The Dallas Museum of Art
I had the pleasure of visiting Dallas, Texas for the first time to attend the Dallas Art Fair and all of the exciting events surrounding it.
I discovered Dallas has a lovely and supportive art community with some top-notch institutions such as the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Contemporary, the annual art fair, Nasher Sculpture Center and so much more.
The DMA has a very strong permanent collection with all of the classics from Mondrian to Picasso and they had two outstanding special exhibitions on view when I was visiting:
Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I have for the Pumpkins
The Permanent Collection
The DMA's permanent collection is filled with works from the classic such as Mondrian, Magritte, and Picasso, to more contemporary artists such as Joan Semmel and Josef Albers.
Work by Joan Semmel (above), a female painter represented by Alexander Grey Associates, with work in the Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection as well.
'Windows', a work by German artist Josef Albers.
I'm such a sucker for the simplicity of Mondrian's work.
'Our Daily Bread (Le Pain Quotidien) ' by Belgium artist René Magritte.
Are you really an art museum if you don't have a work by Picasso?
Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I have for the Pumpkins
While Yayoi Kusama exhibits seem to be popping up all over the country from Moma PS1 to The High Museum of Art, they're certainly not overrated.
Thankfully I went to the museum in the middle of the day, so there was barely a line for the exhibit. This was particularly relieving considering you're only allowed a minute in the exhibit (yes you read that correctly, one minute).
Two people are admitted at a time and I had the unfortunate luck of having a woman enter with me who wanted me to take a photo of her....leaving me about 10 seconds to snag one myself.
That being said...it's an absolutely breathtaking experience..almost like a modern-day cathedral of sorts.
Laura Owens
When I saw this exhibit I wear earlier on in my art 'blogging' days and didn't yet understand the significance of having a human-for-scale next to the art. This would have been particularly clutch for this exhibit since these artworks are gigantic (which doesn't come across in the photos).
“Owen’s work is very playful and joyous. Encountering her work goes beyond the passive experience of viewing a painting. People are always due to respond to the work on different levels; there’s something for everyone and the more time you spend with the work the more it gives to you.” - Dr. Anna Katherine Brodbeck (assistant curator of contemporary art at DMA)
“Owens’s experimentation with her art has established her as an important figure for younger generations of artists and has captivated the art world for decades, securing her a place of pride in numerous collections around the world, including the Dallas Museum of Art.” - DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director Dr. Agustín Arteaga
Smaller Works
Not every work in this show was over twelve feet tall. More delicate works (think 12"x12") can be seen below.
Catalogue
I usually have no self-control when it comes to a great exhibition catalog..and this one is probably one of my favorites to this day. As you can see below, each cover is a unique screen print done by the artist..and the contents are even better.
