I’ve decided that I’m opening an art gallery, but that art gallery is mostly hypothetical and exists as a newsletter on the Internet. Welcome, and thanks for coming.
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When I was 22 I lived in Chicago for a summer. My employer at the time gifted me two months paid vacation, which I still can’t believe, so I was free to roam around Chicago as I pleased. This was especially great because I was newly pregnant (a story for another day!) and really sick. The only thing I really liked to eat for a few months was donuts, so it became my regular routine to take the train downtown to a donut shop I loved, then eat my donut in this concrete courtyard with a massive sculpture at the center.
A few weeks into this routine, a friend I met in Chicago, Alex, joined me for donuts by the sculpture and she casually mentioned that it was a Picasso (!!!) which blew my little mind.
I’ve always been a fan of Picasso, so I was embarrassed that I didn’t know about this particular work, but also shocked that this piece was made by Picasso’s own hand because…people were constantly ON IT. As in, children would use it as a slide, or skateboarders would skate across it, or people would just sit on it! A Picasso!
Upon reflection, this is the coolest thing to me. You can go to Chicago and casually interact with a Picasso. It’s not under glass. You can slide down it like a kid for goodness’ sake.
So, we’re going to call this week’s exhibit OH FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE because it will be comprised of pieces that simply delight us.
First things first, let’s gaze upon one of many dog paintings David Hockney created in the 1990s. You’ve probably already seen these but I think we could all stand to be reminded of them every once in a while.
David Hockney said he “wanted desperately to paint something loving” after the loss of a close friend, so he painted this series of his dogs Stanley and Boodgie (squeal!).
As I said, utterly delightful.
Please do explore more of his dog paintings here, and don’t miss the photo of Hockney posing in his studio with one of his pups.
On to our next piece:
Surely the unique art that is tweeting will be, many decades in the future, analyzed for its historical and cultural significance. I’d like to submit to future curators of the Smithsonian or whatever, this piece by Aubrey Plaza.
It’s performance art. It’s collage. It’s poetry.
And finally, our last piece is this print by Cathlin McCullough.
I have this hanging in my living room, and friends often ask if it’s a double exposure. It’s not! Cathlin is a friend of mine and told me the boys in the photo were jumping off at the same time, doing tricks together. I love that.
Limited edition prints can be found here.
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That’s it!
Thanks for attending another Gallery Blerf exhibit! Did all of this talk of delight bring up any specific art moment for you? I’d love to hear.
Also—it’s been a decade since that summer in Chicago and Alex and I are still the very best of friends. Certainly it was the donuts plus Picasso.
Gallery Bookstore
Beata Heuman: Every Room Should Sing: This book has ample visual treats in the form of Beata’s interior design projects, but also excellent essays on creating an imaginative and personal home.
David Hockney’s Dog Days: The aforementioned David Hockney dog portraits in book form. This would make a great gift for a friend who needs a hug, or maybe a gift to yourself for the same reasons.
Guzzini recycled plastic tray: I obtained this tray recently to wrangle my oils and vinegars and it’s given my kitchen a noticeable dose of pizazz.
Bathe the Cat: An exceptionally beautiful children’s book! The illustrations, the fashion and the tiny little details are incredible. And the story is really hilarious to my six year old. We’ve read it 400 times and I don’t mind one bit.
Pairs Well With
A newsletter about stickers that I didn’t know I needed
I wish you many visual treats this week, and perhaps a sandwich made for you by someone else. Thanks so much for stopping by!
CYA,
Rachel
THE DOGS! This is exactly what I needed and in fact I will need to look at that every single day.
What the fudge I didn't know I was in your menchies! *cries*
Great art this week. I do have a set of double-exposed photos from a malfunctioning camera I had when I was 18. They are my family's trip to Universal Studios mixed with my favourite band playing in a local club, so one of the shots is my sisters and I with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and then a guy playing guitar along the side in the same photo.