world. Shinnyo-en is led by Shinso Ito, the daughter of Shinjo
Ito and a Buddhist Grand Master. Master Shinso assumed the leadership of Shinnyo-en
in 1989. The only woman today to lead a Buddhist order, she also became the first
woman to officiate a service in the main hall of Kyoto’s temple of Daigo in its 1,100-year
history.

[Anonymous]

The new Chinese garden Liu Fang Yuan was breathtaking!

I did not do all of my research prior to arrival so I had not downloaded the audio walking tour available from their website.
However, we were lucky to be experience the garden as part of the Seminar and so had a very knowledgeable docent to provide us with the background information.

I could hardly believe that I was in southern California, I thought I had been transported to China!

I must say that my favorite part of the garden was the thousands of views we were presented with. I did not know that a goal of the Chinese garden is to present the visitor or inhabitant with as many pleasing views as possible. That goal was achieved, surpassed and continues. Although we walked around the edge of the garden I though that there was still much more to see. I am going back. And next time I will take that podcast with me.

[Anonymous]

Last weekend I drove out to LA (I'm an OC guy) to see the Shinjo Ito Exhibit at the Westwood Art Forum. Check out the two posts above for a link to his website, and through that the westwood art forum. The site also contains pictures of the work, though not necessarily every one, or in as stunning a fashion as shown in the exhibit.

One of my favorite works was the Achalanatha. It was combined with two other works that were not shown on the website or the small catalog I purchased. The other two were similar figures that when viewed together were very powerful. The faces were simultaneously quite human and monsterous.

Two of the pieces truly seemed to possessed of life: a huge "Head of Shakyamuni", and a gorgeous dancing "Queen Maya, Shakyamuni's Mother". The Queen Maya almost seemed to be in motion as you viewed it. The lighting was exquisite, and enhanced the work even further. The edges of the raised arm and floating leg were crested in light, blurring the edge and causing her arm and leg to almost seem in motion. The Head of Shakuamuni was harder to define. It was no trick of subtle lighting, but pure skill in sculpting. The head was so fleshy, realistically dimensional, and subtle in expression, that it felt like it would at any moment turn its head, or the neck flex as it takes a breath.

I have two other favorites at this exhibit, and they are favored not only due to their appearance, but also due to the invitation by the viewer to interact with the work. I've always appreciated artists who provide opportunities to recieve a physical experience with a work of art, and in this exhibit there were three pieces set aside for this purpose. A copy of the foot from the giant buddha (check out the website), and two lovable characters named mahakala and ebisu. Ebisu is the Japanese god of fishermen, good luck, and workingmen. Mahakala I'm less clear on. This sculpture appears to be a more unusual representation having only two arms, and a less monsterous appearance. This god is a remover of obstacles from the path of enlightenment. Ebisu is shown on the website. Mahakala is similar in stature, but holds a bag and a hammer instead.

In regards to his other work. I feel that Shinjo Ito's strongest medium was clay. While his brass works were okay, they did not allow him to utilize his full skills and talents as you are able to see in his clay, plaster, or in some cases resin works. Other than the first two images mentioned, his best work are the clay busts of contemporary zen buddhist masters. The individual personality and expressiveness were wonderful.

His abilities seemed to break down somewhat when dealing with the full body, especially in smaller works. Some of the small works were expressive, but had over or under sized heads, small legs, and almost nonexistent hips to connect the legs to torso. Proportion problems also existed in a couple of the larger busts, but the overall quality of the works were high enough to forgive the minor flaws.

Overall I was highly impressed. It was religious art, so be expected for that, but I really liked what I saw. One thing I thought was interesting is that they included casts of the same work in different mediums and using different finishes. It really demonstrated the differences that can occur in detail and the viewer's emotional response. Go see this one. Its free even!

-Mathew Hudnall
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[Anonymous]

I encourage 2-12 grade teachers to visit the Skirball Cultural Center, I-405 north of UCLA. The Skirball has great programs, special exhibits, and programs for students.

In particular is the archaeological dig experience for 6th grade students. The program provides buses and admission scholarships for public schools in need. To qualify you must attend one of the Educator Open Houses: August 14, 17 or 20, 2008. Applications are processed beginning October 1, 2008.

Information is available:
http://www.skirball.org
310.440.4662
[email protected]

To learn more, I refer you to the message above from dlong/Re:Museum Resources/Posted:07/23/1007

One of my peers went to the Skirball this past week and the students couldn't stop talking about what a great time they had. This fieldtrip would work at any time during the year whether studying the pyramids of Egypt of the Terracotta Army of the Qin Emporer.

[Anonymous]

Coming to Southern California via the British Museum. . . .

Terracotta Warriors at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana only 5 minutes down the road from Disneyland. It's cheaper than a trip to Xi'an!

Want to get up close and personal to Qin's Warriors? Want to confirm that they each are different? Interested in the weapons they carried and see the crossbow up close? Want to know how the uniforms were sewn together, for infantry versus the officers? Interested in how a charioteer handled four Mongolian steeds into battle? Want to learn about how the terracotta warriors were assembled? Interested in the expansive size of Qin's tomb? Want to see what other items were in his tomb? Want to know what he did to unite China beyond connecting the pieces of walls already in existence?

This exhibit is spectacular!!! I have been to Xi'an, and was not this close to the warriors. It was easy to spend more than two hours wending my way through the exhibit, listening to the audio (included in the ticket price), reading the descriptors, and examining the items in the cases.

Even thought I knew about the painstaking process of putting the warriors together from shards, I could not pass by the case that detailed the process of excavation and the effort of putting the puzzle pieces together to form a warrior. Did you know that they have found fingerprints of the artisans on the insides of the shards?

I spent a lot of time examining the structure of the reins of the four horses that pulled the chariots. The reins are long gone, but the bits remain, and it has all been reconstructed. Not all the reins are in the hands of the charioteer! Furthermore, the right hand controls three horses and the left hand hold the reins of three horses--the middle two horses are controlled by both hands. It is intriguing. how the horses are connected to each other, the chariot and the charioteer.

There are 22 terracotta figures on display. The detail of the warriors' stances, uniforms, facial features, hair (down to the indivdual strands), caps, and body armor is breath-taking.

The website is http://www.bowers.org

Order tickets for the exhibit directly from the museum and go early to see their other galleries.

Unfortunately, the Teacher's Guide and educational information are not yet available. I did get a different home page for the museum when I accessed it from home than I did when I was working on line at school (LAUSD).

This presents a great counterbalance to the time spent on the Egyptian tombs.

[Anonymous]

Text
I agree that the field trip activities at the Skirball are very worthwhile. My own son went there years ago when he was in the 6th grade and the archeologist's dig activity is still somehing he vividly remembers. I would also imagine that arranging a field trip there is not as competitive as one to the Getty is.
Dawn

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