Seurat's Circus Sideshow at the Met

Last Spring, John and I enjoyed the Met's presentation of a group of Georges Seurat paintings and drawings centred around his painting of a Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), 1887-88.

The paintings depict performers the French called Saltimbanques who would give a free show outside carnival tents in order to tempt customers to pay to see a full show within.

We loved Trombonist, 1887-88, Seurat's Conté crayon study for the painting. The Conté crayon drawings perfectly suggest his painting style of pointillism or developing pictures through the use of multiple dots of paint. We might add that these drawings are simply ravishing. Here are three more.

Eden Concert, ca 1886-87

At the Concert Parisian, ca 1887-88

At the Divan Japonais, ca 1887-88

The exhibition also included Seurat's preparatory drawing, Study for "Models" 1886-87

and a small version of the resultant painting, Models, 1887-88. The larger version of the painting is in the Barnes Collection.

The curators included work by other artists and social commentators like Honoré Daumier and his wonderful illustration, The Sideshow (La Parad), ca 1865-66.

The lasting achievement of Seurat's post-Impressionist technique is made clear if we compare it to the large realistic painting of a sideshow performance by Fernand Pelez -- Grimaces and Misery - The Saltimbanques, 1888 which was painted the same year as Circus Sideshow and yet lacks the timeless quality of Seurat's pointillist approach to the subject.

Rei Kawakubo at the Met

When we visited the Met back in the spring, John was particularly interested in seeing the Rei Kawakubo show.

He was curious about her label, Comme des Garçons, and wanted to see her stuff.

We joined the fashionatas, who were out to worship her designs.

We knew that Kawakubo is famous for pushing the line between fashion and art.

The dresses above came the closest to being wearable fashion.

The rest of the show confused us greatly, because we couldn't relate at all to what is generally considered fashion design. 

We could see that the work resembled sculpture

some pieces amusingly abstract

but the fact that the work could also be fashion

kept coming back to confuse us.

Later, when we saw my photographs, we were surprised that the work was marvellously photogenic.

Even the oddly placed bulges looked good in the pictures.

I like the Japanese influence here.

And I think I could wear one of these tunics.

In a gallery handout, Kawakubo is quoted saying, "When I hear 'where could you wear that?'

or 'it's not very wearable,'

or 'who would wear that'

to me it's just a sign that someone missed the point." This is a brave line because it could so easily be turned against her and we found it funny that way and memorable because it expressed our confusion perfectly.

You'll need to see Kawakubo's Art of the In-Between for yourself. It's nothing if not entertaining. It is on until September 4th, 2017. 

Canoe Heads on Queens Quay West

John and I live on Queens Quay West at Little Norway Park.

This afternoon I planted some basil plants in pots on our balcony.

I looked down and saw a portage in process.

 The portage continued!

It was Amici's Canoe Heads for Kids.

One of my snaps was strangely abstract.

The Jazz Age at the Cooper Hewitt

John and I dropped into the newly renovated Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum

at number 2 East 91st Street on the Museum Mile in New York City

to see The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920's.

The show was on the spacious new galleries on the 2nd floor.

Visitors are greeted by this gorgeous Deco couch backed by the hanging textile, Le Feu (Fire), 1931. Let's take a little tour of the offerings on view.

Day Dress, 1919-20

Chandelier, ca 1925 and Dining Chair, 1925

Actaeon, 1925, Paul Manship

Drawing, Jazz Dancers, ca. 1928, Paul Colin

How about this Deco textile of New York City or

  this Diana Huntress textile (USA), 1920-29

We loved this poster for shoes, UNIC, 1932 ( lithograph) by A. M. Cassandre

and this bookcover design, 1930,  for Paul Morand's New York.

Or how about this amazing Cubic Coffee Service, 1927!

Desk and Bookcase with Side Chair and Blotter, ca. 1927.

Sideboard and armchair by Kem Weber Group, 1928-29 and a Deco radio, 1932.

Surely we could all use this Daybed, 1933-35 by designer; Frederick Kiesler.

A small side room displayed amazing small treasures from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan like this Cigarette Case And Matchbox, ca. 1920, carved rock crystal, round and cabochon rubies and gold.

I've always been a fan of Deco ceramics like Vase, ca. 1924

and Die Frucht, ca 1925.

John admires the gleaming details of Ten panel screen, Renards (Foxes), ca 1921-22.

This little girl took to this little room where you could make your own textile design. These polka dots were just the beginning of her clever play.

Before leaving I stepped out into the private patio, lawn and gardens

with early blooming wisteria

and then rejoined John in the elegant sunroom to return to 5th Avenue.