The Space Center took all day, which wasn't our original plan, so we ended up having to rush over to the Menil Collection, which was the other big thing on our Houston itinerary.
The Menil Collection is one of my favorite museums in the whole world -- right up there with Tate Modern, MoMA and (a new one from 2008) the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris. The first time I went, in 2004, it was for the Cy Twomblys, but they have an absolutely outstanding collection of modern (wonderful Magrittes, etc.) and African art, plus the unique Rothko Chapel, which features a number of Rothkos in spiritually peaceful purple/black hues. (I'll blog about the chapel tomorrow, because we didn't quite make it before close today...) The main building itself is by Renzo Piano, and is extraordinarily satisfying in its rationality and serenity -- one of my favorite pieces of museum architecture, entirely aside from what's inside.
Unfortunately, we got there at 6:05 and the museum closes at 7, so we had to breeze through the main building. I took a good 20-30 minutes with my Twomblys, which are given their own building.
I HEART YOU, CY TWOMBLY! You have been my favorite since 1995, and I have a feeling you always will be. I don't know anyone else whose work is both so cerebral and so pungently physical. The best combination.
No comments:
Post a Comment