The good, the bad, and the “oh my god I can’t believe it”

The Fisher Museum is a no-go for the Presidio. I wrote at the time:

Even if the Fisher Museum is built, will it be able to generate enough revenue to support itself or will it be a money sink? Very few museums are profitable; they live off their endowments, grants and any other revenue producing properties that they may own. Furthermore, what impact will the construction of all these buildings have? How many building projects have been built on time and within the budget? What about cost overruns? Construction boondoggles? I do not trust the powers that be and perhaps that’s the bottom line. If the door is opened a crack, how much wider will it be forced open? Can we be really looking at a dozen more super-towers of luxury apartments lining up along the bay? We can’t see it now but it’s a real mistake to assume that everybody is honest, ethical and eco-friendly where there’s money to be made.

CM Nevis thinks is a classic case of "not in my backyard" but dismisses the very real issues involved. While the collection may be first class, the choice of site was inappropriate. This wasn’t simply a NIMBBY issue; it was a serious problem involving an inaccessible site without public transportation and a building that would have negatively impacted the existing environment. The footprint would have been huge and while the Fisher’s claim that they would donate the money to build it, what about staffing and future upkeep – and who will ultimately own the complex? Reading through the 521 comments at SF Gate was a depressing exercise. Obviously the park and environmental activists have not done a good job in educating the public because most of the comments were hostile and uninformed. This wasn’t a free gift but a 21st century land grab. The complex would have included a 119-room hotel, meeting space, a restaurant and a bar; two new theaters and a heritage center. Who would ultimately have owned all these buildings and who would have ultimately been responsible for their upkeep? Who would get the revenue, if any? The editorial is severely one-sided since Nevius overlooks the fact that building the museum there would have violate the terms of the Presidio Trust. The ultimate decision was made by the federal government, not San Francisco.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/04/BAKU18ICI7.DTL

The good thing about this is the possibility that the collection (or part of it) might go to enrich SFMOMA, a far more accessible space. If Mr. Fisher wants more public acclaim, maybe they can rename the museum the Don Fisher/San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and put his name in big letters over the entrance?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/03/MNJI18IEQM.DTL
http://venetianred.net/



Kenneth Baker reviews the Tutankhamen exhibit and is haughty dismissive of blockbusters and those who host them. But he raises a number of questions regarding the proper use and funding of museums, which I will attempt to discuss in a future post.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/27/DDS318DH4T.DTL&type=art

An Artist's Reality Show:
When I first read about this, I thought it was a joke, but apparently it’s serious. Richard Lacayo writes that Sarah Jessica Parker and Bravo are going ahead with a Top Chef like competition for artists.

“In each episode of the series, contestants will create unique pieces highlighting art's role in everyday life, while they compete and create in a range of disciplines including sculpture, painting, photography and industrial design (to name a few). In working beyond their preferred mediums, artists will have to adapt quickly in order to succeed. Completed works of art will be appraised by a panel of top art world figures including fellow artists, gallerists, collectors, curators and critics. The finalists' work will be showcased in a nation-wide museum tour.

This leads to a few questions. Are these artists, curators and critics going to issue the snap judgments that judges on Top Chef and Project Runway pronounce? You might be able to get away with that when you're talking about a tuna tartare on a pool of lingonberry foam but I don't think it will work for something, like art, that takes a little longer to process. And where will they find people even willing to try?

Hmmm....Jeff Koons, check your messages.”

Are artists really that desperate for fame and fortune? I'm one and I know that I'd rather have a visit from the Spanish Inquisition than under participate in this humiliating show.

http://cheznamastenancy.blogspot.com/2008/07/sarah-jessica-parkers-art-competition.html
http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/

Happy 4th of July

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Calligraphy by Thomas Ingmire, photography by me.

Museum going this weekend

Georgia O'Keefe: Black Mesa

SFMOMA: The show featuring affinities between Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keefe is still up along with the Kerry Marshall mural in the atrium and an on-going small but exquisite show of Paul Klee in the permanent collection.
http://www.sfmoma.org/

Asian Art Museum
Lords of the Samurai at the Asian: http://www.asianart.org/
On Sunday, July 5th, they are showing two films with the iconic Toshio Mifune: Yojimbo at 11 am and Sanjuro at 2 PM. Both movies are in black and white with English subtitles.

