A Pilgrimage

Annie Leibovitz prior to the installation of her show at the Pace Gallery, 29 November 2011

I was so happy to receive Annie Leibovitz’s book Pilgrimage for Christmas this year. I have been a devoted fan and follower of Leibovitz’s career since I first became interested in photography many, many years ago and have two of her other books (A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005, and Women with Susan Songtag).

Niagra Falls, the cover of the book Pilgrimage

Leibovitz is famous for her portrait photographs of celebrities, royalty etc. many of which have come under fire as controversial. Her style is raw, sometimes grainy and always captures more than the eye can really see. Throughout her long career (she started studying painting at the Academy of Art here in SF), Leibovitz has had ups and downs in her personal, work and financial life and Pilgrimage provided that personal release from the past and a rejuvenation of life for her. “I needed to save myself,” Leibovitz states in an interview with the NY Times about the book Pilgrimage. “I needed to remind myself of what I like to do, what I can do.”

The images in Pilgrimage are hauntingly beautiful and although the focus is totally on the objects of and their importance in history and not people, they are in pure Leibovitz style.

Sigmund Freud’s couch in his study at 20 Maresfield Gardens in London

Annie Oakley’s heart target

A collection of handmade pastels in the O’Keefe Research Center in Santa Fe

All images via WSJ

Art Lecture: Fakes and Frauds

If you are in New York City or the surrounding areas, you should not miss the lecture by renowned journalist and art enthusiast Milton Esterow (Artnews editor and publisher) on the great art forgeries of the past. It is in two weeks on Thursday, January 26th, at Buttenwieser Hall (1935 Lexington Ave @ East 92^nd St.)

I'm sure it will be a fascinating lecture and being that I love art and mysteries I am sad to miss it! 

Masters of Venice - Exhibition Review

I went with my parents and aunt to the De Young Museum's Masters of Venice exhibition a few weeks ago and am still not sure how I felt about it. I was pleasantly surprised that the museum was practically empty...where all the regular weekend museums go-ers were, I have no idea, but it definitely made the experience more enjoyable as I was able to take my time in the exhibition.

The exhibition itself showcased some of the most beautiful and important artworks from Venetian artists on loan from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The major Venetian masters were shown including Titian, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Veronese and the museum did a good job of giving thorough background information on the artists and the culture of Venice during the Renaissance.

Examine paintings by artists one has studied in classrooms, in a up close and personal setting, is always a great reward; as past lectures from teachers play in your head you really get to know the hand of the artists' and recognize the fine details of the paintings and sometimes the symbols and meaning behind the works. Usually the De Young’s exhibitions are staged well but I did think, unfortunately, that this exhibition needed some more TLC.

The set up and walk-though is almost always the same with every exhibition in the lower level, fine that makes sense, but I felt that the walls were too drab for even this exhibition. At least one of the walls towards the end was left without a painting on it which really stops the visual flow of the galleries. Signage wise, I was glad there were not too many people visiting when I was there because it was hard enough to read the signs with more than three people standing in front (I always get the audio guides because there is always more information on those anyway).

Overall, of course the paintings were beautiful and the historically important, especially for an art historian to see in person. But the atmosphere surrounding them did not bring to life the blood and heart of the Italian Renaissance, but seemed more of a dreary hallway. I do wish, being an art museum, that the De Young could put forth more effort for their artwork exhibitions as they do their fashion exhibitions which are always beautifully flawless. Still, the exhibition runs through February 12, 2012 and it is worthwhile to see these masterpieces.