My sister and I spent yesterday in an unusually hot San Francisco at the SFMOMA, which is, luckily, air conditioned.
The line went around the block (of course) and, after touring the wonderful SFMOMA collection, we made it up to the fourth floor to wait in line for entrance to the fifth floor. Another 30 minute line.
Once I got over the herd mentality (moo.), I found it a transcending experience. If I have one word to say about the work, it's "breathtaking".
Afterwords, in the gift shop, a woman on the cell phone:
"...oh, and the line is 45 minutes long to get in, and John doesn't like lines, so we didn't go...."
Big mistake. I hate crowds, don't want anything to do with large masses of people crowded into a gallery, but this was a chance of a lifetime. It was worth sacrificing time for that. And that says much about how good the show was!
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
I almost saw a Chagall exhibition in the Grand Palais when I was in Paris, but it ended the day after we arrived, so we didn't get to. It was very sad.
But sounds awesome, Erik!
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Well, I did have to put up with the sound tour guys. They kept standing around getting in the way. And the philistenes.
One older lady, who obviously did not think much of modern art, saw a wonderful painting of a table with a miniature nude under it (sorry, the catalog was $60.00, so I can't remember the name) and had to interject "Too much vodka, I guess."
As she moved away, I had to comment "Maybe not enough!"
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I saw those originals in Israel. They're beautiful!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yeah, the Chagall Windows are spectacular, as is almost all of his work. I wonder if this traveling exhibit is the one I saw in Israel (when it was about to start touring, iirc) some ten years ago? It must have some of the same paintings, surely.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
I remember seeing those!
Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
I spent countless hours at the Chagall museum in Nice. Great stuff.
Posted by Sal (Member # 3758) on :
I saw Chagall's 100th birthday exhibition at Moscow's Pushkin Museum
And the windows of St. Etienne (?) in Metz.
Yum.
Posted by seriousfun (Member # 4732) on :
I saw the exhibit in SF two weeks ago. Luckily, my girlfriend had bought tickes in advance and we waltzed right in past the 45 minute line.
The show was great, and we found ways to squeeze past the audio tour zombies.
There was a small free exhibit on a lower floor with some Chagalls that were not upstairs.
It was not clearly signed how we could get in with our advance tickets, but we had the brains to ask.
Two women in their late 60s/early 70s got to the head of the line as we were leaving and were told "Oh, you had tickets? You could have gone right in!" Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
It actually wasn't too bad waiting, as we had come early in the day. When we got there and saw the line, however, we had wished that we had pre-purchased.
We did have the luck of parking all day in a lot only four blocks away for $5.00. It pays to take the old beat-up Blazer. No one messes with it.
I've actually pulled out my sketchpad and started working on something I've been calling "Restricted Access". I still wish that I had brought a camera, but I knew they wouldn't have been allowed in the gallery. I wanted to use it on the line in the stairs. It was great people watching!
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Annie Bump!
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Well, I have a book on Chagall, so there.
I guess I can't complain too loudly since I did just find out that my friend and I are definitely going to France next May. I'm getting art-history goosebumps just thinking about it.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
Wow. The Louvre. That trumps me! Still, I've been getting great ideas since going.
I'm not sure whether or not I'm ready to stretch canvas again, however....
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
The Louvre is so passe. I'm all about the Beaubourg, baby! And Pont-Aven in Britanny... sigh. Now there's an art town for you.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
::envy::
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
I'm a volunteer at the museum. I would have been there that Saturday but the Thursday before was my last day before school started.. ::semi-frustration::
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
If I'd only known there was a Hatracker within 50 miles....
What part of the museum do you work in?
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
There are a few Jatraqueros in the Bay Area. Zalmoxis and Graywolfe come to mind.. I'm more than fifty miles away for now though: Davis.
I was at the MuseumStore for about a month. Twas fun. I might be there over Christmas or next summer.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
i live on the outskirts of the bay area; i try to get into SF every once in a while.
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
You know, your profile says you're on the east coast..
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
More bay area people here than I thought, then...
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
*envies Annie as well* The Louvre decided to strike for a 35 hour work week during my visit to Paris! Consequently, every other museum in the area closed its doors and struck with them! Although, they at least opened one day per week so that we were able to see the Orsay at least.
The Chagall exhibit sounds fabulous! Glad you decided to muscle the crowds and go!
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