Yojimbo: The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and Walter Hill (Last Man Standing), this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential films ever produced.

Sanjuro: 2:00 pm: This show opens with one of the most famous scenes in all samurai movies but I'm not going to spoil you by describing it. Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
This will be your last chance to the see the Nick Cave exhibit as it ends July 5th. I reviewed the show when it opened at: http://cheznamastenancy.blogspot.com/2009/04/fashion-at-yerba-buena.html

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: http://www.famsf.org/

Of course, Tut reigns supreme at the de Young but their permanent collections, including the African and Oceanic arts collections are always worth a visit.

Legion of Honor: Drawn from the collection of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Waking Dreams highlights the dream-like etchings of Max Klinger (1857–1920), the German Symbolist artist best known for his enigmatic portfolio Paraphrases About the Finding of a Glove (1881).

Museum of the African Diaspora
MoAD's permanent exhibitions allow visitors of all ages to explore cultural traditions in an immersive, interactive environment. Organized both geographically and thematically, the exhibits are designed to raise curiosity and bring recognition to the genius of Africa and the civilizations, which arose from it. The current show “American Icons: Bay Area” honors the accomplishments of two legendary San Franciscans: Willie Mays and Willie Brown.
http://www.moadsf.org

Introduction to the Jewish Theater, 1920, tempera, gouache, and opaque white on canvas. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. © 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

The Contemporary Jewish Museum is showing “Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theatre (up till September 7, 2009). http://www.thecjm.org/

If (or when) you’ve had enough of “high” culture, you can always visit the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf which features a new tribute to Michael Jackson
http://www.waxmuseum.com/

Two Umbrellas

Before I retired, I had this vision of working non-stop into the wee hours of the morning to create a body of work. It did not work out that way. I find that I work in spurts, starting a piece in my home office, living with it for a while and then, carting it off to my "public" office to to finish off with oils. Or leave alone as the case may be.

I have discovered that it is not necessary for me to work eight hours a day seven days a week. In fact, I can't. I need to alternate my painting with my journalism with museum/gallery going, wool gathering, fun with friends and walks to nowhere place in particular. But what I do need, what I do is focus on getting the job done and continually refining my craft, whether it's the art of painting or the art of writing. I'm already an expert on the art of goofing off.

The writer Elmore Leonard got up at 5:00 am and wrote for two hours before going to work at an ad agency. He did it for ten years and turned out five books and 30 short stories.

I am not an early morning person, never have been, and, thank heavens, my days in the salt mines of UC are over. But I do get up by 8 or 9, and while drinking my tea, work an hour or two on the latest piece in the studio. Then, I go and set up my schedule for the rest of the day. I just took an inventory of the pieces in my studio - in four and a half years of retirement, I've painted over 100 new pieces, have made about a dozen artists books and an uncountable amount of work in watercolor, calligraphy and drawings. Now, I manage this blog as well as write for the SF Examiner. It does not take all day and it does not take the type of angst driven life style. It just takes focus, application and discipline and, to be honest, not in painful amounts. There is plenty of time of gazing out the window and aimless Internet surfing.

Ankhesenamen-The Lost Queen

One of the strengths of this exhibit is its inclusion of objects from the family, friends and court of Amarna and Tutankhamen. While the golden mask remains in Cairo, being too fragile to travel, the other items give a more comprehensive look at this fascinating period in Egyptian history.

When I was a teenager, I read "The Lost Queen of Egypt." It was a fanciful (but in some ways) historically accurate recreation of the life of Ankhesenamen, the daughter of Akhenaten and the wife of Tutankhamen. I loved this book, which was filled with exquisite line drawings based on the art of the Amarna period. Starting with her childhood, Lucile Morrison imagined Ankhesenamen's life in Amarna as a princess of the Royal Family. The plot revolves around the princess' dawning awareness of the treachery and intrigue surrounding her father, and her relationships with Tutankhamen and an artist, originally from Crete who is freed by her father because of his talent. In the book, she is able to escape from the royal palace after Tutankhamen's death and live the life of a non-royal woman with her lover, the Minoan artist. Would that it were so - but her real life history is even more amazing.

Records were found in the Hittite archive outlining a strange sequence of events. In all the 3,000 years of Egyptian history, these letters are the only personal ones from a Queen of Egypt that have ever been found. After the death of Tutankhamen, a queen referred to as Dahamunzu (in Hittite) writes to King Suppiluliumas and asks him to send her one of his many sons to marry and become lord of the land of Egypt.

