Yesterday the plan was for my mother and I to go pick up my grandmother and head out to Lake Calhoun and rent a canoe, or maybe it was a paddle boat, for the day. Because the sky was overcast and there was some rain, we opted for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I would not be disappointed.
I hadn't been there in well over a decade, and to be honest, very little had changed, but I was still captivated by the history and creativity that can be found within those walls. I was the only one unaware of a particular exhibit including various artists and their takes on landscaping. Or maybe just landscapes; there were no lawnmowers to be seen.
Before we could go see the special exhibit, however, we would wind our ways through the maze of rooms that is the institute. Here's how it all went down.
As we entered the arena of ancient Japanese fighting arena, we were asked to choose a helmet to wear throughout our journey. I chose this one because it made me look taller and similar to an insect, which generally I think people are afraid of. Upon attempting to remove the helmet from it's storage container, an employee asked me to please stop of I would be asked to leave.
These are the three wise men of Chevapravatdumrong.
This is believed to be the first glory hole ever discovered from ancient times. It is said to be over ten-billion years old, and is likely made from an unknown material from outer space.
On a serious note, these next two paintings were in the Landscape exhibit and I couldn't stop looking at them. I passed right over the Monet's and stopped at these beauties painted by German artist, Gerhard Richter.
I got bored and stared out of this window for a while. It really would have been a bad day to be out on a lake.
This is a picture of future artist, Claude Monet from the year 60008
This gentleman followed me into every room and tried to copy the faces I was making. He did pretty well as you can see here.
This is exactly what it looks like.
Again, a piece that made me look twice. I almost walked right past it then my mom told me it was made out of sand. I immediately turned back to it and was in awe at the length of time it must have taken to produce such fine quality.
The last three pictures are of my mom and grandma with their favorite animals, and two Japanese warriors with cool hats.
We did our best. We ate overpriced food at a restaurant better suited for a mall food court, and made our way through the gift shop where they do sell a cheese knife set for $1,700. We paid $60 for the three of us to see a handful of paintings of landscapes. And we saw the same jade, gold, and bronze statues that I have seen since childhood. There were a few empty rooms this time through, so maybe there's hope for new material. I left with a sense that I should research Gerhard Richter, and probably not go back to the museum for another decade. I gave it a shot, and I wasn't impressed. But, there are other museums, and other places to visit, and I'm open to experiencing new things.