"He who was my husband is dead and I have no son. Should I then perhaps take one of my servants and make him my husband?"

King Suppiluliuma suspects some trick and sends one of his envoys to investigate. After some time the King decides to send his son, Prince Zannanza, to Egypt. The prince dies and the King suspects foul play. Later he declared war on Egypt. The last letters in the exchange show a correspondence between Aye and Suppiluliuma. Ankhesenamen's attempt failed. We will never know her motives or why she even thought such a scheme could succeed.

There is some indication that she married Aye, who may have been her grandfather (Amarna family relationships were complex beyond belief with intermarriage carried to a new level). He was pharaoh after Tutankhamen and a ring with their joint cartouches was found in Aye's tomb. But after that, silence. She disappears from history, her ultimate fate a mystery.

But I love to think that there was true love between her and Tutankhamen and that the numerous images of her among Tutankhamen's funeral goods are not for solely religious purposes. The four statues of the golden goddesses who guarded his canopic chest are all portraits of the queen. They are shown together in various scenes on the shrines, the chests for clothing. She is languidly handing him as arrow as he hunts along the Nile. She waits upon his pleasure, sitting on the floor beside him, her arm resting on his knee, anointing him with perfume, both of them wrapped up in each other.

The Flower Song (Excerpt)

To hear your voice is pomegranate wine to me:
I draw life from hearing it.
Could I see you with every glance,
It would be better for me
Than to eat or to drink.

(Translated by M.V. Fox)

When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, several items showed the image of Tutankhamen's Queen. One of the most famous objects is the golden throne, which shows Ankhesenamen standing before her husband. She is apparently anointing the king. Ankhesenamen is shown wearing a short Nubian wig and her regalia consist of a modius consisting of uraei topped with the horned sun disk and the double plumes. The sun disk and plumes associate her with the goddess Hathor. Above them shines the sun disk of the Aton, its rays ending in hands as they bless the royal pair.

I am thy wife, O great one -- do not leave me!
Is it thy good pleasure, O my brother that I should go far from thee!
But thou remain silent and speak not.

Walk Like An Egyptian:Tut at the De Young

The mother of all bling returns to Golden Gate Park with more publicity, more photos and pronouncements from the ubiquitous Egyptian Director of Antiquities, more parties for the posh and more frothy natterings. There will be lines, there will be expensive tickets and there will be hordes of people trying to see every shiny item. For many, what gets lost are all the complex and still unknown problems of his life, as well as that of his much more important father Akhenaton. But it's a big money maker and museums need that in these difficult times. I understand that much of the profit will be going to the Cairo Museum where I hope it will be spent wisely. So, here's a closer look at some of the precious bling.

Ceremonial Dagger and Sheath: There were two daggers found within the king's mummy wrappings. This one is absolutely extraordinary. It and its sheath are of solid gold and the tiny gold granulations and cloisonne work are remarkable. The sheath is especially an indication of the artistic ability and skill of the goldsmith. (Andreas F. Voegelin / Antikenmuseum Basel)


Pectoral With Solar/Lunar Emblems and Scarab: The ancient Egyptian ability to show symbols that are meant for protection with such a creative sense of design is astounding. In this beautiful pendant, the scarab in the center was merged with a hawk, both symbols of the sun. Above the scarab are images that represent the moon. (Kenneth Garrett / National Geographic 2008)

Chased gold Falcon Collar, representing the Pharaoh's status as the Falcon of Egypt. Of all the gods and goddesses of Egypt, the two best known are probably Isis and Osiris. Osiris was regarded as the oldest and, for a long time, the most important god who lead the Egyptians out of savagery, giving them laws and teaching them how to cultivate the land. He married his sister Isis and ruled with wisdom and benevolence. He was murdered by his jealous brother Set but Isis gathered up the sundered parts (including THAT part) and was able to conceive a son, Horus. Horus, represented by a falcon, defeated his wicked uncle and regained the throne. Henceforth, the king of Egypt was called "The Horus," and the falcon became one of the personal totems of pharaoh.

Viscera Coffin (detail), Dynasty 18, Reign of Tutankhamun 1332-1322 BCE. Photo: Andreas F. Voegelin, Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig

Thou appearest beautifully on the horizon of heaven,
Thou living Aton, the beginning of life!
When thou art risen on the eastern horizon,
Thou hast filled every land with thy beauty.
Thou art gracious, great, glistening, and high over every land;
Thy rays encompass the lands to the limit of all that thou hast made:
As thou art Re, thou reachest to the end of them;
(Thou) subduest them (for) thy beloved son.
Though thou art far away, thy rays are on earth;
Though thou art in their faces, no one knows thy going.

Of all the items in the show, this one is probably the most historically important. Akhenaton was the most radical king in all Egyptian history. He abandoned the old capital of Thebes and built a new one, dedicated to the glory of his personal god, Aton. He ordered his servants to deface and destroy the worship of Amon-Re, the most powerful god (and priesthood) in Ancient Egypt. Other gods were not spared and in some cases, the plural for gods was scratched out. The surviving hymn - to one god - is unique in the long history of Egyptian religion. A spirit of joyousness and an appreciation of life flow from what we know of faith of Aton; even the temples were open to the sun. Eventually, sadly, the whole edifice collapsed, the young king moved to Thebes and the priesthood of Amon-Re reasserted their former power. Unfortunately, none of the important tombs or mummies of the 18th dynasty have been discovered - no Heretic King, no Nefertiti and none of their daughters. Tut was a very very minor king and while the treasures of his tomb dazzle, they don't answer a multitude of questions. But then, maybe the mystery is part of the attraction.

Tut Links
Information about the Ancient Egypt from Barbara Mertz's funny yet informative book: Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs. (Harper Collins, 2007).

Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation
The electronic publication of Howard Carter's records of the excavation of the tomb of King Tut! Brought to you by the Griffith Institute.
http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/4tut.html

Eighteenth Dynasty: King Tut'ankhamun
Enjoy viewing some of the treasures from Tut's tomb through this virtual museum site.
http://touregypt.net/museum/tut.htm

The Diaries of Howard Carter
http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/4sea1no2.html

De Young Museum Web Site:
http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/content/about-exhibition
images courtesy of National Geographic

Kalligraphia 2009 at SF Main Library

In the “Story of Writing,” Donald Jackson remembers learning to write with a pencil and the thrill of actually making an “egg- shaped O. The joy that he talks about is one that is familiar to modern practitioners of the ancient art of shaping beautiful letters.

Larry Brady, "Days of Grass (Psalm 102)

In the east, calligraphy is still a valued art form but it’s not that widely practiced or recognized as an art in the west. Printing eventually dealt a deathblow to the hand written books. In turn, the study of formal letterforms or handwriting has now been widely replaced by computer and computer generated type. But the San Francisco Friends of Calligraphy and like-minded organizations across the United States and Great Britain continue to maintain the traditions of this ancient art.

Carla Tenret, entitled, "Skating Along the Edges"

They struggle with inkblots and spelling errors, caused by Titivillus, the patron demon of scribes. There are passionate discussions of ink, pen nibs and paper. They hold conferences, retreats and give demonstrations where the love of fine letters shines through. They sponsor calligraphy shows – the one now up at the SF Main Library - is their 15th show in the organizations’ 30-year history.

Deanna Jay Chu Nim: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (gold leaf, triple thick board, brass hardware, 10x2 2/3 inches). falada@cox.net

As Donald Jackson said, “When we make things with our hands, we put into them the energy which comes from our innermost self. ..these marks are an intimate link with the calligrapher’s heart and mind.” The exhibit on the 6th floor of the library is not only a link with our past but a reflection of passion, beauty and energy of an ancient art in our present.

Melissa Dinwiddie: XYS Triptych

"These letters are from a decorated alphabet I made at the 2009 FOB Retread, with letters and icons, based on a square shape, that I can use in unlimited combinations for the Ketubot, prints and cards that I design.”
info@mddesignworks.com

Through Aug. 23. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon. and Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., noon-6 p.m. Fri., noon-5 p.m Sun. Skylight Gallery, San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin St., S.F. (415) 557-4277. www.friendsofcalligraphy.org.

Images from julie michelle at http://femmefotographie.com/

Donald Jackson. The Story of Writing. Taplinger Publishing Co. Inc. New York, New York, 1981. pp. 10-13.
Marc Drogin, Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique (London: Prior, and Monclair, New Jersey: Schram, 1980), 18-19.